The accelerating fall in Sinn Féin support

For Forks Sake

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122239375#Comment_122239375

Have you recently been kicked in the head by a horse?

Danzy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122239517#Comment_122239517

They are replacing labour, no need to merge

Deep Thought

I see SF are using the “we had too many candidates “ excuse now

Tefral

I think if SF became a truly centre party, they would hoover up votes.

The reality is, in the past month, month and a half, FG have moved more from the left towards the Centre and let's be honest that's where most of us actually want to be.

Enforce the rules of our Republic and look after those who can't look after themselves. If a party can truly get that, we as a country would be doing alright. Sinn Fein can't see to grasp that, so the protest vote instead of going to them seems to have gone to independents.

SF really have to get their act together in the next 6 months.

Jeff2

I thought it funny Mary Lou blaming the fack people think SF are in government for the result.

Nobody thinks SF are in government just that they are in collusion with the government and that's how we are where we are today.

I don't think the carry on in Croke Park and the like helped either.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122239347#Comment_122239347

you are some liar spouting about tax free. It’s these types of statements that everyone on here knows you are full of hot air.

Peter misinformation flint!

Francie Barrett

Zero sympathy for Sinn Fein.

They were totally fixated on things that most people don't care about, like asylum seekers and Palestine.

They are a far left party that cannot be trusted.

Danzy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122239660#Comment_122239660

Asylum seekers and Palestine have been all consuming for a lot of SF reps over the last 8 months.

Middle class trendy issues that are not the reality of issues facing the base.

Calling life long supporters and their families racists and far right for even questioning the position on such things was a no no, and yet it was commonplace.

There is a serious moralizing problem, a preachy problem in the left today.

Self inflicted

Notmything

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122238732#Comment_122238732

So, the EU held their election on this specific date to help out the Irish government who then gave the yearly payment to carers to vote for them.

The same carers who opposed the last referendum. Have you a tinfoil hat by any chance.

Maybe they should have picked another date,but that might have clashed with the dole, or illness benefit, or disability.

Ohmeha

I'm getting a good chuckle here tonight at some of the recent posts stating in the year 2024 what is supposedly "far right" and "far left"

downthemiddle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122239531#Comment_122239531

Mary Lou and Pearse are to blame. Long may it continue.

rob316

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122239610#Comment_122239610

Sinn Fein would hoover up votes if they were still a nationalist party but instead they have turned into a beige neo liberal party. Spouting the left diarrhea from one side of their mouth and supporting the coalition from the other. Fake opposition and their core voter base, knows it.

Mary lou should be for the chop

Strazdas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122239682#Comment_122239682

I wouldn't agree that Palestine is a middle class issue. Some of the strongest support for Gaza has been in working class areas (people flying the Gazan flag from their houses etc).

LetticebCivil

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122240125#Comment_122240125

I am sure the people being bombed will be delighted with the flags flying from houses thousands of miles away

Finty Lemon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122239048#Comment_122239048

have you ever heard the phrase ‘an armalite in one hand and the ballot box in the other’ ?It nicely explains how SF operates, by their own admission.

That strategy hasn’t gone away, you know.

blanch152

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122239347#Comment_122239347

What a desperate conspiracy theory rant. The date of the European elections is fixed by the European Commission. If the FF/FG parties control the European Commission as you so obviously believe, isn't that a great thing for Ireland, and you should start voting and campaigning for them.

Oscar_Madison

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122240067#Comment_122240067

They’ve been “attacked” from all sides - left right and centre- the Independents and smaller more radical parties know that SF traditionally held some of their views whether it was on housing or immigration etc It’s left SF looking like an establishment party- fewer opportunities to take a populist stand on certain issues as the more radical parties have beat them to it.

In addition, Mary Lou is sounding dated and stale - her attack speeches on the government are falling flat - again, mainly due to the greater number of independent opposition members who have a louder and stronger voice.

If SF truely want power, they’ll have to show the public what their policies are instead of just moaning about the policies of other parties- that’s going to alienate their voters and at least some will “defect” to the more extreme independents - while o can’t stand Mary Lou, I’m not sure changing party leader will do any good right now.

Finally the number of candidates really diluted their votes- less would have been more for them - I think they’ll make gains in the next GE but only if they become clearer in what they stand for - it seems to me that their glory days of being an opposition only party are numbered - if they want power they’ll need to stand on their own two feet - that’s a big risk for them

Peter Flynt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122240502#Comment_122240502

It's not a desperate conspiracy theory rant that FG/FF control when to release the carer allowance payments. It's actual fact.

Come on....we all know FGers are the sort who'd have forks in their hands if it were raining soup but you can't all be stupid.

blanch152

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122240579#Comment_122240579

There is a lot of truth in this.

One of Sinn Fein's biggest achievements over the last two decades has been their ability to organise the deluded, the disillusioned, the conspiracy theorists, the moaners, the obstructionists and the clearly demented into a solid block of voters behind them. Like all achievements, the unexpected consequences is that this newly organised mob isn't loyal, they just turn to the latest politician willing to indulge their fantasies once Sinn Fein started ditching their core principles at pace to make themselves look normal to the rest of us.

As a result, Sinn Fein has lost these newly organised and newly motivated mob to the fringes. The likes of Paddy Holohan, elected to two different LEAs is emblematic of this Sinn Fein.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122240723#Comment_122240723

Considering you've got the election dates wrong - they're normally in May, this is the first time they've been in June - it is a desperate conspiracy theory, yes.

astrofool

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122240579#Comment_122240579

I don't think it helps that their main "single issue" doesn't resonate with people right now (and that it's not something being pursued by the myriad of independents either). With Westminster elections next month the danger for SF is they'll double down on it again.

Oscar_Madison

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122240755#Comment_122240755

If the “single issue” is a united ireland, then certainly that’s far from the minds of most voters right now - in fact, pushing this will alienate people further- in the midst of the worst housing crisis in decades no less health service and immigration, people won’t have the bandwidth to listen to that rubbish

Alibaba

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122238416#Comment_122238416

What a stupid thing for her to say..

rob316

I turned my back on SF when there wasn't a peep during COVID. Afraid to show any backbone.

Supported that pointless referendum, supported the hate speech bill until the referendum result. Falling inline with immigration.

Mary Lou has made of mess of 2 elections, I'm not sure how many chances she should get.

FF and FG jumped into bed together to neutralise the SF threat that's how much they had grown in the last decade. If SF weren't a threat you can be sure one of FF or FG would be sitting in opposition the past 4 years.

They still don't know how to be an opposition party. It's a pity because their is an appetite for change but no viable alternative.

They won't do anything in this term to change the next election but they should bring in Pearse now and work towards the election after and get back to been a nationalist party. There core is defecting to right wing and independents, they have done well to gain some of the centrist vote but have completely forgotten what that party stands for.

pureza

Wicklow Co Council,a commuter belt county,SF got 2 councillors elected out of 32,Fine Gael got 9,what does this tell us ?

One of the new Fine Gael councillors is Graham Richmond,a 1st cousin of Neil Richmond

In 3 of the 5 LEA's,no SF councillor at all including Greystones

ELM327

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122242015#Comment_122242015

SF are not for working class people, ie people that work. That's what it tells me anyway. No SF elected in my LEA, 2 ind , 1 FF and 1 FG.

landofthetree

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122239660#Comment_122239660

FF FG Greens absolutely pulled the rug from under them by recognising Palestine.

orangerhyme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122241965#Comment_122241965

I wouldn't trust them with my money.

They ran too few candidates in last election and too many with this.

They're not good with numbers.

A proper party would have data analysts calculating exactly how many candidates to run not just some back of an envelope guess.

landofthetree

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122239375#Comment_122239375

That "far-right" policy was copying countries like Sweden,Norway,Denmark etc. We were a total outliner from the beginning.

Nobody believes this SF rubbish that FG are a right wing party.

Oscar_Madison

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122242056#Comment_122242056

not sure they know themselves - I reckon Mary Lou will try for presidency and leave all this sho1te behind