11.28.06
Stick that in your pipe….
Meath Gaelic footballer Graham Geraghty is to seek a Fine Gael nomination to run in the new three-seater Meath West constituency at a convention on Monday, December 11th.
An Irish woman’s social, political and domestic commentary
Meath Gaelic footballer Graham Geraghty is to seek a Fine Gael nomination to run in the new three-seater Meath West constituency at a convention on Monday, December 11th.
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Leon said,
November 28, 2006 at 1:41 pm
Doesn’t he have to pull in votes from Westmeath in order to win? Do the Blueshirts expect Damian English to top the poll? Will there be alot of transfers from English to Geraghty?
Will Donie Cassidy be your TD?
ang said,
November 28, 2006 at 2:44 pm
Jaysis, that bang on the head from the Aussies caused more damage that initially thought!!
Sarah said,
November 28, 2006 at 3:56 pm
Westmeath is a county. Meath West is a constituency.
I’d say poor Damien is shitting it but I think its a great move. Geraghty will pull in lots of non-FG voters and Damien will still have the die-hard Blueshirts. Johnny Brady, FF backbencher backwoodsman should be the guy who loses out.
Leon said,
November 28, 2006 at 4:13 pm
Meath West vs Westmeath Thanks Sarah I know that. Is part of Westmeath not in Meath West though? Does Dempsey not transfer to Brady? If Meath West doesn’t return 2 FFers will Noel Dempsey still be a minister come next Autumn?
Is Donie Cassidy on the FF ticket for Meath West?
Dempsey
Brady
English
Daniel Sullivan said,
November 28, 2006 at 5:09 pm
donie and his love of syrup of figs is duking it out with ould school marm Mary O’Rourke. Dempsey only had a surplus of a 1,000 last time in the united Meath constituency and more of it went to Wednesday Wallace than Brady. Plus, Brady has lost more of his area to east than the others or so I hear.
What the 2nd Fg candidate needs to do is get close to Brady (less then 800) and then anti-government transfers will him over Brady as the count progresses.
Leon said,
November 28, 2006 at 5:23 pm
Aah Donie didn’t come over, I see it is the area around Mullingar that Geraghty will have to get his votes from.
I don’t think there are alot of anti government transfers going to FG, they’re just not credible. I see the Sinn Feiner got 12.75 % in the old Meath constituency, how might that play out in Meath West?
Frankly I would be surprised if it wasn’t FF2 FG1. But FG2 FF1 is loo loo land.
Sarah said,
November 28, 2006 at 6:48 pm
The split screwed SF. I’d say we are well on for FG2 FF1. GAA is a religion in Meath.
Leon said,
November 28, 2006 at 7:01 pm
But won’t you have to pull votes from Mullingar? I have heard that the split screwed SF before apparently their strength was NORTH Meath (HAHA). Mairead McGuiness is staying in Europe then?
Where did her votes come from for Ireland East ?
Would she have to resign the seat in Europe if she RAN?
Would she have to resign the seat in Europe if she won but FG/Lab didn’t have the numbers?
Could she just never take the seat?
Paul Newton said,
November 28, 2006 at 7:44 pm
It’s great to see heavyweight intellectuals like Graham entering public life, I hear Francie Brady is being approached by FG in Cavan / Monaghan, while either Podge or Rodge may be on the ticket in Laois / Offaly.
Why don’t FG create a reality TV show called “I’m a bit of a celebrity try and get me in here” and be done with it.
I wonder what Graham’s position on dail committees would be, would he be full forward or centre half?
The A&E’s will soon be backed up with people dying of laughter at Kenny.
Sarah said,
November 28, 2006 at 7:54 pm
yeah, cos FG are the only people to approach local celebs and offer them a ticket.FG havejust copped onto the fact that there is no “national” election, its 46 constituencies (sure I am open to correction on that). If it gets them into power so people like Mairead McGuinness can become a Minister, then so be it. And take it from me, Graham Geraghty will have more to contribute than Johnny Brady. I think the voters of Meath will be quite happy.
btw, I see that FG’s proportionate response defence for home owners being burgled policy that got lambasted 2 years ago has been totally vindicated by the Law Reform Commission. Funny how that got sneered at and then the official LRC report backs them up. I wonder will this be repeated with any other policies?
Oh and Mairead is so popular she has her pick of constituencies. Most likely she’ll run in Louth now.
Paul Newton said,
November 28, 2006 at 8:14 pm
is that the same Mairead who was a mini celebrity as an Ear to the ground presenter before FG just copped on to the fact that there is no national election (and by the way i think she is an excellent representative)
to mention her in the same breath as Graham is almost insulting, your Johnny Brady rationalisation is in effect the “sure anyone would be an inprovement” defence and is almost an admission of the squirmy squirmy feeling a well read intelligent person like yourself must be feeling right now.
are we really to become a country full of tosspot and useless TD’s elected on ridiculous local issues, we already have the bloody TV network guy in Donegal, Jackie Healy ah shure Rea in Kerry, and now we are to be blessed with Graham (them aussies are very rough) Geraghty…. I’m not just stirring the pot…i bloody despair… Padraig Pearse, Tom Barry, Noel Browne et al must be spinning like feckin centrifuges….
would ye not consider
Linda Martin?
Samantha Mumba?
Twink?
the ones not on the register are the bloody lucky ones!
gerry said,
November 29, 2006 at 12:02 pm
I hate to break it you Paul but people have been electing local GAA stars for as long as there have been elections in the free state. Jack Lynch?
I remember from many years ago in political science reading the Parish Pump and the number 2 most common background for TDs after family connections was sports and the GAA in particular as it is inherently local. I don’t know whether Geraghty would be a good, bad or indifferent TD but he wouldn’t be unusual.
To be honest, sports people moving to the house seems to have diminished considerably in recent years. Is it really much worse than the teacher/lawyer/idiot son or daughter routine we usually have?
Sarah said,
November 29, 2006 at 12:44 pm
well here’s an interesting twist. First mention of Geraghty’s candidature appears to have been made on Irish Election http://www.irishelection.com/11/the-gaa-candidates-line-up/
where PO’Neill says:
“a Fine Gael source in Meath contacted by Irish Election says that Graham Geraghty would be interested in running for them in Meath West, but that party brass are reluctant, feeling that he would get into “too many rows” — presumably off the field of play”
So actually Geraghty approached them!
Leon said,
November 29, 2006 at 2:54 pm
Maybe I hear the FG organisation is angry and the FF one is delighted.
Paul Newton said,
November 29, 2006 at 3:57 pm
Gerry love, thanks for that scintillating and world shattering bit of news, my point is hardly that political parties are courting GAA stars, they always did. However the people involved usually displayed some interest in politics before that point, there is a common misapprehnsion that all GAA players are political pillocks, which is simply not true as Jack Lynch, Jimmy Deenihan and others have proved over the years.
However the Geraghty thing is a new departure, the possible selection of someone “purely” because they are a GAA player ( I have no idea whether Geraghty has been involved at local level or not, but Google appear not to think so, and they are generally a better source than me)… it may work in the short term because as Sarah points out “GAA is a religion in Meath”
It’s like having Wayne Rooney running for the Tories!
if i was the FG top brass i’d be afraid, very very afraid.
and by the way Leon, I haven’t been a soldier of destiny since “the doc” was Minister for justice and i was allowed to make up my own mind, maybe that’s why they keep the voting age at 18, we are a bit impressionable before that, we might even vote for GAA stars.
gerry said,
November 29, 2006 at 4:06 pm
you’re probably not aware of this Paul, but calling me ‘Gerry love” can come across as a bit patronising. Just thought I’d give you the heads up.
Paul Newton said,
November 29, 2006 at 5:04 pm
sorry petal.
sarah said,
November 29, 2006 at 5:08 pm
Ah lads, you give me such a laugh. I’ve just been reading back over the comments with my Dad. He thinks Paul is very funny and that Leon’s questions were VERY pertinent. I didn’t give them enough attention at first. He says parts of Westmeath ARE in Meath West, “5,000 of the fuckers” was his precise quote. He thought Daniel knows what he is talking about.
Leon said,
November 29, 2006 at 5:20 pm
You should apologise to me for your Westmeath Meath West remark. Are you Meath West by the way?
Leon said,
November 29, 2006 at 5:22 pm
By the way could an MEP run without resigning the European seat and see how the numbers break down before taking their Dail seat (and therefore esigning their European seat).
Another question is this are we going to get a couple of new MEPs as our poulation goes up or because we are overrepresented is that out of the question?
Sarah said,
November 29, 2006 at 5:49 pm
I HUMBLY and ABJECTLY apologise.
I will now answer all your questions. Donie is dealt with. Mairead as I said will most likely run in Louth now. She would be obliged to resign the EP if she won in the Dail
I know that she really enjoys the Parliament work and finds it very constructive and she feels like you can make progress on important issues there.
But here’s a great irony if she runs in Louth.
Should she take the Dáil seat, Mayor of Drogheda Michael O’Dowd as the first substitute would be likely to take her MEP seat. Michael is a brother of Fergus O’Dowd the absolutely brilliant FG TD who to my mind hasn’t gotten the credit he deserves for his work on nursing homes. Wouldn’t it be awful if instead of taking a second seat in Louth she swapped seats with Fergus and then his brother got her job. And he’d have no job!
Still, I think its worth the risk for FG. Like Geraghty she would attract cross party votes. Of course, it would make selecting a cabinet tricky. Fergus deserves a ministerial job, but so does she.
Oh and to answer an earlier question, “Would Dempsey still be a Minister if Brady didn’t get the 2nd FF seat in Meath West?” I say No because 95% of FF Ministers come from a constituency in which FF have 2 seats (John O’Donoghue and Brian Lenihan being the sole exceptions). Or as my Dad said “No, because if Brady doesn’t get in FF are f*cked anyway”.
Sarah said,
November 29, 2006 at 5:54 pm
oh and EP representation – I seem to remember Garret FitzGerald’s explanation for the numbers being something to do with Luxembourg. Its really small and they had to give them 1 or 2 MEPs. And then everyone else got MEPS based on whatever they had to give Luxembourg. Or something.
Sarah said,
November 29, 2006 at 8:41 pm
Leon, I am SO thick! The thickest person in the whole world. WESTMEATH. Of course! Why would any of those Westmeathers, all 5,000 of them vote for a MEATH footballer. A HATED Meath footballer.
I guess the Westmeath natives will have to vote for English. This could be fun. Oh and my source tells me that the announcement of Geraghty’s nomination was not exactly greeted warmly at the Meath West Executive meeting last week – to say the least. He does have to get through the convention. Unless HQ have a sneaky campaign ready, this is by no means cut and dried. Convention is Dec 11th. I think its one I’ve got to attend.
Daniel Sullivan said,
November 29, 2006 at 10:23 pm
Paul Newton, I’m sure you’ll be able to dig up all John O’Leary’s various local political activity in the FF organisation around Dublin North. If he was involved how come he neither sought the nomination when it was thought Glennon was still going to run and why he sat out the 2004 locals? Or is training (conventions and such like) and the league (local elections) only for the small time players?
Paul Newton said,
November 30, 2006 at 9:43 am
I’ve run the Google test on John as well, and strangely there’s nothing for him either, quite how this negates my original point that people should not be selected purely on profile puzzles me?
I seek enlightenment?
(I know John O’Leary and he’s a decent skin, i still hope he does not get in though)
Paul Newton said,
November 30, 2006 at 9:46 am
oh and by the way in my earlier diatribe on useless local issue politcos with no interest in national issues i somehow left out Michael Ring… i am so sorry Michael!
Sarah said,
November 30, 2006 at 10:43 am
but paul, don’t runaway with yourself now. Michael Ring’s constituents adore him.Remember, parties can nominate who they want. The people vote for them.
Leon said,
November 30, 2006 at 2:00 pm
More questions:
Is it true that Geraghty isn’t even a member of FG? That implies he was asked.
Is it true that Meath West has the high number of unassimilated Dubs? Now you might say ’sure they’re all knackers who won’t vote’ but maybe to keep Geraghty out they will register.