This morning.

Today with Claire Byrne on RTÉ Radio One.

Kate O’Connell said over the years she has faced personalised commentary and attacks on her and thinks there was a “pushback” against her to replace her.

At one Fine Gael meeting, she said, her team arrived before her and someone had got a sod of turf and was going to present it to her in front of people at the meeting.

She said that was “designed to diminish” and tell her she was “not from here” but from the country.

She said a sign was also erected outside her pharmacy pointing towards the M50 saying “Westmeath this way“.

Ms O’Connell said attempts were made to label her as “undesirable, unsuitable and not good enough”.

Anyone?

O’Connell will not run in Dublin Bay South by-election (RTÉ)

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24 thoughts on “Turf War

  1. Johnny

    Safeguarding the pubic….

    …..not exactly a very modern progressive informed point of view,so not D4.

    ‘Deputy O’Connell warned that “cannabis has many psychoactive effects which are potentially harmful,” adding that it is “not possible to regulate the whole plant extract of a plant which has over 100 varieties and several hundred components.”

    “While the Committee said it appreciated the aim of the Bill – which claimed to be about alleviating suffering – aspects of the Bill caused them huge concern as to how it would be implemented in a careful way,” she said.

    “The Committee members found the Bill to be as much about decriminalising the use of cannabis as it is about promoting it for medicinal use.”

    She said the committee’s primary role is to safeguard the public, adding that she believes today’s report “does just that.”

    https://www.newstalk.com/the-pat-kenny-show/cannabis-528485

    Ps-it’s not that she’s not from here,it’s that she tries so hard appear as if she is.

    1. Ronan

      She’s a pharmacist, so she’s hardly gonna be pro-dispensary for Sativa. That’s like expecting a publican TD to back liberalisation of the off-trade.

      Sure, they shouldn’t have vested interests, but I wouldn’t judge how progressive a candidate she is based on that.

      Either way, it’s moot now as she’s decided to burn her bridges rather than wait a cycle for whatever Cabal doesn’t like her to be gone. Seems short-sighted to go down this route for a probably unwinnable by-election.

      Politics is a long game if you want to play it – I distinctly remember Micheál Martin’s stony face while Brian Cowan’s first cabinet was announced. You take the back stabbings and you sharpen your own knife. There are factions in every party

      1. Bitnboxy

        I agree – I think Kate O’Connell extremely capable and was somewhat surprised at her decision to burn bridges and not play the long game. She still has an electability quality about her. Having said that, her mistake (if you can call it that) was not to endeavour to keep in with DBS and other party grass roots – probably an unenviable task – but this is how most political parties work. Still, I have no doubt that her persona as a “strong and mouthy woman” did her no favours with these very same old-boys grass roots, and as such they were waiting to excise her from the party despite a commendable general election performance in a tough and crowded constituency. No doubt these old boys were not that happy with her searing criticism of slimy and underhand wee Barry Walsh and vowed some revenge. While she is never going to be a Broadsheet favourite, I am disappointed to see her go.

        1. V aka Frilly Keane

          I don’t share her politics either
          and Kate knows that
          But she is a huge talent
          and Leo leaving her on the backbenches in the last Government was more about him having a problem with smart accomplished Women
          especially when you see who he brought into Cabinet with him
          and as an aside, she was a critical influence during the Repeal Referendum

          As for the attitude of DBS to her
          No f’ing surprise
          If she was one of them – Mount Anville/ Loretto/ Gerards, she’d have topped the poll there
          I know how this crowd carry on, I have lived amongst them for years
          You’re never one of them unless you were born into them and are on the old school chat group
          Ok if you marry into them, but you must be the stay at home buggaboo type
          or the part-time Marketing / Boutique owner/ Coffee shop partner

          I could share a few WhatsApp groups that would make wallpaper peel off all on its own
          and if you’re ever in the middle of them
          at a do or sumthing
          cheezuz
          You’d need a good mouthful of Tylex and a few vodkas beforehand
          and your ears will ring for a fortnight afterwards

          Biggest chore of being a DBS / SD parent was those bloody Parent Teacher meetings, School Concerts etc
          Ah, I’m giving myself a rash now just thinking about them

          1. ce

            “I know how this crowd carry on, I have lived amongst them for years”

            – Choir Boys in the Wild

        2. george

          I don’t think she’s burning bridges. I think she’s appealing to those in the party who aren’t happy with the current leadership or won’t be happy if they lose the election. She’ll be waiting when Leo eventually moves on.

          1. Johnny

            ….the Sloan Ranger anti-drug crusading wannabe who’s not even from the country,but -yuck some town,thanks Kate for keeping the irish public safe.
            V-more Columba’s and Alex than Loretto…on my:)

    1. Johnny

      She was correct that Gino’s bill was fatally flawed,it just was an attempt by him – good intentions-to get the conservation/ball moving.
      She appeared unleashed,feral,had too much coffee,like ok ok ok Kate at hearings…..I could/not/would not work with her,vote for her or go to her husbands family’s shop.

  2. Joe

    What a mysoginystic vile little bunch the FG cretins are, excellent, it should make make the average undecided voters in the next election hate them and vote for anything but FFFGGP

  3. Dr.Fart

    I don’t understand what’s going on here.. is it that the people in her area don’t like that she’s from Westmeath? but she they voted her in a bunch of times before? Well if she needs a hide away for a few days, Luceinne has moved out of the annex and into the main house, so she could happily batten down the hatches there for a few days to relax.

    1. Johnny

      I followed closely the hearings involving Vera and Kate’s subsequent press briefings/grandstanding while the ahem dep of health and minister watched helplessly…..trying row back her ‘war on drugs’ reefer madness nonsense,over essentially CBD oil,widely available eh everywhere.

      When all you have is a hammer….she lacked empathy,compassion,nuance,touch,read the room….even by FG standards,my take,yeah like that girl up from the country wearing her new outfit who just won’t shut the..

      1. Dr.Fart

        yea I’m finding it weird seeing people mention her on twitter as if she’s some kind of hero, being dragged down for simply being a woman. Making her out to be a strong, liberal force. She’s always been a hardline FGer, with old fuddy duddy conservative views. Is it just coz she’s a woman that people are knee jerk reaction taking her side. there is no side. its FG. they’re all the worst, let them all fail, none of them can deliver for the Irish public.

        1. Johnny

          Thoughts and prayers for Kate and Hazel,stuck in that racist misogynistic hellhole D4:)

          1. ce

            Definitely hardline FG – but if you had to (emphasis on ‘had to’) choose between her and some of the other FG (especially Eoghan Murphy)… I know who I would pick… she’d be 5th last on the ballot with the NP, Jim O’ My sister’s on the news + 1, and other FG candidate below…

            Maybe she’ll join forces with Verona Murphy and form “Independents for the Status Quo”… in the FG gene pool of course, always ready to prop up an FG coalition

  4. Nollaig

    Shocked that FG won’t support someone who turned on her party colleagues whenever it suited her and made bullying allegations against senior party people which were unfounded and for which she had no evidence. I think a 5 property owning landlord, with a large pharmacy business on the side, has just the right can do attitude that will help FG get back tune with the common voter

  5. Andrew

    Good news for Ivana Bacik I suppose? Plenty of wealthy, left leaning, nimby types in that area. That’s Labour’s demographic now.
    Even Ivana might finally get elected by a public vote.

  6. RuilleBuille

    She has cleverly knifed Leo the Leak over his alleged misogyny. This is a FG seat and if the drip FG has picked fails to win Leo the Leak’s job as leader is on the line.

  7. V aka Frilly Keane

    So James Geoghegan – who looks like the Blueshirts new blue eye boy there in DBS
    who we know already had long family connections with FG
    But is he the same James Geoghegan that advised and was involved with Renua in the original early days

    if so, anyone know or have this Tackling White Collar Crime Policy Doc that he thought was ‘too elitist
    as reported here ↓↓↓↓↓↓↓
    https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/lucinda-creightons-elitist-law-will-make-people-look-stupid-lawyer-31404097.html

    seeing as Lucinda is now a registered lobbyist – amongst other things
    then, I think we should know what she put out there that was against this lads advice

    1. Bitnboxy

      Lol. While I’m in the neighbouring constituency of Dún Laoghaire , I was amused by Fionnán Sheahan’s description of James Geoghean: “for those who thought Eoghan Murphy was a posh boy, Geoghegan brings it to a whole new level”. Lucinda was straight out of the traps to denounce Kate earlier. Birds of a feather…

  8. Birdie

    Is she too right for the soc dems? I agree she’s a great talent and I’m sure many can relate to that workplace feeling of not fitting in even though you’re more then good enough. Cliques are nasty.

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