Category Archives: Misc

martin-adams-1

Gerry Adams (left) and Michaél Martin 

The author has done the maths and checked the form.

In a week’s time we will have a grand green coalition.

Frilly Keane writes:

Since this thing was called, it’s been poll-over after poll-over, helter skelter games with the seat numbers, and errors of margin that only qualify one poll as being identical to another.

I’m not complaining I love this sport; from the selection conventions to the church gate durty’shoulders to get ta’the spare spot in the funeral party’ pew; from the state of the Leader debates to the lawlessness of the Count.

I’m positively horny about your Frill-bit this week.

Hopefully I’ve timed this particular climax just as Noonan is finally recognised for the creep he is, and Enda is still plastered in debate sh1t he can’t scrub off, and Joan. Well. Joan. It’s all over bar the crying speech, the Garda escort into the night, the tributes, the lump sums, the handy gigs, the Marian’s and the Miriam’s.

A Republican Government.

I’m not being sentimental and it’s not my notorious Tiocfidh showing its influence. It’s for real. You read it right. A Republican Government.

From my most recent set of sums, the Shinners have 50 runners, and the FFSakers, 72.

Since polls don’t really consider the PR system, to someone like me who has a nose for the transfer markets, they’re useless.

So I’ve actually gone from Constituency to Constituency and sniffed around the FF/SF candidates one by one meself, and I’ve inspected the local tracks to get a better suss of the running conditions.

So I’m sticking with my New Year’s numbers: 70 – 72 ish seats between the two Republican Parties. I’m going with 37 – 40 Shinner, 33-37 FFSakers. The head is on the block. And I’ve no problem leaving it there since I’m also predicting that Donegal Pearse will fill two more seats on his surplus + transfers.

The Soldiers of Destiny have only themselves to blame for handing The Republican Party Top Table spots over to the Mary-Lous.

And it all started when Mickey Martin refused to let Eamonn O’Cuiv run for the Áras. What the FFs did by snubbing that election was ordain Martin McGuinness as the Republican President, and while Mrs Windsor had a grand time in Cork, she all but curtseyed when Martin Mc came to visit, she made him a Statesman. The King of the North.

I still believe that if O’Cuiv had’a ran, Martin McGuinness wouldn’t have seen a quarter of those 1st preferences. In fact, I don’t think Martin would have ran against O’Cuiv. (Ach sin sceal eile.)

It may look like Mickey and his backseat bhoys are doing everything they can to run away from the banner they still use “The Republican Party” with their NO NO NO to any mention of a Coalition with the other Republican Party. But I actually think they’re scared sh1tless. Not so much about the prospect of Martin Ferris giving one’a them a good clatter, but that they will be found out.

Found out for the Empty Shirt, H.dips, Jobs for the Boys, Dynasty Seat Fillers, Galway Tent Brigades they really are, and not the Republican Party they got too grand for. The Republican Party they’re afraid of standing up for. The Republican Party they’ve forgotten they once were. The FFs are a scared of where they are from. (That makes them BlueShirts btw)

Over the last few days I’ve being driving myself stupid trying to do the seating arrangements around the Cabinet table. The state the last crowd left the place in is not worth working with, so rather than suggest who could manage the portfolio for both Gaeltacht Affairs AND Natural Resources with any effectiveness; I’ve isolated a few biggies for the purposes of this gig, and bundled in a few portfolios. I have also introduced a third party. You’ll see why in a sec.

Republican Government 2016

Taoiseach Suspended

Tánaiste Suspended

Chief Whip Mary Hanafin. FF. She has to be in there somewhere, but we need to keep her ProLife Family Values (my arse) claws out of Justice, Health, Ed. Hanafin is the ‘wan for this, she’ll have them all in line, and they’d be no blaggarding in the Dáil bar when she’s in charge.

Health: Roisin Shortall. SD. (Best there is for this 14 Billion+ monster) Pearse should be in the gig, but he’s needed somewhere else.
Juniors: Máire Devine. SF. (Just by turning up she’ll out perform Kat’leen Lynch)
Chris Andrews. SF, (also to gig in Justice & Social Welfare)
And if Jim O’Callaghan FF gets past the post, he can do a good job here and with a Justice brief.

Finance: Pearse SF, Michael McGrath FF, and Catherine Murphy SD , the latter working with Banking, Corruption and Statutory Bodies and to double job in Justice. The FFer to focus on Public Expenditure & Reform. But they answer to PoD.

Foreign Affairs Mary Lou. (and a few former Shinner Warriors Gerry, Martin Etc)

Minister for Social Protection etc Joint Venture with Caomhin O C. SF and Timmy Dooley FF. Both daycent, hardworking and not afraid to admit they get it wrong. Both are also savvy enough to know when reach out and seek independent expertise if required.

Justice: Annuder JV: Donnacadh Ó’Laoghaire SF, James Browne FF, & Catherine Murphy SD

Ed: Mickey Martin FF & Carol Nolan SF. Both teachers, I know, but Mickey has big ministry experience and Carol Nolan is a ‘wan to watch imo

Ag, Food Seán Ó’Fearghail FF. Former party whip who is a grafter and does it all without whinging to the press, smirking for the camera and gets his sh1t done. He knows how to work with people so he should pick his own Jrs.

Trade & Transport Willie O’Wee is well able for this as a soloist, but I would shove Niall Collins in here too. Two FFers, without complaining or causing ructions, would make up the damage Marmy O’Rourke did when she was there.

Sports, Tourism, Culchees Etc Martin Ferris & Eamon O’Cuiv

Science, Innovation, Enterprise etc Darren O’Rourke SF. A lad with a CV you won’t see in any of the Big Parties. Doesn’t need a Jnr

Arts Heritage Gaeltacht Seamus Browne SF with a dig out from O’Cuiv

Environment, Community & Local Government John McGuinness FF (No Jrs, no-one would work wi’im tbh) I also think the Shinners should lay’ve him at it. They’ve need to move on from community and local authorities and widen their working profiles into the big budget/ industrial departments. If some ballast is needed, bring Mattie in from the Indo benches.

Communications Energy etc Put Billy Kelliher FF and Eoin O’Broin SF in here. They can manage each other and keep to themselves without anyone knowing they’re Ministers.

Special Minister without Portfolio Gerry. This gig was created originally for Pat Rabbitte back when. Not that I would dream of saying there’s a bitta “same sh1t different bucket” going on, but Gerry can’t add any skills or experience to a Government department, nor is it worth the taxpayer’s indulgence to train him in.

He could do a meet and greet role in Defence and in Foreign Affairs/ Trade. But one thing’s for sure, I can’t wait to see Ur’Ger’reee with his Garda Minders and Drivers.

I didn’t bother with the 15+ other gigs currently held by the last government. Not because I wasn’t arsed but they don’t seem important enough to be taken into consideration.

A few things ye should note before the hidin’ starts.

The majority of the Shinner Candidates have CVs that should put all the other parties to shame. Meritocracy trumps. So Tough Shit to all the usual bigger party suspects, passengers, gender quota winners and waggoneers, (I’m looking at you Colm Keavney btw.) Look at each of those gigs, and picture them filled with FFs& FGers…Did some sick just come into your mouth?

Have an idea about AG. But thought the better of posting it here.

FFs should remember a SF coalition will keep manners on John McGuinness for them.
I deliberately suspended Taoiseach and Tánaiste. I don’t see the need in the short term.

All parties in Government can have their own boss for Ard Fheis speech and to be in charge of the Lotto Syndicate. But the titles n’trappings within the next Government are just Vanity. Health Ed Finance Housing etc need all the Ministerial time, skill and resources they can get.

Remember. Vote early n’often. If you don’t know who to vote for. Give them all your Number 1.

And anyone that votes for Noonan, The Curse of Frilly Keane on ye all. May ye get flooded, again, and again, and again, may ye all get Lime Disease and a dose of the scour that has yere arses burning for a fortnight.

BTW, is yer man in the TV3 tan Noel Cunningham an’ting to Sean Fleming?

Frilly Keane’s column appears here every Friday. Follow her on Twitter: @frillykeane

fitzpatrick

Outside Tallaght Hospital, Dublin 24

Peter Fitzpatrick, a patient representative on the National Clinical Advisory Group, is standing as Independent candidate in Dublin South West constitutency.

And putting his money (above) where his mouth is.

Peter writes:

Mismanagement and short term policy making over the last twenty years has led us to a point where our Health services are in a permanent state of crisis and can no longer safely treat the population.

I am using my limited resources to take a simple message to the streets of Dublin South West, it’s time to put Health above regular party politics.

All the party manifestos have now been published – 8 parties, 8 different directions on Health.
….All of these shifts in policy are hugely counterproductive. We are going back on ourselves, literally in circles – we need to come together on this, Health is too important.

No single party has the answers. We need one plan, across the parties with the input of those that work in the service. Doctors and Nurses are struggling to hold the system together while one Minister works to reverse the policy of another.

One National Strategy, above party politics, to be implemented regardless of whatever Government is in power.

Unless we get that, we will never make any real progress.

FIGHT!

Peter Fitzpatrick

Harper-Lee

The Guardian reports:

Harper Lee, whose 1961 novel To Kill a Mockingbird became a national institution and the defining text on the racial troubles of the American deep south, has died at the age of 89.

Lee, or Nelle as she was known to those close to her, had lived for several years in a nursing home less than a mile from the house in which she had grown up in Monroeville, Alabama – the setting for the fictional Maycomb of her famous book. The town’s mayor, Mike Kennedy, confirmed the author’s death.

Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird, dies aged 89 (The Guardian)

Pic: The Independent

Thanks Michael

Screen Shot 2016-02-19 at 16.01.47

Former Secretary General of the Department of Finance Kevin Cardiff at the launch of his book Recap – Inside Ireland’s Financial Crisis in Dublin last night 

He’s back.

And he’s on RTÉ Radio One’s Ray D’Arcy Show right now.

How’s that going?

Right so.

Eamonn Farrell/Rollingnews

UPDATE:

POLL1

A Red C poll in The Sunday Business Post last November

The managing director of Red C, Richard Colwell, told RTÉ’s Liveline this afternoon that there will be a Red C poll in this weekend’s Sunday Business Post while it’s his understanding there will be a poll by other companies carried in The Sunday Times and The Sunday Independent.

Mr Colwell also said he believes the Irish Times will have a poll next week – ahead of Friday’s election.

Further to this…

Oireachtas Retort has a new post… on polls.

From the post:

Take the bemusement and sensationalism that greeted water protests in the latter part of 2014. Opinion pages and airwaves were full of amateur anthropologists scratching their heads as if they had stumbled upon a lost Amazonian tribe. ‘What is it these people want?’ the media wondered.

The anger and motivations were incomprehensible and this is the result when “politics” is ring-fenced as a game of swings and arrhythmic. Just think how opinion polls feed a narrative about ‘stable government’ for example. This is bread and butter on which journalists and politicians can expound at length. Polls put them in safe and comfortable territory. Now take the other media narratives polls have produced over the last five years.

– Fianna Fáil support static and the pressure this put on that party’s leadership
– Horror and bewilderment that Sinn Féin support, while reaching a ceiling, had not went into decline on foot of continuous real and entirely contrived outrages.
– The slow demise of the Labour Party
– The seemingly unshakable rise of Independents/Other

Acres of coverage was devoted to these stories based on little more than fluctuations within the margin of error. The water protests demonstrated that not only had all this polling left journalists completely unaware of public sentiment, but that the media by and large are unequipped to discuss and contextualise equally valid political activity that occurs outside the gates of Leinster House.

Opinion Polls (Oireachtas Retort)

Previously: A Local Look For Local People

Nothing To C Here