Tag Archives: European Elections 2019

Into Europe

Bodger at 4:18 pm May 27, 2019

Tonight.

RDS count centre

Green Party’s Ciaran Cuffe (top) and Fine Gael’s Frances Fitzgerald become the first two MEPs elected in the Dublin constituency.

More as we get it.

Cuffe and Fitzgerald elected as MEPs for Dublin (RTÉ)

This afternoon.

RDS count centre, Dublin 4

Counting continues…

Meanwhile…

Mairead McGuinness with former taoiseach Enda Kenny at the counc centre in castlebar, County Mayo

Fine Gael’s Mairead McGuinness is the first MEP elected for Ireland in the Midlands-North-West constituency, topping the poll on 134,630.

Independent Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan looks set to retain his seat, after securing more than 85,000 first preference votes.

Sinn Féin’s Matt Carthy has 77,616 votes, with Maria Walsh of Fine Gael on 64,500.

Ms Walsh is expected to be the main beneficiary of the distribution of McGuinness’ 15,644 surplus. Tallies suggest she may take around 40% of the surplus, edging her nearer the quota.

More as we get it

McGuinness hopeful of second MEP seat in Midlands-North-West (RTÉ)

Any Last Words?

Bodger at 3:16 pm May 22, 2019

Stop that.

The ‘Green Wave’ hasn’t happened yet.

This afternoon.

Irish Georgian Society, Dublin

Green Party Deputy Leader Catherine Martin TD (left), Candidate for Europe Ciaran Cuffe (centre) and party leader Eamon Ryan TD at their party’s final press conference before the European and Local elections.

Sam Boal/Rollingnews

Meanwhile..

This afternoon.

Leader of the Labour Party Brendan Howlin TD speaking to the media outside St Stephens Green, Dublin 2 for the final press conference with his party’s candidate for Europe Alex White (to Mr Howlin’s right) before voting on Friday.

Sam Boal/Rollingnews

Blue Wave

Bodger at 11:08 am May 10, 2019

This morning’s Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI opinion poll

Um.

In Dublin, Fine Gael’s Frances Fitzgerald is on course to top the poll at 22 per cent, followed by Fianna Fáil’s Barry Andrews on 18 per cent. Four candidates are likely to fight it out for the last two seats – Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan (13 per cent), Independents 4 Change TD Clare Daly (10 per cent), Ciarán Cuffe of the Green Party (9 per cent) and Labour’s Alex White, who is on 8 per cent.

Hmm.

Latest poll shows FG on track to top all three European constituencies (Irish Times)

Quick Fire Round

Bodger at 12:25 pm May 8, 2019

This morning.

At the Mansion House in Dublin.

Social Justice Ireland and Trócaire hosted a European Election hustings with several of the Dublin candidates.

The candidates taking part included Fianna Fáil’s Barry Andrews, Sinn Féin MEP Lynne Boylan, Independents 4 Change TD Clare Daly, Labour’s Alex White, Green Party’s Ciaran Cuffe, Fine Gael’s Frances Fitzgerald, Mark Durkan, running for Fine Gael, Gary Gannon, of Social Democrats, Independent Senator Alice Mary Higgins and Éilis Ryan, of the Workers’ Party.

How’d it go?

Green Party EU candidate @CiaranCuffe says we are “still the bad boys in Europe” when it comes to tax reform and questions why Google can pay less tax in Ireland than small companies #iestaff

— Elaine Loughlin (@Elaine_Loughlin) May 8, 2019

Sinn Féin’s @LNBDublin tells those at the Social Justice Ireland hustings that Fine Gael are “fuelling racism” and it is only a matter of time before the far right emerge in Ireland #iestaff pic.twitter.com/v9e1bOp9BS

— Elaine Loughlin (@Elaine_Loughlin) May 8, 2019

Durkan says he supported a bill similar to the Occupied Territories Bill when he was an MP and describes it as a “sensible sort of approach”.

The party he is running for is blocking it from becoming law

— Hugh O’Connell (@oconnellhugh) May 8, 2019

.@markdurkan – “I’ve a record in Westminster of being a very strong of the rights of the Palestinian people” @trocaire #standforjustice #socialjusticematters “I would not trust the EU with a universal taxation policy”

— Social Justice Ireland (@SocialJusticeI) May 8, 2019

Clare Daly says there is no reason that Occupied Territories Bill can’t become law, Sinn Féin activist in the audience whispers “hear, hear”.

Definitely a lot of crossover between Boylan and Daly here today #ep2019

— Hugh O’Connell (@oconnellhugh) May 8, 2019

Fitzgerald comes back in with a general point to remind people about how much “communism and extreme socialism has failed”.

A small bit of laughter from the audience behind me, one man whispering: “Wrong crowd, Frances, wrong crowd.”

— Hugh O’Connell (@oconnellhugh) May 8, 2019

Gary Gannon says he supports the 12.5pc corporation tax rate and will fight to maintain it in the European Parliament

— Hugh O’Connell (@oconnellhugh) May 8, 2019

Audience member Paul Sweeney from Tasc asks candidates if they will give the same speeches they gave today at Ibec next week.

— Hugh O’Connell (@oconnellhugh) May 8, 2019

.@ClareDalyTD – “my appearance at the @ibec_irl hustings will be the highlight of my campaign 🤣
And I’ll be telling them the same things I’m telling you!”

“The EU has been too often devalued to just an excuse to implement neoliberal policies” #standforjustice @trocaire

— Social Justice Ireland (@SocialJusticeI) May 8, 2019

Nobody has a monopoly on caring about social issues, says Fine Gael candidate Frances Fitzgerald

— Hugh O’Connell (@oconnellhugh) May 8, 2019

Social Justice Ireland

Pic: Alex White

“The European Union Is At A Crossroads”

Bodger at 2:43 pm April 15, 2019

This afternoon.

Further to confirmation this morning that Independents 4 Change TDs Clare Daly and Mick Wallace will run for seats in the Dublin and Ireland South constituencies respectively, during the European elections on May 24…

Clare and Mick have published their respective campaign videos above…

Meanwhile, The Irish Times has published the full list of candidates here.

Gemma O’Doherty has confirmed that she is running in the four-seat Dublin constituency.

Maynooth University lecturer Adrian Kavanagh, who blogs about elections in Ireland, also has an overview here

Total of 59 candidates declare for European Parliament elections (Fiach Kelly, The Irish Times)

2019 European Election candidates: An Overview (Adrian Kavanagh)

Earlier: “We’ll Work Our Nuts Off”