President Connolly

For Petes Sake

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124041459#Comment_124041459

Yeah, and one side has been in government for the entire history of the State and constantly tells you 'if you think we're bad, look at these guys' as a way of staying in power.

So no, I don't buy into this 'both sides' nonsense whatsoever.

Good loser

'One side has been in power for the entire history of the State'! What nonsense.

kippy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124039556#Comment_124039556

In all fairness, she had a very very busy election campaign, moreso than most campaigns as there were only two involved for a lot of it and no doubt the first couple of weeks of the job involved a lot of moving stuff, organising, hand shaking etc.

Surprisingly (to many who thought she was a diplomatic nightmare) she didn't kill Zelensky when she met him and did a great job of being a grand president as she will continue to do for her term.

Tell me how

In hindsight, and correct me if I'm wrong here, I don't currently live in Ireland so might be misinterpreting how things actually went, but is there not a lot about the recent Presidential campaign that shines a positive light on Ireland?

The safeguard to prevent "nuisance" entrants with candidates having to get the nominations of elected boards or officials did help to weed out unsavoury candidates. Say what you want about Sheen, but there's no question but that if McGregor had been on the ballot paper the campaign would have been affected with all sorts of serious interference from abroad.

The political heavyweights were caught with their pants down in trying to treat it as a walk in (to) the park and thankfully when a candidate was shown to have a dubious history, they showed they had the moral decency to immediately step aside. Maybe I'm being kind to them on this last point and the reality is that their heart was never really in the race, but given what we've see with respect to moral standards from candidates on either side of us on the International stage, I'm inclined to take that as a win.

I also think it is a positive as to how Connolly settled in to the role, she appeared entirely comfortable in greeting Zelensky last week and that was an occasion where she could have made it more about her (in Irish media) if she had chosen to, but she did none of that.

Irish politics isn't perfect in either process or performance, but it has it's positives at the same time and the Presidency is one area in which I feel we've done very well throughout my adult life.

Cluedo Monopoly

Excellent documentary on the election on RTE1. Twas good fun!

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124054557#Comment_124054557

I just saw “Connolly” on the channel options. Assumed it was a programme on Billy Connolly. Fairly disappointed to be honest.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124054557#Comment_124054557

1500 signing up to the Connolly campaign after the first TV debates acccording to one of the journos is amazing really.
It flatters Gavin and Humphrey’s to say they were ever really in the running. They weren’t.

zell12

Connolly visited Conamara today calling it "an áit is deise sa tír" even in bleak December! She also popped into two schools and RnaG.

pureza

Just getting back to the great left alliance

There was a row between the shinners and labour today when a derogatory remark was made towards the Labour housing spokesman Conor Sheehan while he was speaking

Duncan Smith stood up looking for the remark to be withdrawn

The anger and animosity was palpable

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124063197#Comment_124063197

Another ‘the sky has fallen’ merchant.

Plenty of coalitions and alliances have their snippy moments.

It’s the ability to get through them that will be the test.

A few folk rattled by the Presidential success.

For Petes Sake

Funny how everyone talks about the left parties fighting with each other when we barely go a week where we don't hear about a row between the actual two parties in government.

Mo Ghile Mear

I don't see Catherine Connolly's success as a victory for left v right. I voted for her as i didn't have huge regard for Heather H and there was simply no other option.

I also felt she was a capable, well spoken, experienced candidate and I had no agenda other than that.

A lot of people I know felt the same.

chrisd2019

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124063197#Comment_124063197

What alliance?

pureza

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124063254#Comment_124063254

If you think the Labour party and SF aren’t mortal adversaries ,you are deluding yourself, like you were regarding the downfall of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil partnership governments for 4 years between 2020 and 2024 on here

It never happened and your party lost a 100,000 votes instead despite a bigger electorate

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124063390#Comment_124063390

Exactly

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124063606#Comment_124063606

I’m not rushing out breathless ‘the sky is falling in’ posts.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124063390#Comment_124063390

I suppose some are still in denial about this. It seems to frighten them that it might happen for a GE

Brendan Bendar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124063864#Comment_124063864

With good reason one might suggest………..

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124063929#Comment_124063929

Yes, when even tacit mergers or coalitions of those who previously vowed they never would (call it what you want) might not be enough to cling to power it must make folk very insecure.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124063358#Comment_124063358

I know many who would be traditional FF/FG voters who said similarly. I think the backing of the Labour party really helped in that respect as well.

Humphries simply wasn't seen as being presidential and Connolly was. The dirty tactics in that FG video didn't go unnoticed either

kippy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124063358#Comment_124063358

I'd agree with this entirely. The presidental election isn't about parties. She was by far the most presidental (a term hard to define) of those running.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124063950#Comment_124063950

I know many who would be traditional FF/FG voters who said similarly.

That's indicative of the ongoing shift in the Irish political dynamic.
The 'traditional' is outdated, unthinking loyalty is a thing of the past. By coalescing FF and FG broke the unwritten contract.

Cluedo Monopoly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124063950#Comment_124063950

That attack video will be long remembered and will cause long-term damage to FG in future elections. The fact that it was quickly torn to shreds doesn't look good either. The FG attack video, Ivan Yates, "rural pursuits" and the Jim Gavin implosion will be the only things remembered from the election.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124064068#Comment_124064068

In fairness all that made it the most exciting presidential election in my time voting

Cluedo Monopoly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124064117#Comment_124064117

Ah yeah it was most enjoyable. Even on Boards. Some posters seem to have vanished since 😂

pureza

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124063946#Comment_124063946

Amusing but at least you can be relied upon as ever for being consistent in the nonsense

People vowed never to divorce,never to marry same sex couples, or adopt children,never to allow abortiions and never allow us to read playboy magazine during the time evolution you speak

Most People love money and the right to keep as much of what they earn as possible,this is a vow the median voter won’t be breaking and the downfall for now of your party’s earnest wishes

Unless of course they impose the coup model like their friends in Cuba and Venezuela creating a domestic military industrial complex (😆) to suppress and imprison dissent

It’s the downside of populism unrecognised by populists parties,that people aren’t eejits

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124063864#Comment_124063864

That’s an alliance? It is in its arsë
what have pbp and labour got in common? Practically nothing,it’s as sparse as labours love for SF

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124064173#Comment_124064173

Amusing but at least you can be relied upon as ever for being consistent in the nonsense

People vowed never to divorce,never to marry same sex couples, or adopt children,never to allow abortiions and never allow us to read playboy magazine during the time evolution you speak

Most People love money and the right to keep as much of what they earn as possible,this is a vow the median voter won’t be breaking and the downfall for now of your party’s earnest wishes

Unless of course they impose the coup model like their friends in Cuba and Venezuela creating a domestic military industrial complex (😆) to suppress and imprison dissent

It’s the downside of populism unrecognised by populists parties,that people aren’t eejits

So focused on one party you can't see the wood for trees.

That’s an alliance? It is in its arsë

what have pbp and labour got in common? Practically nothing,it’s as sparse as labours love for SF

I remember the not too distant past when an 'alliance' of FF and FG would have been laughed out of the room.

Open your eyes, the change is happening. You don't need to be happy clappy in love with each other, you just need a goal and a desire to reach it. If FF and FG are anything to go on, a lot of things can be closed away in a drawer if you want something bad enough.

pureza

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124064195#Comment_124064195

Or you are struggling with coping with a new reality that your party’s toxicity in the privacy of the polling booth trumps voters desire for the so called change you earnestly wish

And why shouldn’t I mention the biggest opposition parties part in making that change impossible?

We’re not all obsessed with the civil war you know,some of us voters are analytical in our choice’s

Give us another palatable centrist choice and we are all for it

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124064154#Comment_124064154

I noticed that too. Great fun was had picking apart that video and it seems to have turned a lot of FFG voters away from Humphries. I wonder are there a lot of barristers who would traditionally have been FFG voters very annoyed at that video. Even Jim O'Callaghan said the video was rubbish

How many barristers TDs are there in FG? have they left themselves open to attack in this way, probably doesn't take much to put the exact same video together using their name instead of President Connolly's one…

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124064240#Comment_124064240

Agreed but that poster is a product of his environment. If we had an environment like that we would highly likely have the same staunch views. It is the “norm” up there and the border counties. But I feel they suffer from major chips on their shoulders confused about identity etc. Really hung up on symbolism and signs but offer little in the way of practicality.

For example many don’t speak the Irish language/nor make any real efforts to - yet flag wave for it. Leaving it to others instead. Hypocrites really.

They see Ireland as “United” yet view people from outside their province with suspicion etc. Particularly if they are not part of “the cause”.

They have a culture against law and order - lots of boy racers in Donegal etc. Smuggling red diesel is part of the craic etc

It is why the likes of Dowdall, Ni Shionnain are attracted to that certain political party. As it still has echoes of acting beyond the norms of the Irish party politics. Giving two fingers to “the establishment”. And not keen on the rule of law.

It will fade more as the years roll by and it will change. As memories fade and the “old guard” die off.

At the very least (so far) Connolly is showing that you can go beyond symbolism and set examples by living her life in a manner which is not just symbolic- but living it - speaking the Irish language etc.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124064240#Comment_124064240

You are fixated, as I said and refusing to see what is actually changing. Not healthy.

Is that fear or diehard obstinacy?

As far as I am concerned not having a ‘party’, a left alliance gives me choice and I have always wanted that.

As to the notion that I am a product of my ‘environment’ @gormdubhgorm

Would that be an environment that allowed me and many others vote for Humphreys in GE’s and council elections?

Less of the derisive and patronising nonsense.