Galway West General Election

PomBear · 11-01-2011 4:04pm #1

Thought it'd be good to have a big thread instead of small ones.

So who's the confirmed candidates?

Fianna Fáil:
Eamon O'Cuiv
Frank Fahey
Michael Crowe

Fine Gael:
Brian Walsh
Fidelma Healy Eames
Sean Kyne
Hildegarde Naughton

Labour:
Derek Nolan

Sinn Féin:
Trevor Ó Clochartaigh
and Thomas Welby and Joe McNamara added to my OP in the Galway West Election Superthread

Greens:
Niall O'Brolchain(don't know if this is confirmed or not)

Independents:
Catherine Connolly
Noel Grealish
Mike Cubbard
Eamon Walsh
Thomas Welby
Joe McNamara
Thomas King

Who are you considering voting for?
Who do you think will get elected? (5 seater)
Who do you like/dislike and why?

I'll be voting for the SF candidate first and Connolly and Nolan to get my preferences

eagle10 · 11-01-2011 4:08pm

Is Michael D stepping down?

Robbo · 11-01-2011 4:10pm

Who's even in the running to be SF candidate? It's a bit short notice to be calling it in with an election looking like being 9-10 weeks away.

All told, it's a pretty ****ing depressing list of candidates with O'Cuiv (sic) as the only one who can have any degree of confidence, and that's mainly due to the pension not being hit and the general foibles of Connemara.

snubbleste · 11-01-2011 4:15pm

píss poor choice.
The only one that inspires any confidence for me is Catherine Connolly. Otherwise as SpongeBob said it's just musical chairs.

eagle10 · 11-01-2011 4:22pm

TBH it is a prettey dismal list.
FF (scum)will never get a vote off me.
I have no confidence in any of those FG candidates.
Nolan has no experience.
I think O Brolchain is a clown.
It appears Michael D is not running.

The only one there I think may be anyway OK is Connolly, but that is 1 possible seat out of 5.

Very dissapoiting for Galway west IMO, however I might vote in such a way to try and kick FF espically Fahey out, so might have no choice to vote FG................Perhaps the lesser of two evils:mad: but saying that things were not much better in the 80's when FG and Labour shared power and there was no banking crisis.

A no win election and everyone of those is only after €92k a year and does not give a fcuk about any of us

Sponge Bob · 11-01-2011 4:27pm

After reading that first post I feel like the coach of the Pygmy Basketball Team trying to make a rousing motivational speech at the London Olympics

PomBear · 11-01-2011 4:31pm

eagle10 wrote: »

Is Michael D stepping down?

He's running for presidential candidacy AFAIK

dilallio · 11-01-2011 5:16pm

I think that O'Cuiv is definately there. He is very popular among Fianna Fail voters and in Connemara in general.

Grealish will probably get there also. Even though he just pipped Margaret Cox for the 5th seat in 2002, he managed to double his 1st pref votes in 2007.

With McCormack not running, if Healy-Eames maintains her improved vote from the 2002 election to the 2007 election, she may get one of the 3 remaining seats but there is no clear leader among the FG candidates and a lot will rely on transfers.

Michael D was very popular and commanded a lot of votes from non-labour votes - it will be interesting to see how many of Michael D's votes Derek Nolan can pick up.

Michael Crowe was unlucky last time not to oust Frank Fahey and will probably poll better this time round. Catherine Connolly could be the dark horse here - she received 2000 1st preference votes last time round, and with a lot of disallusionment in Fianna Fail & Fine Gael, I think she has a chance of picking up the last seat. I would like to see her elected.

Sinn Fein are leaving it very late to pick a candidate - to have a chance they should be out campaigning already.

Votes & Results from previous elections: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galway_West_(D%C3%A1il_%C3%89ireann_constituency)

brianthebard · 11-01-2011 8:40pm

A lot of Michael D voters may be tempted to vote CC, DN and CC might even end up splitting the vote with potential negatives for both.

kraggy · 11-01-2011 9:53pm

What's the best way to make sure Crowe and Fahey don't get elected?

O Cuiv will and to be honest I don't mind him as much as if anyone in FF is honest, it's him.

So, how do we make sure the other 2 don't get in?

It's trickier since Michael D isn't running.

galwayrush · 11-01-2011 9:55pm

What is C.Connolly's stance regarding the Galway By Pass?
Thought i read somewhere before that she is opposed to it, but i'm open to correction. If she is, i'll be adding her to the long list of people i won't be voting for.

Sponge Bob · 11-01-2011 10:17pm

galwayrush wrote: »

Thought i read somewhere before that she is opposed to it.

Guilty As Charged

Independent Cllr Catherine Connolly proposed a motion calling for “urgent and immediate
steps be taken” to establish bus routes on the Western Distributor Road. She also called for
“clarification and updates” on when bus routes will be established on the Seamus Quirke Road.

The motion was supported and passed by all councillors but the discussion led to a debate
on the controversial proposed Galway City Outer Bypass.

Cllr Connolly said the bypass would cost some €300 million and that this was “a waste of money”.
She said if “a fraction of that” was spent on bus priority measures, and on increased bus services,
there would be no need for the bypass.

She also said the bypass would not reduce traffic in Galway city and was really only about opening up
land for development.

However Fine Gael Cllr Brian Walsh said it was “nonsensical” of Cllr Connolly to suggest the
bypass would not alleviate traffic congestion.

“People visiting Connemara from the east or south of the country have to come through the
city to do so,” he said.

PomBear · 11-01-2011 10:35pm

galwayrush wrote: »

What is C.Connolly's stance regarding the Galway By Pass?
Thought i read somewhere before that she is opposed to it, but i'm open to correction. If she is, i'll be adding her to the long list of people i won't be voting for.

I hope you're not a one-issue swing voter. We need smart voting this time.

galwayrush · 11-01-2011 10:44pm

PomBear wrote: »

I hope you're not a one-issue swing voter. We need smart voting this time.

That is a vital issue for the City, so i don't want anyone elected that can do the cause any damage.

PomBear · 11-01-2011 11:05pm

galwayrush wrote: »

That is a vital issue for the City, so i don't want anyone elected that can do the cause any damage.

but we need to be voting for politicians who are looking to what they can do on the national level. Local politics shouldn't really come into it.

brianthebard · 11-01-2011 11:11pm

galwayrush wrote: »

That is a vital issue for the City, so i don't want anyone elected that can do the cause any damage.

Isn't that what Frank Fahy's campaigners say?

galwayrush · 11-01-2011 11:15pm

PomBear wrote: »

but we need to be voting for politicians who are looking to what they can do on the national level. Local politics shouldn't really come into it.

This is not a parish pump issue.
We can't ignore an issue that affects thousands of people.

PomBear · 11-01-2011 11:18pm

galwayrush wrote: »

This is not a parish pump issue.
We can't ignore an issue that affects thousands of people.

true but it's a local issue not a national issue therefore it's not an issue for TDs, it's an issue for councillors.

Sponge Bob · 11-01-2011 11:22pm

PomBear wrote: »

but we need to be voting for politicians who are looking to what they can do on the national level. Local politics shouldn't really come into it.

Fail to run a city properly today, fail to run a country properly tomorrow.

Derek Nolan is no better may I add. There is no SPACE to improve public transport UNTIL the bypass is built no matter how much wind and piss Connolly and Nolan spout on the matter.

The worst of all is the other C Connolly

http://www.galwayindependent.com/profiles/profiles/derek-nolan-%11-incoming-city-councillor/

I think the bypass is just a diversion tactic and is distracting from the many other things that could be done to improve the traffic situation in the city."

http://www.galwayindependent.com/local-news/local-news/mcnelis-keen-on-dail-run/

McNelis is better, proving that the left are not all morons like the Greens in Galway.

“And, if that means a bypass, them I am in favour of a bypass. That is my opinion. I think it will create jobs and get the city moving. There have been too many mistakes made in the past

The Bypass is a vital issue, the lack of it strangles not only Galway City but all of West Galway. Nobody anywhere in the City and Connemara can say they are not affected by this mess.

11-01-2011 11:32pm

galwayrush wrote: »

That is a vital issue for the City, so i don't want anyone elected that can do the cause any damage.

Could have just guessed she was against it, she cycles everywhere.

Fine for her but I don't feel like getting drenched in this rain soaked country of ours.

Shes always been against the Air Show too, I wasn't going to vote for her in the local elections if she went for that anyway. Too many of them are against anything positive for the city.

PomBear · 11-01-2011 11:33pm

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Fail to run a city properly today, fail to run a country properly tomorrow.

The only people that i'm concerned with getting a bypass built is the transport minister and the county council.

Once you go into local issues on TDs, it's no different that voting for a TD who fixed a pothole for you.

seanin4711 · 11-01-2011 11:37pm

snubbleste wrote: »

píss poor choice.
The only one that inspires any confidence for me is Catherine Connolly. Otherwise as SpongeBob said it's just musical chairs.

Catherine- "I like to say No to everything" Connolly no wonder the country is in the state it is!

galwayrush · 11-01-2011 11:43pm

brianthebard wrote: »

Isn't that what Frank Fahy's campaigners say?

He is one person i definitely would not vote for.

galwayrush · 11-01-2011 11:45pm

PomBear wrote: »

true but it's a local issue not a national issue therefore it's not an issue for TDs, it's an issue for councillors.

The elected Government can decide what does or does not get built.;)

PomBear · 11-01-2011 11:54pm

galwayrush wrote: »

The elected Government can decide what does or does not get built.;)

The elected county council will do what's best for Galway. The elected Dáil will do what's best for Ireland. We should vote accordingly.

galwayrush · 11-01-2011 11:56pm

PomBear wrote: »

The elected county council will do what's best for Galway. The elected Dáil will do what's best for Ireland. We should vote accordingly.

The elected council can do feck all without the elected Government providing them with the funds.

PomBear · 12-01-2011 12:00am

galwayrush wrote: »

The elected council can do feck all without the elected Government providing them with the funds.

true but it's the council who put their case for such ideas before the government. TDs should be focused on national politics and we should not be giving them an excuse to promote parish pump politics by voting for them on local issues.

brianthebard · 12-01-2011 12:01am

galwayrush wrote: »

He is one person i definitely would not vote for.

What if he was the only candidate in favour of the bypass?

galwayrush · 12-01-2011 12:10am

PomBear wrote: »

true but it's the council who put their case for such ideas before the government. TDs should be focused on national politics and we should not be giving them an excuse to promote parish pump politics by voting for them on local issues.

The bypass is not exactly parish pump politics, it's a vital piece of National infrastructure. I considered giving NOB a vote last time until he came out opposed to the road, he even used official mayor headed paper to lodge an objection. I imagine anyone with views like that would use the bigger platform to reinforce their personal objectives.

galwayrush · 12-01-2011 12:13am

brianthebard wrote: »

What if he was the only candidate in favour of the bypass?

Thankfully he is not :cool:

PomBear · 12-01-2011 12:18am

galwayrush wrote: »

The bypass is not exactly parish pump politics, it's a vital piece of National infrastructure. I considered giving NOB a vote last time until he came out opposed to the road, he even used official mayor headed paper to lodge an objection. I imagine anyone with views like that would use the bigger platform to reinforce their personal objectives.

but the bypass is far from what is in the national interest to get this country back on track, I think we need our TDs to have their minds on national interest and not what's good for their constituency.

galwayrush · 12-01-2011 12:24am

PomBear wrote: »

but the bypass is far from what is in the national interest to get this country back on track, I think we need our TDs to have their minds on national interest and not what's good for their constituency.

I don't think so, it will relieve one hell of a traffic mess and get quite a few people back to work in it's construction, that to me is in the national interest.

Sponge Bob · 12-01-2011 12:33am

PomBear wrote: »

but the bypass is far from what is in the national interest to get this country back on track

It is one of the most significant missing links in the National Primary Road Network and therefore in the National Interest. Not as important as a Galway Dublin motorway but important now that is complete.

Then the Greens and Connolly can build their light metros, cycle lanes and and buslanes inside the city like they want to.

We must to be able to export our way out of trouble, Galway exports the best part of €10m a day worth of medical devices alone and they were not ferried out of the country by the tooth fairy last time I looked

PomBear · 12-01-2011 12:34am

galwayrush wrote: »

I don't think so, it will relieve one hell of a traffic mess and get quite a few people back to work in it's construction, that to me is in the national interest.

well we'll see what happens in the next government, every TD is looking to do something for their constituency and not focused on the national, we'll see how far we get.

Sponge Bob · 12-01-2011 1:12am

PomBear wrote: »

every TD is looking to do something for their constituency and not focused on the national, we'll see how far we get.

They have nothing else to do on the backbenches...government backbenches or otherwise. That is where Nolan and Connolly are headed if they get elected. Same with all these fresh new FG faces we may sent up from Galway at the general election.

We don't actualy need any more housing in Galway....not that we can have any in the city with Mutton Island now maxed out and yet Connolly constantly calls for us to build more social housing despite knowing Mutton Island is maxed out

Connollys all social housing good mantra is wearing thin, we need to make better use of what we already have including bringing empty homes into use by taxing empty houses a lot more than we do right now.

The Bypass would cost the same as buying land for and then building around 5000-7000 social homes and that in a City that already has around 3000 homes lying empty most of the time...except that we also need to spent a few squids upgrading Mutton Island before we build anything new. The number of genuine applicants on the housing waiting list is less than the number of empty homes.

Sadly Catherine is is also unaware of the difference between live sh1te and dead sh1te ....it is technically called "deactivated "sludge Catherine and is rather like compost in fact.

She cannot have it both ways and to mind electing an economic and numeric illiterate is a bad idea although she would probably make a great minister of finance by our standards

Michael D may be many strange things but a numeric illiterate he is not.

It will be no surprise to me if she outright ignores the national interest and concentrates on parish pump politics on the west side, as ever. What are we voting for again ??

That much needing saying and said, sooner her than Fahey and Crowe any day....but don't get your hopes up. :cool:

johngalway · 12-01-2011 11:58am

FG 1,2,3,4 for me, just deciding on the order TBH. McCormack would have been first choice but he's retired now.

After that I'm not so sure.

I won't be voting for FF, SF, Grealish, Connolly, or NoB. Not sure about Nolan, who else is left :pac:

Sponge Bob wrote: »

The Bypass is a vital issue, the lack of it strangles not only Galway City but all of West Galway. Nobody anywhere in the City and Connemara can say they are not affected by this mess.

I live in Connemara, takes me over an hour just to get to the city. If I'm traveling farther a field, do I want to be caught up in rush hour? No, I want the option to avoid the city.

No more when I posted that NUIG needs more parking, there are always people with heads buried in the sand, and worse places.

c_man · 12-01-2011 12:52pm

Well definitely won't be giving a preference to Niall O'B, any FFers or Grealish.

In terms of results, I think we can all agree that O'Cuiv will walk it. I see Grealish getting in next, two for FG and Catherine Connolly to take Michael D's seat. D. Nolan just isn't known well enough and will be losing all those personal preferences that his predecessor used to gather.

kraggy · 12-01-2011 1:27pm

Won't be voting FF or FG.

The only experience the FGers have is shouting through the advertiser or participating in other meaningless drivel.

This country has had enough of endless rhetoric and little action.

It's actually depressing looking at the list of candidates in our constituency.

Mollie Breathna · 12-01-2011 3:35pm

kraggy wrote: »

It's actually depressing looking at the list of candidates in our constituency.

+1

yeehaw · 12-01-2011 5:21pm

I am predicting that the 5 seats will be filled as follows, and in this order.

1. Eamon O Cuiv
2. Brian Walsh
3. Noel Grealish
4. Healy Eames
5. Frank Fahey

seanin4711 · 12-01-2011 5:32pm

yeehaw wrote: »

I am predicting that the 5 seats will be filled as follows, and in this order.

1. Eamon O Cuiv
2. Brian Walsh
3. Noel Grealish
4. Healy Eames
5. Frank Fahey

If that yoke gets elected it is a sad reflection on the people of galway.
I question the mentality of anyone voting for fianna FAIL.

Robbo · 12-01-2011 5:44pm

Any word on Amhran Nua fielding a candidate in Galway West? I gather that a couple of their more active members are from this part of the world.

eagle10 · 12-01-2011 6:22pm

My main concern is that Fahey loses his seat, tbh don't care for any of the rest of them but despise Fahey.

What would be the best vote stragically to keep Fahey out?

Sponge Bob · 12-01-2011 6:32pm

yeehaw wrote: »

I am predicting that the 5 seats will be filled as follows, and in this order.

Dont be so silly, there was a left wing quota at the top of the boom and you are predicting no left winger will get in at all

One of Connolly or Nolan will be elected.

And is Cubbard left wing ye may well ask :cool: , or soft left ??

http://mikecubbard.com/

http://www.galwayindependent.com/local-news/local-news/independent-candidate-to-contest-election/

But he supports the bypass and will therefore get a better preference than connolly or nolan ever will from me

As well as that he is Honest!

I firmly believe all politics is local.

dilallio · 13-01-2011 1:24am

http://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/35125

John Mulholland has opened a book on candidates’ chances in the upcoming General Election, with Minister Éamon Ó Cuív the odds-on favourite to retain his seat in the poll.
The bookmaker, operated by former Fine Gael city councillor John Mulholland, has already seen a flurry of bets on who will win the five seats in the Galway West constituency. John Mulholland Bookmakers is offering odds of 1/16 for Minister Ó Cuív to be re-elected, with Dep Noel Grealish second favourite at 1/10 to secure a seat in Galway West. Cllr Brian Walsh (Fine Gael) is third favourite at 1/5.
Fine Gael’s Senator Fidelma Healy Eames is also tipped to be elected in the upcoming poll, with odds of 2/7 in favour of her making it third time lucky as a Dáil candidate.
Dep Frank Fahey has already said he is unlikely to retain his seat, and the opinion polls certainly reflect his pessimism. However according to Mulholland the question must be asked, would he run if he did not think he had a chance? Could his strong Menlo following and transfers from Cllr Michael Crowe get him over the line? The bookmaker has priced Dep Fahey up as a 3/1 shot to be returned to Dáil Éireann. According to Mulholland the fifth and final seat is likely to be a dogfight between the locally popular Independent candidate Cllr Catherine Connolly (8/13), Labour’s Cllr Derek Nolan (evens) and the two city based Fianna Fail candidates Dep Fahy and Cllr Crowe (5/2).

The full betting on who will win a seat in Galway West is as follows:
Ó Cuív 1/16
Grealish 1/10
B Walsh 1/5
Healy Eames 2/7
Connolly 8/13
Nolan Evens
Crowe 5/2
Fahey 3/1
Naughton 6/1
Kyne 6/1
E Walsh 20/1
O Brolchain 25/1

PomBear · 13-01-2011 1:46am

dilallio wrote: »

http://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/35125

who's E Walsh?

dilallio · 13-01-2011 2:11am

PomBear wrote: »

who's E Walsh?

Eamon Walsh is running as an Independent and is chairperson of the group which lobbies against cuts in health, I could be wrong but I think it was formed around the time the HSE annonunced major cuts to organisations such as the Brothers of Charity and others.

http://hope4disability.com/Hope4Disability/Who_are_we.html

Found this also: http://www.eamonwalsh.ie/Eamon_Walsh/Welcome.html

PomBear · 13-01-2011 2:14am

dilallio wrote: »

Eamon Walsh is running as an Independent and is chairperson of the group which lobbies against cuts in health, I could be wrong but I think it was formed around the time the HSE annonunced major cuts to organisations such as the Brothers of Charity and others.

http://hope4disability.com/Hope4Disability/Who_are_we.html

Found this also: http://www.eamonwalsh.ie/Eamon_Walsh/Welcome.html

I know him now, actually spoke at a march with him!

snubbleste · 13-01-2011 11:41am

Ó Brolcháin whining on the front page of the Advertiser today.
Hello like! nobody wanted you the last time, you were actually voted out of office yet here you are voicing off in the Seanad.

Meantime FF Crowe hates postal liberalisation in addition to trees.

padraig71 · 13-01-2011 12:36pm

Not Tweedledum FF or Tweedledee FG because I cannot see much difference between them except for their historical origins (and anyone who votes on tribal civil-war allegiance rather than policy is part of our national problem).

Not SF because of their dubious connections.

So Green or Labour, and whatever Independents have decent policies. Catherine Connolly sounds like a possibility.

yeehaw · 13-01-2011 1:31pm

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Dont be so silly, there was a left wing quota at the top of the boom and you are predicting no left winger will get in at all

One of Connolly or Nolan will be elected.

And is Cubbard left wing ye may well ask :cool: , or soft left ??

http://mikecubbard.com/

http://www.galwayindependent.com/local-news/local-news/independent-candidate-to-contest-election/

But he supports the bypass and will therefore get a better preference than connolly or nolan ever will from me As well as that he is Honest!

I knew that the expert would be along to tell that I was wrong.

I think the first 4 I have listed are absolute certainties to be elected.

As regards the less predictable 5th seat-

Catherine Connolly is, to my mind, an anti everything pinko. She will inevitably be popular with some (including a good many of the posters on this board). I think that she will probably do well on first preferences, but she won't get the transfers necessary to be elected.

Michael D not running is a big blow for Labour. I would be of the view that much of his vote was a personal vote. Derek Nolan has not been a councillor for long and enjoys nothing like the public profile of his illustrious predecessor. I see him as the Ó Brolcháin of this campaign- highly touted and in some quarters expected to win a seat, but he will bomb out. Good luck to Michael D in the Áras. A fine representative of Galway.

I think that the fifth seat will boil down to a straight scrap between Frank Fahy and Mike Crowe. Fahy is an experienced campaigner, and, whatever your personal view of the man, he has shown himself to be extremely astute politically. He has been around for a long time and I fully expect him to put in a better showing than many expect. Better the devil you know...

Galway West General Election

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