God but Star Wars fanboys are total self pleasurers, aren’t they?
Dav
Hairy palms
eoin
11pm last night, the last seat was declared in the North’s local elections, 462 seats in total were up for grabs.
The big winner was the Alliance, won 53 seats up from 32. Their leader now has a real crack of taking the third MEP seat later this month, which would result in 1 SF, 1 DUP and 1 Alliance. The Alliance is cross-community and “moderate”. Their success brings new hope to Northern Ireland.
SF dropped 1% in support but maintained 105 seats regardless.
The DUP gained 1% but lost 8 seats and now has 122.
These are still the two big beasts and they’ll both claim success from yesterday, though it’s pretty much a case of “as you were”.
The FF-backed SDLP lost 10% of their vote and 10% of their seats and now have 59. Remember the candidate that Derek Mooney said was well-known, the one the two FFers Mark Daly and Eamon O’Cuiv jumped the gun and launched as a FF candidate last November? Well, she didn’t win a seat. FF did fupp all to help the SDLP in this election. FF said in 2014 they’d contest the 2019 elections. FF are full of poo when it comes to Northern Ireland.
The moderate UUP lost heavily, around 15% of vote and candidates and now have 75. Seems moderate unionists have gone over to the centre-ground Alliance.
Amongst the smaller parties, People Before Profit did very well and now have 5 seats (up from 1) and Eamonn McCann (Kitty Holland’s dad) is back in. UKIP were wiped out with 0 (down from 3). The Greens had a fantastic election, centre-ground AND climate aware, they doubled their vote from 4 to 8 seats. The ultra-hardline unionist TUV halved support and now have 6 (down from 13). Peadar Toibin’s Aontu did badly, winning just one seat. In Derry, SF lost support and the dissident Gary Donnelly topped the poll in his ward (while he’s a dissident, he is not Saoradh and he did condemn the killing of Lyra McKee and was attacked, physically and online, by the people suspected of the killing).
All in all, a good day for Northern Ireland and progressive politics. Turnout was slightly up from 51% to 53%.
For those who still obsess over orange and green, the nationalist vote fell by 2 seats to 170. The unionist vote fell by 32 seats to 206. The middle ground grew. There’s a bit more hope about the place today.
Gearóid
Thank you for the summary.
One question. By what measures do you judge the UUP moderate?
SOQ
Well in comparison to The Ulster Taliban, yes they are. UUP supported the GFA, DUP did not and, they would also be regarded as more liberal on social issues.
What is interesting is that they originally campaigned to remain in the EU and given the way NI voted on that issue, and all the carry on since, it is very surprising that they did not do better.
bisted
…just heard the RTE news call the result 122 to DUP and 75 to SF…honest mistake?
Gearóid
Their party policy (and 90% of their members) opposes an Irish language act and their current leader is a member of a sectarian, Protestant supremacist organisation. To me, this isn’t moderate so we will disagree.
eoin
Most people would say the DUP grew out of the UUP because the UUP wasn’t hardline enough.
It’s a fact the TUV grew out of the DUP because it wasn’t hardline enough.
UKIP used to be David McNarry (Kilkeel, ’nuff said) and the PUP is the political wing of the UVF. So in that spectrum of unionism, the UUP would be “moderate” but your points are taken and by some measures, they’re not very moderate at all.
SOQ
True eoin but by that yardstick, everyone of a unionist background in the north is a raving bigot. There are some Catholics who hold unionist views too, and they could hardly be classed as sectarian.
What gets me is the hand wringing about nationalistic advances being made in Europe and yet, right here, on our own island (country?), is one of the most extreme examples.
IMO the UUP lost to out to the Alliance not the DUP because sticking it to the other side has ran it’s course. At least I hope it has.
eoin
With the changing wind in Northern Ireland comes two firsts today
(1) They’re holding their marathon in Belfast on the Lords Day for the first time and
(2) They’ve incorrectly measured the marathon course at 26.6 miles!
Hauwei, the company that’s doing a good job of tearing the British cabinet apart is being promoted by an ex-FF minister says the Sunday Times today.
“Former environment minister Dick Roche has been lobbying Irish MEPs on behalf of Chinese technology company Huawei in recent months. One claimed Roche turned up at their office without an appointment to seek support on a vote about the technology to be used in driverless cars in Europe. Roche also invited a number of the MEPs to the opening of Huawei’s European cyber-security centre in Brussels in March.”
Dick was a minister in the FF government which collapsed the economy in 2009-2011. His ministerial colleague Barry Andrews is trying to convince voters in Dublin to make him an MEP.
Regarding Hauwei, Australia and the USA have kicked it out on security grounds. Reputable universities around the world have declined its offers of research money. Not Trinity in Dublin though.
Susan Mitchell has a story in the SBP about malarkey at the doctor’s union, the NAGP, which is just as good as Mark Tighe’s work at the FAI. However, we don’t fund the NAGP and what highly paid professionals do in their own union is probably a lot less of public interest. Still though, well done to her.
“Auditors find NAGP chief executive had €114,000 transferred to his personal bank account, claimed €54,000 in credit card expenses and withdrew cash in casinos”
The Broadband fiasco. ‘least worts option’
It’s about time Bruton realized that he’s not dealing with the gullible sheep from the 70s. This broadband business must be re-tendered and a real competition put in place. The people who withdrew their tenders did so because of the way the tender as set up – the outcome already decided basically.
. Actavo , which was not involved in the beginning suddenly becomes the main player when there’s only one bidder left.
Naughton and his cost McCourt relationship.
ESAT MK2. Same players (FG and O’Brien) involved. And the Moriarity report remains under lock and key.
Enough of our money has been squandered and donated to the likes of Siteserv (now Actavo) which benefits one mogul only.
GiggidyGoo
Least ‘worst’ option of course.
eoin
There’s a lot in the Sunday Times and SBP about the proposed INM sale to Mediahuis. I really wonder if this sale will proceed at all with voluble shareholders complaining at the low-ball 10.5c a share offer. Will another bidder enter the fray. Mediahuis made €16m profit in 2017. It could perhaps make €60m profit just by flipping its shareholding to a bidder willing to pay €300 million for INM.
eoin
For anyone who wants to read about the Tipperary murder trial which concluded last week, the Mail has about as much as anyone can stomach (won’t stop Virgin broadcasting a special on the case tomorrow evening).
Nothing in the Mail about the ongoing Lucan child murder case? How strange. Or maybe not.
Catherine costelloe
Newspapers baffle me on extensive coverage of what is a solved case. I remember a parent looking for his “missing” teenage son seeking newspaper help /appeal to be told “it was not newsworthy”. That’s desperate all told and rather sad reflection on life today.
Spaghetti Hoop
It’s full on curtain-twitching. Because so many tabloid-readers have a penchant for gossip, I believe much of the interest in the Quirke case are the shenanigans between a wealthy widow and her three lovers. Who knew a rural village hid so many secret? Besides the murder and abandonment of an innocent and likeable man and father, the rest of the story was a bit of a soap opera.
Lilly
It was the predator who looked like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth that captured people’s interest. It wouldn’t surprise me if he had written that Dear Patricia letter solely to manipulate Mary Lowry into thinking he loved her. Great interview yesterday on Marian with Bobby Ryan’s daughter.
For 3 billion
And of course it’ll be
3 billion plus before we know it
I’d want sum’ting a bit better than Least Worse
realPolithicks
That’s the point frilly, 3 billion will now become the starting point for the cost of this project. Just another FFG stitchup to enhance [he who must not be named].
Dub Spot
Judge fires warning shot across media bows over Ana Kriegel trial coverage. Good.
Not so so good: As a result, ee’re subjected to even more of that boring and tiresome Quirke-Lowry case; a case so dull it didn’t even merit a hashtag. Nobody cares what ugly looking people get up to … But such lazy journalism. Bog cuttings material.
Dav
A father/grandfather was murdered you piece of dirt
Lilly
Wow, Dub Spot, what is wrong with you.
Janet, I ate my avatar
I’m guessing that he meant that heavily sarcastically ?
Dub Spot
I was shunned at mass for my sins. Never eat dinner in the middle of the day people.
Truth in the News
The Broadband fiasco , where has Mr McCourt delivered a broadband scheme and where did
the figure of 3 Billion come from, currently Eir are installing a service to 300 hundred thousand
houses and how are they coming up with the funding given their book debt and the 20% uptake
In the 1960’s the Dept of Local Government initiated a scheme for funding Group Water Schemes
The same can be accomplished now,, most of the poles both ESB and Eir can be used, the latter
are located on Public Property and a simple change in legislation can enforce third party access
What going on here is con job, and worst of all those in power are quite ignorant of the facts
One only has to look at previous adventures, voting machines, postal code, and the Children’s
Hospital to name a few and don’t forget those who facilitated the banks to rob us all some
years
God but Star Wars fanboys are total self pleasurers, aren’t they?
Hairy palms
11pm last night, the last seat was declared in the North’s local elections, 462 seats in total were up for grabs.
The big winner was the Alliance, won 53 seats up from 32. Their leader now has a real crack of taking the third MEP seat later this month, which would result in 1 SF, 1 DUP and 1 Alliance. The Alliance is cross-community and “moderate”. Their success brings new hope to Northern Ireland.
SF dropped 1% in support but maintained 105 seats regardless.
The DUP gained 1% but lost 8 seats and now has 122.
These are still the two big beasts and they’ll both claim success from yesterday, though it’s pretty much a case of “as you were”.
The FF-backed SDLP lost 10% of their vote and 10% of their seats and now have 59. Remember the candidate that Derek Mooney said was well-known, the one the two FFers Mark Daly and Eamon O’Cuiv jumped the gun and launched as a FF candidate last November? Well, she didn’t win a seat. FF did fupp all to help the SDLP in this election. FF said in 2014 they’d contest the 2019 elections. FF are full of poo when it comes to Northern Ireland.
The moderate UUP lost heavily, around 15% of vote and candidates and now have 75. Seems moderate unionists have gone over to the centre-ground Alliance.
Amongst the smaller parties, People Before Profit did very well and now have 5 seats (up from 1) and Eamonn McCann (Kitty Holland’s dad) is back in. UKIP were wiped out with 0 (down from 3). The Greens had a fantastic election, centre-ground AND climate aware, they doubled their vote from 4 to 8 seats. The ultra-hardline unionist TUV halved support and now have 6 (down from 13). Peadar Toibin’s Aontu did badly, winning just one seat. In Derry, SF lost support and the dissident Gary Donnelly topped the poll in his ward (while he’s a dissident, he is not Saoradh and he did condemn the killing of Lyra McKee and was attacked, physically and online, by the people suspected of the killing).
All in all, a good day for Northern Ireland and progressive politics. Turnout was slightly up from 51% to 53%.
For those who still obsess over orange and green, the nationalist vote fell by 2 seats to 170. The unionist vote fell by 32 seats to 206. The middle ground grew. There’s a bit more hope about the place today.
Thank you for the summary.
One question. By what measures do you judge the UUP moderate?
Well in comparison to The Ulster Taliban, yes they are. UUP supported the GFA, DUP did not and, they would also be regarded as more liberal on social issues.
What is interesting is that they originally campaigned to remain in the EU and given the way NI voted on that issue, and all the carry on since, it is very surprising that they did not do better.
…just heard the RTE news call the result 122 to DUP and 75 to SF…honest mistake?
Their party policy (and 90% of their members) opposes an Irish language act and their current leader is a member of a sectarian, Protestant supremacist organisation. To me, this isn’t moderate so we will disagree.
Most people would say the DUP grew out of the UUP because the UUP wasn’t hardline enough.
It’s a fact the TUV grew out of the DUP because it wasn’t hardline enough.
UKIP used to be David McNarry (Kilkeel, ’nuff said) and the PUP is the political wing of the UVF. So in that spectrum of unionism, the UUP would be “moderate” but your points are taken and by some measures, they’re not very moderate at all.
True eoin but by that yardstick, everyone of a unionist background in the north is a raving bigot. There are some Catholics who hold unionist views too, and they could hardly be classed as sectarian.
What gets me is the hand wringing about nationalistic advances being made in Europe and yet, right here, on our own island (country?), is one of the most extreme examples.
IMO the UUP lost to out to the Alliance not the DUP because sticking it to the other side has ran it’s course. At least I hope it has.
With the changing wind in Northern Ireland comes two firsts today
(1) They’re holding their marathon in Belfast on the Lords Day for the first time and
(2) They’ve incorrectly measured the marathon course at 26.6 miles!
https://www.bbc.com/sport/athletics/48169540
ouch ouch
From the experts at drawing lines on maps.
Hauwei, the company that’s doing a good job of tearing the British cabinet apart is being promoted by an ex-FF minister says the Sunday Times today.
“Former environment minister Dick Roche has been lobbying Irish MEPs on behalf of Chinese technology company Huawei in recent months. One claimed Roche turned up at their office without an appointment to seek support on a vote about the technology to be used in driverless cars in Europe. Roche also invited a number of the MEPs to the opening of Huawei’s European cyber-security centre in Brussels in March.”
Dick was a minister in the FF government which collapsed the economy in 2009-2011. His ministerial colleague Barry Andrews is trying to convince voters in Dublin to make him an MEP.
Regarding Hauwei, Australia and the USA have kicked it out on security grounds. Reputable universities around the world have declined its offers of research money. Not Trinity in Dublin though.
When have they ever said no to a buck
Same with Dick Roche
Susan Mitchell has a story in the SBP about malarkey at the doctor’s union, the NAGP, which is just as good as Mark Tighe’s work at the FAI. However, we don’t fund the NAGP and what highly paid professionals do in their own union is probably a lot less of public interest. Still though, well done to her.
“Auditors find NAGP chief executive had €114,000 transferred to his personal bank account, claimed €54,000 in credit card expenses and withdrew cash in casinos”
Ha!
Now that doing it in style
Fair púcs
The Broadband fiasco. ‘least worts option’
It’s about time Bruton realized that he’s not dealing with the gullible sheep from the 70s. This broadband business must be re-tendered and a real competition put in place. The people who withdrew their tenders did so because of the way the tender as set up – the outcome already decided basically.
. Actavo , which was not involved in the beginning suddenly becomes the main player when there’s only one bidder left.
Naughton and his cost McCourt relationship.
ESAT MK2. Same players (FG and O’Brien) involved. And the Moriarity report remains under lock and key.
Enough of our money has been squandered and donated to the likes of Siteserv (now Actavo) which benefits one mogul only.
Least ‘worst’ option of course.
There’s a lot in the Sunday Times and SBP about the proposed INM sale to Mediahuis. I really wonder if this sale will proceed at all with voluble shareholders complaining at the low-ball 10.5c a share offer. Will another bidder enter the fray. Mediahuis made €16m profit in 2017. It could perhaps make €60m profit just by flipping its shareholding to a bidder willing to pay €300 million for INM.
For anyone who wants to read about the Tipperary murder trial which concluded last week, the Mail has about as much as anyone can stomach (won’t stop Virgin broadcasting a special on the case tomorrow evening).
https://extra.ie/2019/05/05/news/irish-news/mary-lowry-felt-like-trial
Nothing in the Mail about the ongoing Lucan child murder case? How strange. Or maybe not.
Newspapers baffle me on extensive coverage of what is a solved case. I remember a parent looking for his “missing” teenage son seeking newspaper help /appeal to be told “it was not newsworthy”. That’s desperate all told and rather sad reflection on life today.
It’s full on curtain-twitching. Because so many tabloid-readers have a penchant for gossip, I believe much of the interest in the Quirke case are the shenanigans between a wealthy widow and her three lovers. Who knew a rural village hid so many secret? Besides the murder and abandonment of an innocent and likeable man and father, the rest of the story was a bit of a soap opera.
It was the predator who looked like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth that captured people’s interest. It wouldn’t surprise me if he had written that Dear Patricia letter solely to manipulate Mary Lowry into thinking he loved her. Great interview yesterday on Marian with Bobby Ryan’s daughter.
For 3 billion
And of course it’ll be
3 billion plus before we know it
I’d want sum’ting a bit better than
Least Worse
That’s the point frilly, 3 billion will now become the starting point for the cost of this project. Just another FFG stitchup to enhance [he who must not be named].
Judge fires warning shot across media bows over Ana Kriegel trial coverage. Good.
Not so so good: As a result, ee’re subjected to even more of that boring and tiresome Quirke-Lowry case; a case so dull it didn’t even merit a hashtag. Nobody cares what ugly looking people get up to … But such lazy journalism. Bog cuttings material.
A father/grandfather was murdered you piece of dirt
Wow, Dub Spot, what is wrong with you.
I’m guessing that he meant that heavily sarcastically ?
I was shunned at mass for my sins. Never eat dinner in the middle of the day people.
The Broadband fiasco , where has Mr McCourt delivered a broadband scheme and where did
the figure of 3 Billion come from, currently Eir are installing a service to 300 hundred thousand
houses and how are they coming up with the funding given their book debt and the 20% uptake
In the 1960’s the Dept of Local Government initiated a scheme for funding Group Water Schemes
The same can be accomplished now,, most of the poles both ESB and Eir can be used, the latter
are located on Public Property and a simple change in legislation can enforce third party access
What going on here is con job, and worst of all those in power are quite ignorant of the facts
One only has to look at previous adventures, voting machines, postal code, and the Children’s
Hospital to name a few and don’t forget those who facilitated the banks to rob us all some
years
Worst rap, ever.