Parish Pump Mentality

LivelineDipso

I just heard something called The Mayor of Ballina demanding a new dual carraigeway to be built to the town on radio say. "Enda Kenny is the Taoiseach for Mayo and we expect him to deliver."


Are people living west of the Shannon aware that they are citizens of a nation called Ireland and not their local GAA county colours?

bbam

LivelineDipso wrote: »

I just heard something called The Mayor of Ballina demanding a new dual carraigeway to be built to the town on radio say. "Enda Kenny is the Taoiseach for Mayo and we expect him to deliver."


Are people living west of the Shannon aware that they are citizens of a nation called Ireland and not their local GAA county colours?

And you think Parish Pump Politics is only west of the Shannon.. ??

snubbleste

Ballina has a mayor?

iDave

In before the anti-GAA brigade

Sauve

LivelineDipso wrote: »

citizens of a nation called Ireland and not their local GAA county colours?

What in the name of god are you on about?!

FatherLen

a dual carriage way to ballina?

That has to be a joke. Sure why not build a tunnel to trim while we're at it.

cml387

Typical Mayo. They'll be looking for an international airport next.

Wait a minute...

fishy fishy

LivelineDipso wrote: »

I just heard something called The Mayor of Ballina demanding a new dual carraigeway to be built to the town on radio say. "Enda Kenny is the Taoiseach for Mayo and we expect him to deliver."


Are people living west of the Shannon aware that they are citizens of a nation called Ireland and not their local GAA county colours?

you've obviously haven't heard of dublin north and the health minister.

yes, I do think you were born yesterday :D

feelgoodinc27

LivelineDipso wrote: »

Are people living west of the Shannon aware that they are citizens of a nation called Ireland and not their local GAA county colours?

The term "parish pump politics" may suggest rural connotations but it is endemic of the whole of Ireland, urban (heaven forbid even dublin) and rural.

kowloon

iDave wrote: »

In before the anti-GAA brigade

Aww .

anncoates

LivelineDipso wrote: »

I just heard something called The Mayor of Ballina

Probably a male humanoid.

Merkin

Where's Ballina?

Caliden

fishy fishy wrote: »

you've obviously haven't heard of dublin north and the health minister.

yes, I do think you were born yesterday :D

Or the minister for Transport and D15.

R P McMurphy

feelgoodinc27 wrote: »

The term "parish pump politics" may suggest rural connotations but it is endemic of the whole of Ireland, urban (heaven forbid even dublin) and rural.

The greatest ever parish pump politician is perhaps one of the most respected and was indeed Dublin based: Tony Gregory. I was in his constituency for many years and thought he represented the area to great effect and was a very affable fellow

Duckworth_Luas

Wait, a local politician is doing something for the benefit of the people in his locality? Go 'way! :eek:

I expected the mayor of Ballina to be mediating a peace agreement in Syria!

Sir Humphrey Appleby

LivelineDipso wrote: »

Are people living west of the Shannon aware that they are citizens of a nation called Ireland and not their local GAA county colours?

No. Except when it comes to spending tax money raised in Leinster!:mad:

Sir Humphrey Appleby

Merkin wrote: »

Where's Ballina?

If you look at a map of the asshole of nowhere it is the septic looking boil:D

fonda

Anything that helps you get out of Ballina quicker is a good idea.

Ash.J.Williams

Duckworth_Luas wrote: »

Wait, a local politician is doing something for the benefit of the people in his locality? Go 'way! :eek:

I expected the mayor of Ballina to be mediating a peace agreement in Syria!

it's the part where he said that Enda should deliver because he's from Mayo is the problem!

crusher000

Ash.J.Williams wrote: »

it's the part where he said that Enda should deliver because he's from Mayo is the problem!

What's the issue ? Sure isn't it the hedge trimming and pot hole fixing in their area that get all politicians elected and not the natioanl issues like property tax, high un-employment etc. Sure he's a mighty man and wasn't he only great crack at the annual dinner telling yarns about the Dail.

policarp

Merkin wrote: »

Where's Ballina?

It's on the banks of the Shannon in Co. Tipperary.
Opposite side of the river to Killaloe, which is in Co. Clare. . .

xXxkorixXx

in all the places i have been in here on this island i found Mayo to be most backward of them all just ahead of Tipperary town.

MJ23

Absolutely obsessed with........
Weather, GAA, spuds, muck, green diesel.

For Forks Sake

You know what my area is lacking actually, that is an actual parish pump....where's my local TD???

suicide_circus

I wonder if the arts council will help fund my rural celebrity based porno movie "Now yer sucking Vin Diesel!"

Rasheed

Old and grey wrote: »

No. Except when it comes to spending tax money raised in Leinster!:mad:

Yes we're all living it up here in the west thanks to the moola coming from the east! We don't pay a cent ourselves so thanks Lenister!

bbam

Hard to beleive that the Healey-Rae shower haven't been mentioned yet.. they seem to have degrees in this parish pump politics system..

Ash.J.Williams

I think one of the ideas for reform is to keep what we call "td's" back in their own "parishes" and "employ" actual experts as Ministers, what do you think of that?

Chucken

policarp wrote: »

It's on the banks of the Shannon in Co. Tipperary.
Opposite side of the river to Killaloe, which is in Co. Clare. . .

Thats why Tipp property prices are so high.....the beautiful view across at Clare

wp_rathead

LivelineDipso wrote: »

Are people living west of the Shannon aware that they are citizens of a nation called Ireland and not their local GAA county colours?

ara sure what expect, us thicko's from the wesht couldn't run a bath! Thank jayyyyyyyyyysus we had good old Dub leading the country few years back, never see this craic then.. Can't remember his name though exactly, all this poitín and generations of inbreding means the old noggin ain't what it used to be- anyhow I besht be off as I have a brush to start dancing over
slán*



*I demand a grant for saying slán

Rented Mule

Parish pump ??

There you go. Discriminating against the atheists again !!

mattjack

Duckworth_Luas wrote: »

Wait, a local politician is doing something for the benefit of the people in his locality? Go 'way! :eek:

I expected the mayor of Ballina to be mediating a peace agreement in Syria!

He's just waiting on the Luas to be built to take him to Syria.

BuilderPlumber

The term parish pump politics has a bad name and the concept of abolishing the parish pump mentality has often been touted as the way to go. But, be careful what we wish for!!

Sure, we do need to see the end of cute hoors pretending they care about their electorate, claiming everything from fixed potholes to the success of launches of events as their doing even though it never is! But, we need to be aware of other issues too.

What would the non-parish pump politician be?? Even worse, much worse actually. The affable cute hoor may claim they can give you everything but at the very least they would be approachable and may buy you a drink. The non-parish pumper will be aloof from the people, never accessible and will say he is a legislator who has no time for meeting with his/her electorate.

A very very dangerous attitude this would become and very dictatorial. I see this mentality developing in the current government and again it is more of seemingly giving the people what they want but taking more really.

The people may be sick of the cute hoor but they will hate the aloof legislator who does not even care one iota about being liked by his/her electorate. The solution is for politicians to engage more with the people and help the people achieve their goals. Less time in the Dail and more time down in their constituencies. Politics should deliver this:

Each county should also have the following: a minister (have 26 of them and less TDs), a hospital, a VEC, a few major employers the government can support, and be within easy reach of a third level college.
A true support of both rural and urban initiatives.
A willingness to listen to and engage with the people.
Build a level of trust and respect with the people.

At present, politicians are despised by and large by people. This should come as no surprise for those politicians who trample on our vote, continue on with negative and unpopular policies, and attempt no real initiates to tackle the problems. A gang of fat cats living at our expense is what we rightly see them as. A serious PR campaign is needed and the talentless, autocratic and liars need to be weeded out of Irish politics.

sabat

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

Each county should also have the following: a minister (have 26 of them and less TDs), a hospital, a VEC, a few major employers the government can support, and be within easy reach of a third level college.

There are more people within a square mile of my house in Dublin than in all of Leitrim. A far more progressive step would be to abandon the administrative divisions drawn up by Elizabethan settlers-they're a large part of the reason Irish people are so dumb.

the groutch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjl8OIZijjY

jobeenfitz

I know its only a mythical place but I still like Ballina. Drumsna is another mythical place close to me heart.

BuilderPlumber

sabat wrote: »

There are more people within a square mile of my house in Dublin than in all of Leitrim. A far more progressive step would be to abandon the administrative divisions drawn up by Elizabethan settlers-they're a large part of the reason Irish people are so dumb.

Whatever the reason, Ireland generally seems to be broken up into rich counties centred around the major cities (apart from one or two obvious cities where this is not the case) and poorer counties such as Offaly, Roscommon, Monaghan, Leitrim, Waterford and Kerry. Many of the poorer counties are often poorly represented by politicians.

Something needs to be done to destroy the unevenness of this country and why some regions have mass exoduses of people (Dublin is full of people from the so-called Border, Midlands and West region and indeed, non-Dublin people now outnumber Dublin people in much of the capital). Dublin cannot sustain everyone (think back to the 1970s when Tehran drew loads of poorer people into it because the rest of Iran too was a ghost town with little opportunity. This lead to a dangerous and harmful revolution and a war with Iraq that set Iran back 200 years in many ways). A capital city full of disillusioned migrants therefore is not healthy.

anncoates

jobeenfitz wrote: »

I know its only a mythical place but I still like Ballina. Drumsna is another mythical place close to me heart.

My heart will always be in Drumsbanbo, but.

anncoates

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

A capital city full of disillusioned migrants therefore is not healthy.

A cursory examination of the subhumans in Coppers or Flannerys would appear to readily confirm this analysis.

Grayson

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

Whatever the reason, Ireland generally seems to be broken up into rich counties centred around the major cities (apart from one or two obvious cities where this is not the case) and poorer counties such as Offaly, Roscommon, Monaghan, Leitrim, Waterford and Kerry. Many of the poorer counties are often poorly represented by politicians.

Something needs to be done to destroy the unevenness of this country and why some regions have mass exoduses of people (Dublin is full of people from the so-called Border, Midlands and West region and indeed, non-Dublin people now outnumber Dublin people in much of the capital). Dublin cannot sustain everyone (think back to the 1970s when Tehran drew loads of poorer people into it because the rest of Iran too was a ghost town with little opportunity. This lead to a dangerous and harmful revolution and a war with Iraq that set Iran back 200 years in many ways). A capital city full of disillusioned migrants therefore is not healthy.

This isn't brazil where we have half a million people living in shanty towns. Unemployment is actually better in dublin than it is in large parts of the country. Dublin can sustain it's current population. have you got any evidence that it can't?

We don't need a minister in every county. Then we'd be picking someone to be a minister because they're a kerryman. That's just dumb.

We do need fewer politicians in the dail. That would give politicians a larger constituency and would stop them from being so local in their priorities. national politicians should not be acting like local politicians. That's what county councils are for. We might end up with fewer publicans in the dail.

goose2005

R P McMurphy wrote: »

The greatest ever parish pump politician is perhaps one of the most respected and was indeed Dublin based: Tony Gregory. I was in his constituency for many years and thought he represented the area to great effect and was a very affable fellow

In fairness his area was desperately poor. And it's often forgotten that most of the Dublin poor are only one or two generations removed from culchies - the farm labourers were no longer needed when mechanisation came, so they had to leave and the landowners stayed

For Forks Sake

For Forks Sake wrote: »

You know what my area is lacking actually, that is an actual parish pump....where's my local TD???

Someone stole the pump down the road from me.

Davelarson

The amount of whinging I've heard from people from Connacht, especially Mayo, would make your head spin.

diomed

So we will shortly have a motorway between Ballina and Castlebar? Nice.

goose2005

Davelarson wrote: »

The amount of whinging I've heard from people from Connacht, especially Mayo, would make your head spin.

Dublin population density: 1,380 per km2
Connacht: 30.

That's why dem up in dublin get evrytin

diomed

First a new motorway, then free cars so they will be able to use it.

Ghost Buster

snubbleste wrote: »

Ballina has a mayor?

Longford has two mayors (Town and County) and Granard (1 street village in county Longford) has its own mayor.:(

ShaneMc2012

Construction of the M18 from Gort to Tuam is about to begin again, over time I think it will eventually lead up to Sligo-Letterkenny. Although I'm sure everyone would love a dual carriageway to their town, this project is the only somewhat justifiable way for a dual carriageway in Mayo..

Wolf Club

Davelarson wrote: »

The amount of whinging I've heard from people from Connacht, especially Mayo, would make your head spin.

Whinging about what exactly?

goose2005

ShaneMc2012 wrote: »

Construction of the M18 from Gort to Tuam is about to begin again, over time I think it will eventually lead up to Sligo-Letterkenny. Although I'm sure everyone would love a dual carriageway to their town, this project is the only somewhat justifiable way for a dual carriageway in Mayo..

Why would it go to Letterkenny? Derry's much bigger

catallus

Isn't "parish pump politics" common to every country in the world, ever? It is the way politics works, I thought.