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Off Topic Thread 3.0

Zzippy

All things non-rugby related here.

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awec

I haven't a clue who my TDs are.

errlloyd

Buer wrote: »

Of course this influence is bolstered by the fact that two of the councillors on Kerry Co. Council are members of their family. But it all feeds back in to how they get things done for the local community and garner support. They didn't get the highest percentage of any candidates in the country by trying to play up to Dublin condescension.

I've no idea if this is true or not, but apparently they go to every funeral in Kerry, and always sign the book with their own pen, in green or purple, so their signatures are really obvious.

It is absolutely the case they fight for their constituency though. Switching from Limerick roads to Kerry Roads is like finishing the Paris-Dakar and driving onto a bowling alley.

CatFromHue

Richard Boyd Barrett is one of mine. I didn't vote for him nor did he, or any of his party, ever come canvassing for his vote. No one called to the door nor was there any letters/pamphlets posted through my letter box. Effectively they just ignored me completely.

Anyone who's lived in the country knows there's a strong anti Dublin feeling as they think Dublin gets everything and they get nothing. So it's easy for a politician to play to that.

molloyjh

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

I was in school near Thurles. And i will always remember in discussions in class people always supported him as he "got them something" be that jobs or whatever
Irish people in general vote this way and nothing will change unless you change the system and how exactly do you do that?
There are many tds who speak very little in the dail but they do lots of work in their constituency so will always get voted in again

Reduce the number of seats in the Dail for starters. We're overrepresented as it is and that just enables them.

But sure Paddies don't want the Government running the country properly anyway. They want what they can get. As long as our mentality is what it is our politics will simply reflect that.

errlloyd

CatFromHue wrote: »

Richard Boyd Barrett is one of mine. I didn't vote for him nor did he, or any of his party, ever come canvassing for his vote. No one called to the door nor was there any letters/pamphlets posted through my letter box. Effectively they just ignored me completely.

We're in the same constituency so. PTSV is kind of gas, we ended up with 3 Fine Gael and Richard Boyd Barrett! It's hard to believe we're in a middle class suburban constituency and we weren't even close to getting a Labour or FF TD.

Erik Shin

errlloyd wrote: »

I've no idea if this is true or not, but apparently they go to every funeral in Kerry, and always sign the book with their own pen, in green or purple, so their signatures are really obvious.

It is absolutely the case they fight for their constituency though. Switching from Limerick roads to Kerry Roads is like finishing the Paris-Dakar and driving onto a bowling alley.

I didn't notice the different coloured pens....But when a relation of mine passed some years ago they parked outside my front door (i live 300m from the funeral home).. Danny first, then Johnny Healy and finally Michael left the car at 20 mins intervals...To make it look as if they had all come from far and wide to pay their respects, but in truth pulled up in one car together

Zzippy

awec wrote: »

I haven't a clue who my TDs are.

Do you not head home every few weeks to vote for Arlene?

sydthebeat

errlloyd wrote: »

I've no idea if this is true or not, but apparently they go to every funeral in Kerry, and always sign the book with their own pen, in green or purple, so their signatures are really obvious.
.

thats a well known trick in rural ireland.

lets not forget the healy raes came up with the bereavement packs as well

CatFromHue

errlloyd wrote: »

We're in the same constituency so. PTSV is kind of gas, we ended up with 3 Fine Gael and Richard Boyd Barrett! It's hard to believe we're in a middle class suburban constituency and we weren't even close to getting a Labour or FF TD.

If FF had only run one candidate they would prob have got elected. Assuming all the people who voted for both FF candidates would have voted for 1 FF candidate then that person would have topped the polls on 1st preferences!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%BAn_Laoghaire_(D%C3%A1il_%C3%89ireann_constituency)#2016_general_election

For me I didn't actually vote for someone more that I went in to not vote for others i.e. I started at 12 and then worked back to my No.1 preference

Podge_irl

Buer wrote: »

I've seen the Kerry electorate ridiculed a number of times but the critics shut up pretty quickly when they're told any one of a number of morons that have held office in their constituency. My constituency repeatedly elected Ivor Callely, for example. We're a great bunch altogether.

Not our finest moment that one...

Finian McGrath is not a lot better.

thomond2006

John Hayes for Taoiseach.

Buer

thomond2006 wrote: »

John Hayes for Taoiseach.

The only place where he'd be more crooked than the scrum would be the Dail.

Rigor Mortis

errlloyd wrote: »

We're in the same constituency so. PTSV is kind of gas, we ended up with 3 Fine Gael and Richard Boyd Barrett! It's hard to believe we're in a middle class suburban constituency and we weren't even close to getting a Labour or FF TD.

There was an anomaly there with the Ceann Comhairle re-elected automatically. In reality ye elected 2 FG and one PBP.

The Lost Sheep

molloyjh wrote: »

Reduce the number of seats in the Dail for starters. We're overrepresented as it is and that just enables them.

But sure Paddies don't want the Government running the country properly anyway. They want what they can get. As long as our mentality is what it is our politics will simply reflect that.

Would need a referendum i think and it more than likely will change so there will be more tds soon enough as constitution states a td should represent between 20'000 and 30'000 people and there is quite a few constituencies with more than that.

Podge_irl

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

Would need a referendum i think and it more than likely will change so there will be more tds soon enough as constitution states a td should represent between 20'000 and 30'000 people and there is quite a few constituencies with more than that.

Current Dail was already reduced from 166 to 158. FG wanted to lower it even more but ran into said constitutional issue.

Doesn't matter about individual constituencies I believe, as long as the average works out. You can get elected on far too few votes though as things stand which only lends itself to localism.

errlloyd

Enda Kenny announces that he will step as leader of FG tonight.

Buer

errlloyd wrote: »

Enda Kenny announces that he will step as leader of FG tonight.

I was starting to believe that he wouldn't do it until after the summer recess. Has dragged it out for all it's worth.

As Shane Coleman said this morning, history will remember him kindly but his tenure will be considered in two portions and he has remained in place for too long.

thomond2006

Buer wrote: »

The only place where he'd be more crooked than the scrum would be the Dail.

Buer, you strike at the very core of my being. Please stop.

Buer

thomond2006 wrote: »

Buer, you strike at the very core of my being. Please stop.

You keep setting them up!

[Deleted User]

Buer wrote: »

I was starting to believe that he wouldn't do it until after the summer recess. Has dragged it out for all it's worth.

As Shane Coleman said this morning, history will remember him kindly but his tenure will be considered in two portions and he has remained in place for too long.

Maybe to political analysts but not sure that's how the man on the street, or even the mildly interested, will view it tbh, especially with time. I think he did a pretty decent job overall in some tough circumstances.

On the flip side his political opponents didn't like him in portion 1 any more than in portion 2 I reckon.

[Deleted User]

Quality Taoiseach and should be remembered and regarded highly. Wouldn't be a FG person but they've done an exceptional job of turning things around. 6.2% unemployment now from when they took over Government is astonishing.

Zzippy

Better the devil you know. Think I'd prefer Kenny to Coveney any day. Don't know how I'll feel if Varadkar gets it, but Coveney is front runner anyway.

irishbucsfan

Zzippy wrote: »

Better the devil you know. Think I'd prefer Kenny to Coveney any day. Don't know how I'll feel if Varadkar gets it, but Coveney is front runner anyway.

Varadkar was favourite with PP when I saw the odds

[Deleted User]

Leo is the strong enough favourite with PP, 1/2 vs 6/4.

Yeates said on his show on Sunday that the whispers are Leo should win comfortably.

Don't really know how I feel about him. Feels a bit like he's a good communicator but far more talk than action.

stephen_n

Deleted User wrote: »

Quality Taoiseach and should be remembered and regarded highly. Wouldn't be a FG person but they've done an exceptional job of turning things around. 6.2% unemployment now from when they took over Government is astonishing.

Given it's you, I'm not sure if this is a pisstake?

[Deleted User]

stephen_n wrote: »

Given it's you, I'm not sure if this is a pisstake?

Not at all, I've a very high opinion of Enda Kenny.

irishbucsfan

Deleted User wrote: »

Not at all, I've a very high opinion of Enda Kenny.

[Deleted User]

I mean it.

I barely held onto my job in 2008 and the company I was in nearly folded with 80% of staff being let go.

The turnaround from then is massive. He's the most liberal Taoiseach ever and the first to directly speak out against the Church and Church orders. He is hugely popular in Europe and has represented Ireland well (bar a poorly thought out joke).

I don't think he's an exceptional politician but he's been exactly the type of steady non controversial leader the country has needed this last 6 years. FG have terrible PR but I think they should be given credit for getting us out of the sh1tter and importantly keeping the political landscape firmly in the centre as much of the world drifts hard right / left.

Teferi

You know rugby is a middle class sport when a bunch of posters in here are praising Fine Gael.

awec

I'm always amazed he made it as far as he did. He has all the charisma of a bag of soil and would bore you to tears listening to him.

Done a good job though.