Tanaiste Mary Coughlan secured just 4,956 votes in Donegal South West (her father’s old seat) where she topped the poll last time around. Sinn Fein’s Pearse Doherty got 14,262 first preferences.
Mary is facing what The Donegal Daily is calling “the battle of her life”.
Good luck with that.
She gave Bertie a piece of her mind on his last day in Leinster House (above) asking the former taoiseach: “Have you no shame?”
To which he replied that some people would do anything to “get on the telly.”
Now Joan Collins – who has 13% of first preferences in Dublin South Central (a five-seater) – looks like bagging a seat for the United Left Alliance.
The start of a new political dynasty?
Joan Collins.
We’ll see ourselves out.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYTa81JdDfo
Property developer Mick Wallace announced his candidacy on Tonight with Vincent Browne On Friday, February 5.
Introduced by the host as “the only left wing property developer in the world outside of North Korea”, Wallace surprised Browne and fellow guests – including Nora Owen, Terry Prone and the Irish Daily Mail‘s Political Correspondent Senan Moloney – by declaring himself for the Wexford constituency.
Nora Owen [to Wallace]: “You’d make a great independent candidate…”
Browne: “Were you thinking of running?”
Mick Wallace: “Uh, believe it or not I’ve decided to run.”
Nora Owen: “Is this an announcement tonight?”
Mick Wallace: “I’ve been mulling over it for a few months, so. I know it’s a bit late in the day but em, it’s a bit late anyway, even if I went a month ago, because the five sitting TDs – two Fine Gael, two Fianna Fáil and Brendan Howlin from Labour – would be odd-on to get back in, and sure they’ve been canvassing since the day they were elected, so…”
Nora Owen [shakes his hand]: “Well, may I wish you good luck. I think it’s a brave thing to do.”
Terry Prone: “It’s a nutty thing to do.”
Mick Wallace: “I know that but I’ve been doing crazy things all my life so this won’t be anything much different.”
Later he is warned that a deposit of €500 will be required
Wallace [to Browne]: “Could I have a loan of that €500 off you?”
(Terry Prone then advised Mick to keep wearing his pink polo shirt during the campaign)
And this was the scene this afternoon as Pat Kenny interviewed Mick Wallace on RTE after he topped the poll in Wexford.
How did he do that?
Known for his wildly inventive designs, John Galliano struts out in an outrageous costume at the end of each runway show. That might not happen at Paris Fashion Week – the house of Dior has suspended Galliano as its creative director after he was accused of hurling an anti-Semitic insult during an alcohol-fueled spat at a Paris bar.
1216: “Meath West: Christian Solidarity Party’s Manus McMeanmain (above) says he’s very unhappy that his party logo wasn’t on the ballot paper and was instead represented by an image that he claims looks like a picture of nuts.”
That Morning Ireland Exit Poll:
Fine Gael: 36.1% – the party’s best result since November 1982, but some way short of what it would need for an overall majority.
Labour: 20.5%, which would be its best ever share of the vote. The party is ahead of Fine Gael in Dublin.
Fianna Fáil : 15.1%, by far its worst ever General Election result, and signalling an electoral wipeout.
Sinn Féin: 10.1%, again a record.
Green Party: 2.7%, which could see the party save some seats.
Independents and Others: 15.5% – a very high figure, though it may be spread quite thinly given the number of candidates, and where those votes transfer could be crucial to the final outcome.
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[ ← GALLERY →]
Democracy.
It’s a beautiful thing.
Mmmf.
Promised we…wouldn’t cry.
This morning we carried a post sourced to the Irish Times to the effect that David Drumm had paid no income tax while he was working at Anglo Irish Bank.
The Irish Times removed its item this afternoon, stating that it had “reported incorrectly that he [Mr Drumm] had paid almost no income tax during the period.” Adding: “The report was based on a misinterpretation of a Revenue document filed in a Boston court.”
We too have removed our posting.
We would like to apologise unreservedly to Mr Drumm and his family for any distress our report may have caused them.
As a mark of contrition, we have donated a sizable amount of money to be put behind the bar of O’Donoghue’s on Merrion Row, Dublin 2.
And we hope later this evening, if possible, to have a number of beverages in honour of the greedy, bald prick.
Lorcan Roche-Kelly’s blog Corner Turned today examined that odd eve-of-election transfer of depositis from Anglo to AIB. It’s made our brains hurt:
“Yesterday AIB acquired €12.2bn (nominal) of NAMA bonds from Anglo. The consideration for this was (i) AIB took Anglo’s deposit book of €8.6bn (ii) paid €200m for Anglo IOM and (iii) paid Anglo €3.5bn in cash.
Now, the obvious question is: Where the hell did AIB get €3.5bn in cash for this deal?
Well, it seems, (from reliable sources) that the deal worked like this:
From Boards.ie member ‘Someone Else’ in Cork North West (Polling station: Scoil Eoin, Ballincollig)
“Went to vote at about 10.55 this morning, noted the girls on desk were not only marking off names but also keeping a record of number of voters.
I was the 65th this morning at this particular station.
I also noted fancy new plastic boxes that looked more like a shredder than a ballot box……
Voted dropped in my paper and next of all my 4-year-old lifts lid (of box, above) and we can see all of the previous ballots.
Was leaving and thought about it, got the Garda and went back and showed him.
Of course excuses followed and sure it was grand and he would say it to the presiding officer. As I was leaving the other ballot boxes in the other rooms appeared only to have common everyday cable ties on them.I spotted a guy sitting in the hallway of the school (each station is in a different classroom) asked if he was the presiding officer and he acknowledged.
I explained to him the problem, he didn’t even get off his seat. (11.00am) I then left, the more I thought about the excuses and lack of urgency really gets me!!
I’m F**ing angry now…..Any thoughts on what to do next?
