Election 2024

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122868713#Comment_122868713

Doesn't want anyone hampering that highest first preference "medal" he loved so much.

banie01

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122868767#Comment_122868767

Sure didn't he lose that medal last time out to Maurice Quinlivan but, yeah he always seems to have issues with his approach to vote management.

banie01

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122868767#Comment_122868767

Sure didn't he lose that medal last time out to Maurice Quinlivan but, yeah he always seems to have issues with his approach to vote management.

LeoD

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122868796#Comment_122868796

And he left the count centre in a huff when MQ was announced as the poll topper - wasn't around when he was deemed elected. Not sure I've seen that behaviour anywhere else before. He never showed up for a radio debate on Live95 yesterday so whatever about missing a live streamed debate a few nights ago that I think only political nerds would be interested in, not bothering to appear on Limerick Radio says a lot about his form of politics - not concerned with the wider interests of Limerick, only interfering with simple administrative issues but making people feel indebted for doing so. 40 years representing Limerick and what major investments in the city/region could you say was down to him?

LeoD

Also, at 72 and after 40 years in the Dáil, it'd be good to hear new voices.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122869455#Comment_122869455

Or any voice. Its not like you ever hear O'Dea's in the Dail.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122862976#Comment_122862976

James Collins ran alongside him in 2020, apparently he was suggesting to people on the doorsteps that Frankie Daly should get the #2 preference… I wonder is he saying that this time as well…

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122869425#Comment_122869425

MQ's transfers were what got him over the line. I'd say he didn't like that at all after Brothelgate

Vanquished

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122869425#Comment_122869425

He has been an utter waste of a seat for 42 years now. The man has absolutely zero vision for Limerick and zero interest in even formulating policy not to mind legislation. We're no closer to knowing what he actually stands for after over four decades in public office. It's a shocking indictment of those in the local electorate who have supported him and continue to support him.

The role of a TD is to be a national legislator but all politics is local as we know and I can't think of any cause, initiative or project that he has championed in Limerick. He went missing when the hospital was overwhelmed due to reconfiguration. He has never been a prominent or vocal advocate for increased funding, resources or services for UHL and didn't speak out when Limerick was left out of the plan for new elective only hospitals. He hid like a coward when protests were taking place in the city over the Aer Lingus pull out from Shannon. I've never heard him make the case for increased infrastructural spending in Limerick either. Has he ever highlighted the general state of the city centre and the dire need for investment and revitalisation? He's an embarrassment of a local TD and an utter waste of space.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122881773#Comment_122881773

He was too busy being a director of Union Jack oil and attending funerals to be worrying about all that important stuff.

But there are enough people out there who think they owe him for something they were already entitled to anyway.

phog

Brian Leddin's TikTok clip is car crash stuff.

Also, he tried to push a rail link to Shannon during his attempt at the DEM and is now pushing it to a smaller population in his attempt to get re-elected as a TD.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122881773#Comment_122881773

He had a lot to say on that cycle lane that's going in on the South Circular Road, he's been pretty quiet ever since it was approved by the cities councillors though

banie01

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122882030#Comment_122882030

I can't imagine that his canvas is going well not that he is tallying anywhere near the number of 1st vote promises now as he did in 2020. Surely of the incumbents? He is the one who knows it's over for him this time?

That said, I wouldn't put much store in my own election prediction prowess, I mean I thought Kamala would beat Trump 🤷‍♂️

LeoD

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122882030#Comment_122882030

You do realise the mayor of Limerick also wants the rail link to Shannon and has had the same vision for a rail network around Limerick as BL for years?

Cookiemunster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122884225#Comment_122884225

The difference is that John Moran is pro these things happening, but Leddin is promising that he'll actually deliver them.

adaminho

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122884370#Comment_122884370

Aren't independent alliance promising a Luas for every county?

phog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122884225#Comment_122884225

Ah now, Moran ran a campaign that appealed to broad section of the voters, Leddin ran a campaign similar to that of a one issue candidate might for a GE

LeoD

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122884370#Comment_122884370

I can't tell if you're being serious or making a joke…🤔

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122885834#Comment_122885834

I imagine it is serious.

The mayor of Limerick can't build a train to Shannon so Leddin pinning his campaign on it was just being deceitful.

LeoD

BL has proposals for housing, health, energy, environment & regional economy but he believes transport underpins the success of all these which I would agree with. The general public don't tend to read too much into any of the candidates' proposals and base their opinions off headlines and narratives built up over the years (and I would include myself in that).

Cookiemunster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122885834#Comment_122885834

Quite serious. Moran said that he supported those PT plans and would like to see the happen. Leddin pushed them as his main campaign pledge. He had posters all over the place looking for people to elect him 'For a rail link to Shannon' during the Mayoral campaign.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122885886#Comment_122885886

Well maybe he shouldn't be pushing unrealistic rails plans in the media above those then. Limerick needs BusConnects and better local options long before it needs a rail link to Shannon.

LeoD

So you don't think it's a bad idea, just unrealistic? There's nothing unrealistic about it, it just requires political will. And this is what JM said to Joe Nash on Live 95 after he was elected on the subject of the rail proposal Brian Leddin was talking about during the mayoral campaign: "That is the future for a city to grow and people have got to understand that. I think it was probably seen as a crazy idea when it was proposed by people like Brian and myself and others five or six years ago but people are starting to understand how that does transform someplace like Patrickswell or Adare or Foynes, it's not just suburban. How it allows people in Nenagh to come to Limerick, whether it's shopping on a Saturday or staying out in the evening. So that is really a key skeleton on which growth and Limerick needs to be built".

I have spoken to JM myself about this and he is in no doubt about wanting this to be built and there is nothing unrealistic about it in his mind or the mind of the CEO of Irish Rail.

As for BusConnects, that wouldn't be happening in Limerick without BL and ER. The original rollout plan for Busconnects in regional cities excluded Limerick but BL and ER got the NTA to include Busconnects in a revised LSMATS but that doesn't get mentioned too much either.

Like I said earlier, narratives take hold and the facts are never mentioned or forgotten.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122886652#Comment_122886652

The last person I heard push the train to Shannon as much as him was useless backbencher Peter Power who was blabbing on about a LUAS to Shannon.

I agree with you on the Green parties hand in Busconnects and that it gets no mention and that's my whole problem. Who's job is it to mention it only Leddin's but the one keeps talking about it is Sheehan because Leddin is wasting all his time going on about a hypothetical train.

As for the train itself the state has never ever built a new alignment so good luck getting one any time soon when they won't even do it for Dublin.

Cookiemunster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122886652#Comment_122886652

Where is a rail link to Shannon mentioned in that quote? You know, the thing Leddin basically led his mayoral campaign on? There is no narrative. Leddin is not publicising these other things. He's (again) pushing the rail link to Shannon.

Deputy Leddin is of the opinion that from the election manifestos of the three parties, neither has any ambition for the region.

“They pay lip service to developing our regional cities as a counterbalance to Dublin, but yet again their actions speak louder than words,” he insists.

“It beggars belief, particularly, that Fine Gael, which has a junior minister in Limerick City and a senior minister in the county, could hamstring the development of the Mid West by refusing to support the plans for a Metropolitan Rail system in Limerick and the railway to Shannon.”

https://www.limerickpost.ie/2024/11/21/leddin-takes-swing-at-labour-fine-gael-and-fianna-fail-as-election-looms-closer/

It's a pointless argument anyway as according to the polls he'll no longer be a TD come Monday.

LeoD

So one of the reasons you wouldn't support BL because he hasn't, in your opinion, promoted his achievements over the last few years enough?

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122886955#Comment_122886955

Hard for me to answer really because I am supporting him as my 2nd preference.

It might of been a small part of the difference between 1st and 2nd though because while he was going on about a non existent train Sheehan was talking about population density, Busconnects and sensible train related things like increasing the frequency of the Castleconnell line.

I want Leddin to run a better campaign because I want him to win.

LeoD

I will probably give CS the #2 as I like what he says in general about transport but I think we're selling ourselves short if we're not thinking about what we want Limerick will be like 20-30 years from now. Only focussing on 3-5 year cycles will mean we're constantly reacting to problems.

Red Silurian

Had Maria Byrne campaigners the other day. According to them she's good for "local issues" so I raised the situation at UHL. Seems the party she represents is not so good for local issues

manna452121

List of people who came to my door: Brian Leddan,Marie Byrne these arrived 2 days before the election was called.Then someone from Social Dem followed by Conor Sheehan and finally Willie oDea and he was 4 days ago.I had questions to ask but no one else turned up.I will be voting but it will be very quick.I am on the Northside.

breezy1985

Irish Times just done a target map for the big 3 listing "main targets, possible gains and potential losses.

Limerick city didn't appear anywhere for all 3 so I assume they see this as I fight between Daly and the credible minor parties.

manna452121

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122898267#Comment_122898267

Daly plus Others will not be getting my vote and my nearby neighbours feel the same.