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

Video from yesterday’s Save Our Slots Rally
I am unable to embed them here, but they can be found at the below link
Link.
Update Simon. Video added below

I believe one motion on Shannon has been defeated by 1 vote. 68 to 67.  Watch or listen live.

Moving the Heathrow slots from Shannon (a 4 hour drive from Dublin and airport of choice for those in Limerick, Clare, Tipperary, much of Connacht and the North West) to Belfast (now a two hour leisurely drive from Dublin Airport thanks to the M1 looks like it has had its first victim.
The Dromoland Castle development [...]

Lowry (Ind) 27.8%
Smith (FF) 19.7%
Hoctor (FF) 18%
Ryan (ind) No word
Coonan (FG) 15.4%
Kathleen O’Meara (Lab) 10.1%
Seamie Morris (SF) no word
South
Tom Hayes (FG) 22%
Mattie McGrath (FF) 20%
Dr Martin Mansergh (FF) 16%
Seamus Healy (ind) 14%
Phil Prendergast (Lab) 8%

The Greens have managed to put a candidate in every constituency list here. However many of them are I would guess simply paper candidates. Take the North Tipperary candidate Paul McNally.  Address 17 Suffolk Street, Dublin 2. His Tipp contentions? He is involved as a consultant in ‘The Village’ sustainable community project in Cloughjordan. I [...]

The loss of Proctor and Gamble in Nenagh is a blow to much of North Tipperary. While North Tipperary still is still relatively well off compared to the rest of the country. It is a big blow. And will probably result in Marie Hoctor losing all chance of keeping her seat. But while people will [...]

After meeting with staff this morning, it was announced by Procter and Gamble that 280 jobs are to go in a cost cutting exercise. The jobs are to be cut from skincare to a plant in Poland.

Procter and Gamble have announced a cost-cutting plan which will be detailed to staff at the Nenagh plant tomorrow. There are 600 currently employed in the plant though there is no mention of how many jobs are to be lost. All part-time staff were sacked in December 2005 and in Feb 2006 a further 75 [...]

Starting on RTE 1 now (10:20). Updates following.
Its over now, watch it when it goes live here.
Health:

Interesting response to Caoimhghin O Caolain on health. Two out of fifty in the audience would like to see SF in government but in a head to head on health with Mary Harney the majority of the group were [...]

When I read this on RTE, “Dept to appeal ruling in dyslexia case,” about the Department of Education discriminating against people I was not sure how I should responded. I haven’t been made this angry by Brian Dobson since the time when they would interrupt the Den to bring coverage of the Budget. I used [...]

Democracy, isn’t it great! It allows all types of people to run for election, whether they are right or wrong. Take this for example: last week’s Nenagh Guardian (Free reg.) reports that
A group lobbying against the erection of mobile phone masts are considering running a candidate in North Tipperary in next year’s General Election.
The group, [...]

Well, not quiet, but the parties seem to love using the word slammed in their press releases, I guess in the hope that the local papers will run with that headline, which, in many cases, they do. However, this is another topic altogether and I just wanted to use the word slammed in a headline. [...]

The controversy of the voter register is back again from the Nenagh Guardian Hundreds of names about to be wiped off Register of Electors for Newport. Newport is a small town on the Tipperary-Limerick border that has saw a massive increase in population in recent years. Due to its proximity to Limerick City (around 10 [...]

The Nenagh Guardian feels the continued profile of our politicians despite the summer recess signals the kick-off of the campaign proper and also gives a fairly handy look at the state of affairs in North Tipp.

Round up of the news from the Local Papers. Feel free to comment on any stories.
Western PeopleO’Mahony still in election race
WITH a date set for the Fine Gael convention, the countdown for potential candidates to declare themselves is on with high profile football manager John O’Mahony still in the running.
Speculation has been rife in recent [...]

Sorry for the delay in bring this but I blame a certain team in red.
Donegal Democrat
Solicitor Makes Sensational Cash Payment Claim
A LETTERKENNY solicitor issued a strongly worded statement last night in which he claims an attempt was made to pass on a substantial cash payment to his client, Donegal T.D. Niall Blaney.