Tag Archives: Fianna Fail

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[Ireland South MEP Brian Crowley with Fianna Fail leader Michael Martin at this year’s FF Ard Fheis]

Fianna Fáil’s Cheif Whip Seán Ó Fearghaíl has said his party is “reeling and indeed bewildered” by Brian Crowley’s decision to leave the liberal group in the European Parliament and join the grouping that includes British Conservatives and parties described as far right .
Mr Ó Fearghaíl told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland the parliamentary party will consider this “extraordinary development” and it will decide how to deal with Mr Crowley’s decision.
Mr Crowley was elected as a Fianna Fáil MEP running under the ALDE banner six weeks ago and he has now made a “unilateral” decision to transfer to a grouping in Europe with which Fianna Fáil has “absolutely nothing in common”, Mr Ó Fearghaíl said.

Fianna Fáil ‘reeling’ and ‘bewildered’ over Crowley’s move (RTE)

(Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland)

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[Fianna Fail justice spokesman Niall Collins]

Or meddling with the ‘scales’ of JUSTICE?

“I fully understand and respect the absolute independence of any sentencing judge in making their decision based on the facts put before them during any trial [Hugo Porter, of Castleconnell in Co Limerick, pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis said to be worth “almost €18,000″ in a field in Limerick in June 2011.].
“If my actions suggest anything other than total respect for judicial independence that is a source of genuine regret”.
[Mr Collins] said he wrote the letter outlining the exceptional circumstances of the family as the mother of the man’s four children had died earlier this year.
He continued: “I truly believed that the Judge should be made aware of these tragic circumstances so that they could be taken into consideration when sentencing.
“My decision was based solely on compassion and concern for the four children.”

Niall Collins defends letter to courts looking for leniency for man convicted on drugs charges (RTE)

(Photocall Ireland)

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Pension-stuffed, trench’ wearing rogue Fianna Fail  Local Election 2014 [Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown] candidate Mary Hanafin with her supporters this afternoon in Deansgrange, Co Dublin.

Burberry or Zara?

YOU decide.

(Laura Hutton/Photocal lreland)

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This afternoon.

New posters for Mary Hanafin, the unofficial second Fianna Fail candidate In the Blackrock ward with official only candidate Kate Feeney  included in ickle writing.

Mmf.

(Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland)

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[Michael Martin addressing the Fianna Fail Easter 1916 commemoration in the Garden of Remembrance, Dublin on Sunday]

The return of the old names.

Make it stop.

Eamon Delaney writes:

…Perhaps the people around them sing a different song: but they seem painfully unaware of the impact that those great Fianna Fail names have on voters elsewhere. Barry Cowen TD might say ‘I am not my brother’s keeper’ but the fact is that every time he appears on TV talking about the water charges, he is a living, breathing reminder of the worst Taoiseach in our history!

Likewise, Anita Lenihan, who is being considered for the Dublin seat vacated by her late brother, Brian. She may be a brilliant talent: but it is surely too early to be considering the introduction of another Lenihan, and a further association with the old regime. It may sound harsh, but politics is all about image and perception. The same goes for Sean Haughey. Apart from your tarnished name, what do have to offer that’s actually new and different? Why not give someone else a chance?

…The difficulty, of course is that the likes of Hanafin and O’Donoghue could always say ‘well, look at Willie O’Dea and Eamon O’Cuiv. Why shouldn’t I come back, when they are in the parliamentary party?’ They feel to see that, in national terms, Dev Og and Slick Willie could well be the very thing that’s holding the party back.

Equally, however, the wannabe returnees could say ‘look at the party leader himself, Michael Martin.He was there, at Bertie’s side, when the gleaming city of the boom was crumbling to dust. He campaigned vigorously for him in 2007, even when it was clear that Ahern and the truth were on different planets. He was a senior Cabinet member as Brian Cowen pushed us inexorably on the path of self-destruction: yet he wants credit for having bailed out at the last minute.

How can Martin tell his former Cabinet colleagues that the old FF figures are discredited – but then stay in the top job himself? And this is the really awkward one. For the reality is that it perhaps it is Martin himself who is holding the party back. Honourable and hardworking as he is, he is still, after three cathartic years, associated with ‘that time.’ And the party has now woken up to the fact that maybe its Martin who is keeping them from growing beyond 22%.

FIGHT!

Fianna Fail Can’t Recover Until It gets Rid of its Zombies (Eamon Delaney)

(Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland)