Galway FG Selection for General Election, No McCormack

Sponge Bob

Just heard Padraig McCormack was not selected to run in the general election.

I personally reckon he will retire gracefully if Seán Kyne is selected by HQ as an add on third candidate .. and McCormack is party chairman.

PomBear

who are their confirmed candidtes? not that i'll be voting for them...

flynnlives

That loud mouth Fidlema Healy-SCREames!

And Brian Walsh

Sponge Bob

Healy Eames and Walsh were selected. The FG HQ has reserved the right to add another candidate and as they have an East and City candidate they will not add another from those areas.

And they have a very limited pool of Connemara area sweepers to choose from. They have around a third of a quota out there.

I personally reckon McCormack will retire, once Kyne is selected by HQ at his instigation.

Tedole

Sums up why people won't vote for FG - Walsh bloused out just before last General Election, so why the change of heat now? If they nominated McCormick now, and he got elected, he would surely be nominated as Ceann Comhairle, which means he wouldn't have to contest the following General Election.
Surely if he stood this time around he would be elecytd, so by not nominating him, FG have rejected a GUARANTEED set for the next 10 years. Bizarre.

PomBear

flynnlives wrote: »

That loud mouth Fidlema Healy-SCREames!

And Brian Walsh

you'd swear FG don't want to win the election with those two!

Sponge Bob

The pair of them, plus whoever is added, will assuredly win a seat. The second seat is dubious Pom. In Galway West I always vote 'worst first' ....with a 16th preference or something..... and eventually end up at number one by a 'least objectionable' process of selection.

You would be surprised how easy and quick it is to work the first 10 preferences out in reverse order. Yuk yuk yuk bleugh yuk sort of thing.

thesandeman

Of course McC will get out now. Dont forget the TDs pensions are going to be cut after the next election. And he wont be the only one. I think the average age of 'our representatives' will show a big drop next year. (I know its Galway Forum but I dont want people thinking its just McCormack im dissing.

johngalway

I'm disappointed McCormack wasn't selected, nor Kyne! Know McCormack a long time, met Kyne last year and was impressed tbh.

PomBear

i'm pretty happy with it, hopefully people will wise up to FG before the GE

Sponge Bob

My guesstimate is that FG will run with what I call a "seven dwarves" strategy.

They will have a ticket of maybe 5 candidates, 3 sweepers and 2 hopefuls. McCormack will not run.

FF conducted a Galway West poll ( sample size 5-600) a few weeks ago which shows a lot of bunching mid table. Here are the results

Martin Concannan (SF) 2%
Catherine Connolly (IND) 12%
Michael Crowe (FF) 7%
Noel Grealish (IND) 11%
Frank Fahy (FF) 8%
Fidelma Healy Eames (FG) 9%
Derek Nolan (LAB) 11%
Padraic McCormack (FG) 14%
Eamon O’Cuiv (FF) 15%
Niall O’Brolchain (GR) 4%
Brian Walsh (FG) 7%

A 7 dwarves strategy would be to run O Laoi Kyne and Naughton as sweepers with the intention that they would be eliminated quite early on and would transfer in such a way as to keep Healy Eames and Walsh ahead of Crowe and Fahey all the way through.

Importantly they are both meant to be ahead of Grealish and Connolly and Nolan after about 5 counts and to stay there.

It would also mean that O Cuiv would crawl over the line with no surplus because 2 of the sweepers would take connemara votes off him.

But this is risky and is designed to get their two main candidates elected, probably after O Cuiv, leaving Grealish Connolly Fahey Crowe and Nolan to squabble over 3 seats between them.

These are all city votes excepting Fahey and can transfer in the oddest ways....ie within the city not within parties.

snubbleste

Brian (I want as many flats as Frank).. And Fidelma (I love everything thats nice). FG don't want votes it seems.
Apart from Catherine Connolly, there does not seem to be much option in the constituency, it seems to be same old same old.

Any chance of a protest candidate about anything running?

Sponge Bob

snubbleste wrote: »

(I want as many flats as Frank).

Thats Michael 'Housing Benefit' Crowe not Brian Walsh

Apart from Catherine Connolly, there does not seem to be much option in the constituency, it seems to be same old same old.

It seems to be a shifting of deckchairs on the titanic all right None will ever be a cabinet minister and that's for sure.
Shall we send a delemagation to Roscommon and beg Ming to return??

Bosco boy

Sponge Bob wrote: »

My guesstimate is that FG will run with what I call a "seven dwarves" strategy.

They will have a ticket of maybe 5 candidates, 3 sweepers and 2 hopefuls. McCormack will not run.

FF conducted a Galway West poll ( sample size 5-600) a few weeks ago which shows a lot of bunching mid table. Here are the results



A 7 dwarves strategy would be to run O Laoi Kyne and Naughton as sweepers with the intention that they would be eliminated quite early on and would transfer in such a way as to keep Healy Eames and Walsh ahead of Crowe and Fahey all the way through.

Importantly they are both meant to be ahead of Grealish and Connolly and Nolan after about 5 counts and to stay there.

It would also mean that O Cuiv would crawl over the line with no surplus because 2 of the sweepers would take connemara votes off him.

But this is risky and is designed to get their two main candidates elected, probably after O Cuiv, leaving Grealish Connolly Fahey Crowe and Nolan to squabble over 3 seats between them.

These are all city votes excepting Fahey and can transfer in the oddest ways....ie within the city not within parties.

I think it will be a 4-4-2 formation, Fahy is injured and wont last the 90, Grealish will get a goal in the last minute and keep his place, O Cuiv a hat trick, O brolochan will sit on the bench unless someone has smypathy for him and gives him a place (on the reserve team). Healy Eames will be a cheer leader again! Crowe on the bench too many own goals! Bring back Paraic and play him up front he's quality!!!

snubbleste

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Thats Michael 'Housing Benefit' Crowe not Brian Walsh

I'm just going on about my previous post last september about Walsh owning 10 properties, being a former manager in Anglo...
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=67876637&postcount=81

Sponge Bob

snubbleste wrote: »

Brian (I want as many flats as Frank)..

Sorry I was wrong about him Snubbleste, just like Michael Crowe does.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=67876568&postcount=80

Article on Galwaynews.ie
http://www.galwaynews.ie/16420-padraig-mc-cormack-fails-get-selected-election-ticket

PADRAIG MC CORMACK FAILS TO GET SELECTED FOR ELECTION TICKET
Sitting TD Padraic McCormack has failed to be put on the Galway West ticket for next year's general election.

At last night's selection convention in the Salthill Hotel city cllr Brian Walsh and Senator Fidelma Healy Eames were voted onto the ticket by delegates.

Deputy McCormack, the chairperson of the Fine Gael Party, says he's disappointed with delegates' decision not to put him forward.

The party has the option of adding another name to the ticket, but if Deputy McCormack is the choice for this he may decline to be added in this manner.

Party sources say the enforced absence of approximately 200 delegates due to weather conditions may have affected Deputy McCormack's votes.

yeehaw

snubbleste wrote: »

I'm just going on about my previous post last september about Walsh owning 10 properties, being a former manager in Anglo...
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=67876637&postcount=81

You had no point then and you have no point now.

yeehaw

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Sorry I was wrong about him Snubbleste, just like Michael Crowe does.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=67876568&postcount=80

And what, pray tell, is your point?

snubbleste

yeehaw wrote: »

And what, pray tell, is your point?
You had no point then and you have no point now.

Brian, is that you?
I know you advertise yourself as a full-time councillor but there are leaks to be fixed, potholes to be filled, footpaths to be gritted..

yeehaw

snubbleste wrote: »

Brian, is that you?
I know you advertise yourself as a full-time councillor but there are leaks to be fixed, potholes to be filled, footpaths to be gritted..

I'm afraid I still am no clearer on your point. Should owners of more than one property be excluded from running for public office?

Sponge Bob

yeehaw wrote: »

And what, pray tell, is your point?

Well done last night Brian, have you any stories to us tell from your days as an Anglo Irish manager ???

996tt

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Martin Concannan (SF) 2%
Catherine Connolly (IND) 12%
Michael Crowe (FF) 7%
Noel Grealish (IND) 11%
Frank Fahy (FF) 8%
Fidelma Healy Eames (FG) 9%
Derek Nolan (LAB) 11%
Padraic McCormack (FG) 14%
Eamon O’Cuiv (FF) 15%
Niall O’Brolchain (GR) 4%
Brian Walsh (FG) 7%

looking at that poll it looks like kn0b niall o'b wont be elected(again), so what will happen his seanad seat, is that a seat for life for him?

Euro_Kraut

996tt wrote: »

looking at that poll it looks like kn0b niall o'b wont be elected(again), so what will happen his seanad seat, is that a seat for life for him?

No. Its not the House of Lords . The Taioseach gets to nominate 13 Senators after every General Election the rest are elected by local councilors (and 6 through Universities). NÓB was nominated after a vacancy arose in the Seanad following Alan Kelly election to the European Parliament.

Enda Kenny or Eamonn Gilmore are obviously unlikely to reappoint him. He is also unlikely to be elected to the Seanad in the regular way as the Greens have only 3 Cllrs in the entire country.

In short he was made a Senator in 2009 and he will lose than seat in 2011. Basically his political career will be over as he no longer has a seat on Galway City Council.

Euro_Kraut

Tedole wrote: »

Sums up why people won't vote for FG - Walsh bloused out just before last General Election, so why the change of heat now? If they nominated McCormick now, and he got elected, he would surely be nominated as Ceann Comhairle, which means he wouldn't have to contest the following General Election.
Surely if he stood this time around he would be elecytd, so by not nominating him, FG have rejected a GUARANTEED set for the next 10 years. Bizarre.

There are a number of FG TDs that are eying up the CC seat. Not to mention the current Leas Ceann Comhraile Brendan Howlin of Labour who is the most likely to get it.

Its no done deal that McCormaic would get the CC gig. Lab/FG are looking at 110-120 seats in the Dail. That's a lot of competition for the top jobs.

996tt

Euro_Kraut wrote: »

No. Its not the House of Lords . The Taioseach gets to nominate 13 Senators after every General Election the rest are elected by local councilors (and 6 through Universities). NÓB was nominated after a vacancy arose in the Seanad following Alan Kelly election to the European Parliament.

Enda Kenny or Eamonn Gilmore are obviously unlikely to reappoint him. He is also unlikely to be elected to the Seanad in the regular way as the Greens have only 3 Cllrs in the entire country.

In short he was made a Senator in 2009 and he will lose than seat in 2011. Basically his political career will be over as he no longer has a seat on Galway City Council.

thats good to hear(as he has been rejected by the electorate that last 3 out of 4 times that he has stood), however im sure just like the time he lost his seat in the city council he'll get a big fat pay cheque

johngalway

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Just heard Padraig McCormack was not selected to run in the general election.

I personally reckon he will retire gracefully if Seán Kyne is selected by HQ as an add on third candidate .. and McCormack is party chairman.

I'm not sure Kyne is willing to run. I'd like if he would though.

flynnlives

Good to see that FG are doing everything in their power to help Frank Fahy and Michael Crowe get elected!!!

idiots!

Sponge Bob

johngalway wrote: »

I'm not sure Kyne is willing to run. I'd like if he would though.

He said he wouldn't run against McCormack or at a selection convention. He left himself the option of running if added to a ticket later.

johngalway

Sponge Bob wrote: »

He said he wouldn't run against McCormack or at a selection convention. He left himself the option of running if added to a ticket later.

Yes, but not as a designated "sweeper".

Discodog

Kenny & FG are in the scary position of assuming that they will win a landslide - whoever they put forward. We all know that they would get more votes by dropping Kenny. In any government a healthy opposition is a good sign. I suspect that FF will end up doing better than the poles suggest.

Even scarier is the thought of having to vote & knowing that you are voting for someone who is incompetent. We will be voting to keep someone out rather than voting for a good candidate.

Sponge Bob

johngalway wrote: »

Yes, but not as a designated "sweeper".

You forget that McCormacks personal vote will transfer itself to a considerable degree to Kyne rather than anyone else, and then he will be looking at another 2-3k of a sweep on his own and disillusioned former FFers changing tack in connemara.

There are 16000 odd votes to be had west of the city, the guts of 2 full quotas. There isn't even a quota to be had east of the city and Grealish and Healy Eames are primarily hunting for their core vote there along with Frankeen.

That and a gaeltacht sweeper to his south and he might just hang in until Healy Eames or Walsh are eliminated, more likely her than him to my mind.

McCormack had a lot of the older vote...both an advantage and a disadvantage that.... and if they are unhappy with the manner of his demise then you never know.

We shall soon see John won't we But I reckon Fg are too stupid to run 5 candidates properly ( like the PDs ran 3 in 2002) and will not get the 2 seats.

2007 Tallies

Final tally figures as per Galway Bay FM

Carroll SF 1,498 2.88%
Connolly Ind 1,871 3.59%
Cox Ind 1,628 3.13%
Crowe FF 4,653 8.94%
Fahey FF 5,681 10.91%
Grealish PD 5,606 10.77%
Healy-Eames FG 3,752 7.21%
Higgins Lab 5,554 10.67%
King Ind 65 0.12%
Kyne FG 1,798 3.45%
Lyons PD 1,081 2.08%
McCormack FG 4,951 9.51%
O'Brolachain GP 2,836 5.45%
O'Cuiv FF 9,355 17.97%
Welby PD 1,720 3.30%
52,049

FF 37.83%
FG 20.18%
Lab 10.67%
PD 16.15%
SF 2.88%
GP 5.45%
Ind 6.85%
100.00%

johngalway

Short article & video interview.

Seems an offer may be welcome? Question is, will it come

If it doesn't then I hope you're right about Kyne SB

Sponge Bob

johngalway wrote: »

Short article & video interview.

Seems an offer may be welcome? Question is, will it come

Thanks John, I would say that with 3 candidates bunched in the east of the constituency they cannot possibly get two seats.

tred

johngalway wrote: »

Short article & video interview.

Seems an offer may be welcome? Question is, will it come

If it doesn't then I hope you're right about Kyne SB

Its Gas. They obviously didn't analyze the last county council elections, where FG, was so close to loosing a seat!, never mind gain 1!. The problem for FG at a local level and a national level, is yeah , the maree group are strong and are able to drive in their candidate at the selection stage, but maree/Oranmore, wont carry a candidate across the line cause that vote is split. Claregalway is a lot stronger now in FF than last election with a new councillor, plus grealish stronghold so I think FG strategy is basically just hoping theyll keep the seat, not win 2. If McCormicks takes up FG HQ offer of the 3 place on the ticket , I actually think hell get in again.

Sponge Bob

Yep Tred, one seat , McCormack again if he runs as the final addition to the ticket.

It would be an utterly pathetic result for FG in the circumstances.

Some combination of Fahey Crowe Connolly Grealish Nolan would pick then up 3 seats between them, christ knows which 3.

Sponge Bob

http://www.galwaynews.ie/16438-mccor...dded-fg-ticket

Asked ( SUNDAY) if he would consider the possibility of being added to the ticket under powers held by Party Leader Enda Kenny, Deputy McCormack said he did not wish to discuss the question.


He reiterated yesterday (MONDAY) that it was something he was not prepared to consider. He had allowed his name to go before delegates and that was their decision.

So that's it.

Mind you he might consider a rerun of the selection convention itself seeing as 200 delegates (at least a third if not half of them) never made it in the cack weather.

yeehaw

Sponge Bob wrote: »

http://www.galwaynews.ie/16438-mccor...dded-fg-ticket



So that's it.

Mind you he might consider a rerun of the selection convention itself seeing as 200 delegates (at least a third if not half of them) never made it in the cack weather.

Did you read your own link? 420 delegates voted. How is 200 half of 620?

You are a very strange individual.

Sponge Bob

yeehaw wrote: »

Did you read your own link? 420 delegates voted. How is 200 half of 620? You are a very strange individual.

Which bit of "at least a third" did you not understand Brian?? :cool:

yeehaw

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Which bit of "at least a third" did you not understand Brian?? :cool:

The part where you added 'if not half'. Also, 200 is less than a third of 620.

Like I said, you are very strange.

Sponge Bob

yeehaw wrote: »

The part where you added 'if not half'. Also, 200 is less than a third of 620.

Or 200 is half of 420 with a rather low margin of error , the article is unclear.

Your Irish Investment Banking Pedigree shows Brian

yeehaw

420 delegates voted. 200-ish were unable to attend due to inclement weather.

Why are you calling me Brian? What is the purpose of reposting old and widely available information above and why have you posted it?

Joyce Country

yeehaw wrote: »

420 delegates voted. 200-ish were unable to attend due to inclement weather.

Why are you calling me Brian? What is the purpose of reposting old and widely available information above and why have you posted it?

why are you defending a former anglo manager and a landlord with loads of property?! aye he's the bright new start we need in politics in this country :rolleyes: god help FG if he's the best they can get.

yeehaw

Joyce Country wrote: »

why are you defending a former anglo manager and a landlord with loads of property?! aye he's the bright new start we need in politics in this country :rolleyes: god help FG if he's the best they can get.

I have not defended anyone. I have merely sought clarification on the reasoning behind this individual's posts. This has not been forthcoming.

What does owning property have to do with anything?

Sponge Bob

yeehaw wrote: »

I have not defended anyone. I have merely sought clarification on the reasoning behind this individual's posts.

I was apologising to Snubbleste for incorrectly correcting him earlier in the thread Brian.

Then you suddenly arrived and sullenly sniped away individually at the pair of us.

You have not offered a single psephological insight. Of course you are entirely welcome to try one once you stop the sullen sniping.

yeehaw

Sponge Bob wrote: »

I was apologising to Snubbleste for incorrectly correcting him earlier in the thread Brian.

Then you suddenly arrived and sullenly sniped away individually at the pair of us.

You have not offered a single psephological insight. Of course you are entirely welcome to try one once you stop the sullen sniping.

I have asked why you posted this information as if there were something sinister about owning property. I have also asked if you thought owning property should disqualify one from standing for public office. You declined to answer.

Joyce Country

yeehaw wrote: »

I have asked why you posted this information as if there were something sinister about owning property. I have also asked if you thought owning property should disqualify one from standing for public office. You declined to answer.

I've never understood why anyone would want to own more than one property to be honest. The likes of Cllr. Brian Walsh, along with Frank Fahey TD and Cllr Michael Crowe, have simply have replaced the british landlords that their forefathers fought to get rid off. They are greedy gob****es and hopefully the people of Galway West will have the good sense to tell them to f**k off.

BENDYBINN

Scandalous that a sittin td is not allowed to go forward for re-election
absolutaly scandalous blame that useless bitch healy-eames herself and her cattle jobber husband

Sponge Bob

I wasn't overly bothered with this but seeing as our mate Brian asked I did a spot of digging for him

My problem with the Propertyocracy in Galway is how they continually and opaquely circumvent proper planning procedures behind closed doors.


FG and FF meet behind closed doors ( not in the chamber) and cut a deal in advance. Then they railroad their deal through line by line in the chamber and of course if there is a conflict of interest IN the council chamber then the conflicted member excuses themselves, for the optics and because they have to.

Out in Connemara, if you recall, some FF councillors voted AGAINST rezoning in Clifden in 2008/2009 even though the rezones were proposed on land belonging to one FF councillor by another. This sort of openness would never happen in the city

And then a new member of the same local authority and of one of those parties blows the entire scam out into the open....that would be Hildegaarde Naughton of FG in this case who had never attended one of these cozy little meetings in the past and who looks unlikely to make a few christmas card lists this year.

This letter to the Advertiser highlights some of these issues.

http://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/24913

Dear Editor,

Last week your paper reported that a Fine Gael City councillor by the name of Brian Walsh was urging voters not to support pro-government candidates in the next general election ('A vote for Grealish is a vote for Cowen says Walsh', April 8).



Cllr Walsh was quoted as saying that "more of the same is not good enough, we owe it to future generations to effect real change now".

The writer, Stephen Kerrigan from Barna, goes on!

Is this the same Councillor Brian Walsh who had a beneficial interest in a rezoning at Briarhill that was supported by Fianna Fail councillors against the advice of the city manager and officials on 12 November 2007?

Is this the same Brian Walsh whose party colleague Hildegarde Naughton was accused by Fianna Fail councillor Michael Crowe of being "dishonourable" for having the audacity to take a principled stand and become the sole member of the ruling FF/FG pact to oppose the practice whereby the two main parties meet behind closed doors to carve out rezoning in the city?


If indeed it is the same Brian Walsh, then I can only conclude that Fine Gael is nothing more than Fianna Fail Lite.

But FF and FG always sorted things out this way, right back to the 1960s from what I know. That is how we ended up with all the housing in Knocknacarra and all the employment on the other side of the shagging river.

After that council meeting in January where Councillor Naughton voted against the cartel.

http://www.galwayindependent.com/local-news/local-news/mayor-rejects-cllr%27s-planning-influence-claim/

Then Mayor McDonnell ( former PD ...the official party of property developers in Galway when it existed)

City Mayor Declan McDonnell has refuted claims that city councillors come under pressure from outside influences with regard to planning in the city.

Speaking to the Galway Independent, Cllr McDonnell was responding to assertions from Cllr Hildegarde Naughton that proposed zoning changes to the draft City Development Plan would leave councillors open to "interference from vested interests".

Cllr Naughton previously took a stand on the issue at a meeting of Galway City Council by voting against all of the suggestions put forward by her fellow councillors in relation to zoning and wording changes to planning regulation in the city.


In a statement to the chamber, she said she was not satisfied that substantial safeguards had been put in place to protect proper planning in the city and that councillors and planning staff had been "left open to pressure from outside influences"

What bothers me is not whether an individual owns a few properties here and there, especially before they were elected, it is whether an elected representative is overly tied in with the local 'property interests' who have made Galway City an absolute mess that only a badly needed bypass can help sort out.

thebackbar

yeehaw wrote: »

I have asked why you posted this information as if there were something sinister about owning property. I have also asked if you thought owning property should disqualify one from standing for public office. You declined to answer.

I have being following this thread for the last few days, first of all its great to see some debate about who is getting to represent Galway in the next Dail.

Originally I was pretty happy to hear that Brian Walsh was put forward by FG, good to see a young business person putting their name forward, however after hearing about the amount of property he acquired during the boom added to working with Anglo it looks like he doesn't offer anything different from the rest.

Ok, so owning multiple properties shouldn't preclude a person from running for the Dail, however do we want some one who got caught up in the property mania to be representing us going forward ? The property developers\bankers etc were largely to blame for getting us in to the situation we are as a country. Can we trust them to lead us out of it ?

Wouldn't it be a lot better if we had some one from the smart economy ie bio chem, IT, etc putting their name forward ? Wouldn't it be great to have a local politician who was interested in the work of people like Richard Florida etc

This isn't just a FG problem, the quality of the candidates currently being put forward is very poor.

Tedole

Euro_Kraut wrote: »

There are a number of FG TDs that are eying up the CC seat .

True, but the fact McCormack is Chairman of the Fine Gael parliamentary party gives him a headstart on most of those 'eyes'