politicians outside church

depot

Maybe its just me, but does anyone else thing that having a politician standing on the church wall in salthill after mass shouting about all the good they are going to do if they get elected, a little bit inappropriate. I think religion and politics should be separate, but hey thats just my opinion.

Unrealistic

Spill the beans. Which one was it?

And it would definitely put me off.

Bobeagleburger

Religion and Politics.

Lies mixed with lies.

Paul.M92

Thats disgusting, religion should not be associated with politics at all. Once a person crosses this line it is impossible to go back. I would have asked him kindly to leave, and if he refused I would have rung millstreet and told them he was disturbing the peace. It's not allowed.

filmbuffboy

Cant believe a politican is stupid enough to do this in the first place! Do they not realise it's extremely off-putting and rude to shout promises/lies out to a crowd when they're simply trying to enjoy their day off!

Dunjohn

I know who you're talking about, because their party was covering all the city churches this weekend. Legally, that's fine. There's no difference between standing outside the church - on the path, not on church grounds - handing out leaflets and things, and walking down Shop Street shaking hands. They don't need a permit if they're not doing a collection or anything like that.

It's certainly not an attempt to associate politics with religion. They just know where to find a good crowd on a Sunday morning. Last week it was that anti-abortion crowd.

Also, just for the record, I wasn't involved. I don't even plan to send my vote that direction.

mikemac

depot wrote: »

I think religion and politics should be separate,

It has nothing to do with this.

It's about finding a crowd of voters and getting your message out there.
You're as likely to see a TD at a funeral or a GAA match.

Think about if you're a candidate and you need to raise your profile where else are you going to find lots of people on a Sunday morning

depot

I have no political favourites myself nor do I support one particular party, but this politician was standing on the church wall not the footpath and was shouting about all the things that would be done if we gave the number one.

thebackbar

depot wrote: »

I have no political favourites myself nor do I support one particular party, but this politician was standing on the church wall not the footpath and was shouting about all the things that would be done if we gave the number one.

Supposedly this was once a common practice coming up to elections in Ireland, but i agree politicians should stay away from churchs, or they should use some common sense while doing so.

Three weeks ago one candidate came to my church, on the same day there was a collection for a charity. When I was leaving the church i rolled down the window of the car to make a donation, before the person collecting the money could come over to me, the canvasser was in my face trying to give me an election pamphlet. Needless to say this politician will be getting my last preference on my ballot paper.

Paul.M92

thebackbar wrote: »

Supposedly this was once a common practice coming up to elections in Ireland, but i agree politicians should stay away from churchs, or they should use some common sense while doing so.

Three weeks ago one candidate came to my church, on the same day there was a collection for a charity. When I was leaving the church i rolled down the window of the car to make a donation, before the person collecting the money could come over to me, the canvasser was in my face trying to give me an election pamphlet. Needless to say this politician will be getting my last preference on my ballot paper.

Personally I would write a letter of complaint and I have done on more than one occasion. And it was not well recieved. They HATE bad publicity... Also word of mouth helps. If you tell friends and neighbours what they have done it will spread quicker and ruin them, and believe me they will hear about it.

loser2old4board

This was always done back in the day, when there wasn't as many media outlets or opportunities to get the message out there. It was regarded then as a sort of Sunday morning side show. A lot more people were attending church then and sometimes politicians of different parties would agree
on who was going to speak first etc. Mostly done in church car parks
as far as I can remember. Not sure if that was strictly speaking 'church ground' as such. Don't remember that much objection to it.
Right or wrong, that's what they did.

nuac

Church gate meetings were a long established tradition at elections. They only went out of fashion about twenty years ago. Most people stayed to listen.

It was often the only way of getting the message out before the diversity of media we have today. Many families would only buy the local paper each week, a few would take the Independent or Irish Press - not every day. The average newsagent would only stock a few Irish Times, if any. No TV, and Radio Eireann only broadcast for part of the day.
No local radio.

A speaker had to be prepared to get his message out in short soundbites and be prepared to handle hecklers. Prior to small portable amplification systems c 1960, amplification was only avaiable for large meetins in towns. Speakers doing a round of rural churches needed good lungs, clear diction, and the wit and ability to deal with hecklers. The responses of some speakers to hecklers are still remembered generatlions later - and in some cases the name of heckler who came off second best.

Some still talk of monster meetings addressed by O'Connell and of later meetings during Land League days addressed by Parnell and Davitt.

IN Aughagower village Co Mayo there was a tradition of visiting each of the three pubs there on occasions such as weddings, funerals, and political meetings. That led to come very convivial sessions, and turbulent performances at meetings later that day.

A small number of priests would discourage speakers from standing on the church boundary wall but could not object to a speaker standing on an adjacent wall or ditch.

In one case, during a winter election where a local very popular candidate was running, the priest invited one representative of the two parties waiting outside to address the congregation inside the church. He remarked that there was no point in letting his parishioners get wet over politics.

In parts of Mayo there was a custom that the first party to arrive at the first church spoke first, alternating at later churches. However a candidate would be always be given priority. A good knowledge of mass times, what priests were slow or fast saying mass and of the roadwork of the area was essential to get in say 5 or 6 meetings in the morning., Loudspeaker facilities might be shared depending on the relationships between the groups involved. In other areas there would be a mad race around the area to be first to the next church. This led to some hairy driving along twisting country roads.

Elections are much duller without these meetings.

FloatingVoter

A politician outside a church in Salthill = poor bloke got turned by whichever member of the electorate he was polling the night before. Chuck some pennies at him and he'll bugger off.

Sponge Bob

thebackbar wrote: »

Supposedly this was once a common practice coming up to elections in Ireland,

Standard practice even. I came out of a church in Galway once to be faced with a former taoiseach on one side of the road and a serving government minister on the other.

mikemac

thebackbar wrote: »

Supposedly this was once a common practice coming up to elections in Ireland,

Up to a few decades ago, it was the main way of getting your message out there and all candidates had to do it

Slag all the candidates you want, it takes something to stand up in front of hundreds and shout out your message and deal with agressive hecklers

It's only recently this has all stopped, every county in Ireland has local radio these days.
I'm glad to see candidates out trying it again, old skool :cool:

Sponge Bob

It is a lot more honourable than 'following' people on twitter ...Frankeen style

CrowdedHouse

I think I'll move my vote to Galway West...campaign is more interesting, better choice of who not to vote for

thesandeman

Michael D was top of the church league back in the 70s. Ill swear they cloned him. He was everywhere.
Bobby Molloy came a distant second.

thegrayson

There were also politicians canvassing outside of the Augustinian Church on Middle St yesterday, and all stood around doing nothing when a pane of glass fell out of a window a short distance away. Didn't see myself but a friend did, he mentioned it to a passing Garda.

snubbleste

thegrayson wrote: »

There were also politicians canvassing outside of the Augustinian Church on Middle St yesterday, and all stood around doing nothing when a pane of glass fell out of a window a short distance away. Didn't see myself but a friend did, he mentioned it to a passing Garda.

Just out of curiousity, what should a person do when a pane of glass falls out of a window a short distance away?

Dunjohn

snubbleste wrote: »

Just out of curiousity, what should a person do when a pane of glass falls out of a window a short distance away?

Loot the place.

thesandeman

For some reason Im getting visions of the Book Depository.

Lockstep

Doesn't bother me, politicians are chasing concentrations of people rather than religion.

Makes a lot of sense in Conamara, where canvassing houses is a very inefficient system.

Mrs OBumble

It bugs me: church is one of the places in society where people should be able to go without being harassed.

People collecting money outside churches bugs me even more, for the same reason.

I'd feel far happier though if churches (or indeed anyone else) organised local meetings where we could see candidates in person (together), and grill them about their policies. Oh ... and religion is intrinsically political, IMHO.

Dunjohn

JustMary wrote: »

I'd feel far happier though if churches (or indeed anyone else) organised local meetings where we could see candidates in person (together), and grill them about their policies. Oh ... and religion is intrinsically political, IMHO.

The problem with that is, the people would need to get off their arses to go and see them. The candidates can't depend on that happening.

As for Q&As, wasn't there one for the Galway West candidates held in NUI-G a week or two ago? Though I must confess, I didn't hear about it until a day or two afterwards (another part of the problem).

Ultimately, the politicians know that they must be proactive if they want to meet the greatest number of voters.