Irish Election - Coverage of Irish Politics, News and Current Affairs

Following @shaymcdaid on twitter from the slection conference in Donegal NE where Neil Blaney has given a speech declaring he is bowing out of the race meaning right now Fianna Fail are to run a single candidate, Charlie McConalogue. HQ will decide on a 2nd tomorrow. As pointed out by @faduda this is the first [...]

One of few journalists to call CU for Dana in 1999 has called the third seat in the Northwest euro constituency for Libertas leader Declan Ganley: Ten years ago this week, I was the only reporter to ‘call’ it for Independent candidate Dana Rosemary Scallon in advance of the Connacht-Ulster European election. Fianna Fáil and [...]

In the first of an occasional series of people running for office but abandoning their party logo we have Fianna Fail Councillor in Ballybofey Cllr. Patrick McGowan running a very interesting ad in the local newspaper. With a hat-tip to Susan O Keeffe on her twitter for sending the photo. Have a look below the [...]

  This is  the third in a series of posts looking at who would or would not keep their seats if an election was called now. With not much  local polling to go on this is entirly my opinion and probably wrong. If you have any ideas on it please drop a comment. Donegal North [...]

The Oireachtas has today launched a detailed profile based on the 2006 Census of all the constituencies in the country. The information is quite interesting and comprehensive and details all 42 constituencies in the country.

The Sunday Times reports that Fianna Fail are looking for “independently wealthy” -haven’t they hade enough of them? – persons to run as second candidates for Europe. They expect them to spend big on themselves like Royston and raise lots too. In other words they are skint. In Connaught-Ulster the party has set it’s hopes [...]

One of Bertie Ahern‘s home stretch events today was to launch the Dublin Airport Authority’s plan for Dublin Airport City.   Not to put too fine a point on it, this seems like one of the crazier proposals to have emerged over the last year, and symptomatic of much of what is wrong with governance and [...]

Jim McDaid returns from retirement (remember that?) and is joined by the man who brought him out of retirement, Niall Blaney. Update – McDaid says tension between himself and Blaney made it work – says if he had not come back FF would not have held seat.

From a contributor, if Keaveny goes as fifth from top her transfers are forecast to carry MacLoughlinn and Blaney over the line for seats 2 and 3

From a commenter First count in Donegal NE Blaney, Niall   6288 Doherty, Mary   339 Gallagher, Frank        520 Harte, Jimmy    1313 Keaveney, Cecilia       6362 MacLochlainn, Padraig   6733 McDaid, James   6724 McGarvey, Ian   766 McGuinness, Arthur      86 McHugh, Joe     8711 McLaughlin, [...]

This and Dublin South East are great counts. Donegal is very very tight. Quota: 9541 McHugh (FG) 8447 McDaid (FF) 6724 MacLochlainn (SF) 6630 Kaeveney (FF) 6252 Blaney (FF) 6275 Order of elimination is the whole story here. Keaveney holds the balance between McDaid Blaney and SF it seems.

Joe McHugh is set top the poll and join his wife Olwyn Enright (yes Bloggorah that’s a female Olwyn Enright!) in Dail Eireann. Tallies… Blaney 6275 Doherty 330 Gallagher 512 Harte 1290 Keavney 6252 MacLochlainn 6630 McDaid 6724 McGuinness McHugh 8447 McLaughlin 801

With about 30 boxes open… Cecilia Keavney has 34% of the vote , SF Candidate Padraig MacLochlainn performing well with 27% of the vote. More in the next 20 minutes.

Cork NC in the mysay box Listen here Allen and Kelleher (<25%) are out in front with Gerrry Kelly and Kathleen lynch on 11% Donegal North East tallies, McLoughlin (SF – 31%) Keaveney (FF) 30% McHugh 20% (a good result from boxes outside his area) Blaney (FF) 6% McDaid (FF) 2.9% Geography doing its bit. [...]

At the least it seems Sinn Fein are hoping to pick up 6 additional seats in this election. Mary Lou McDonald reckons they can pick up seats in Donegal (not sure if one or both), Sligo-North Leitrim, Cork North Central, Waterford and Wexford. She also suggests seats in Dublin (well she would) though not specifying [...]

Donegal South-West, not wanting to be left out the fun and games in North-East, has apparently seen a power play by FG HQ.  Joining the trend of unretirements, Dinny McGinley says he’s back on the ticket at the expense of Cllr Terence Slowey, who apparently has been persuaded to withdraw [UPDATED 2 MARCH].