Drogheda Local Elections

siralansapprent

STM you have commented badly on every candidate that has been mentioned on this board so far including FF, FG, SF so that leaves Labour the Greens or an Independent so which are you? You are lecturing everyone on thier views but yet you wont say who you support. We are all wrong and you are right...Stop hiding behind your bumph of words and tell us who you really support.

Stopthemuppets

Yet again, you are mis-representing what I have previously. I have NOT slated ALL other parties/canadidates in this thread!!!! There ARE decent candidates out there.... I have been merely stating the obvious, that is, how the established parties have singularly FAILED in every possible way over the last few years and urging the need for a sea change in the Irish political landscape. FG have gone along with the damaging policies implemented by FF during their time in office. In addition, FF/FG clearly represent vested interests in Irish society, always have done, are now and always will do..... FACT

Now that the TIGER has been cremated and the ashes scattered, the ever-widening cracks in our countrys' economic, social and cultural life will become more apprarant, as will the increasing lack of foresight and vision by those who think that they know better. We don't need more suits, more of the same, we need real change.......

delly

Uniden's post has been deleted due to its content. This thread has some good viewpoints but if it continues to get the same type of abusive posts again and again, then it will be closed.

noels little bu

i am sorry but sinn fein in no way backed the banks bailout..in fact they have condemed it all the time and continue to do so...

Stopthemuppets

Agreed.....

bottomdog

The male Shinners in Drogheda have little chips on their shoulders , lack maturity, the female candidate Imelda Munster is head and shoulders above them.....as for the banks...and Sinn Fein commenting.....well all I can say is somebody helped the northern Bank by bailing it our of 30 mil are few years back..

bottomdog

Stopthemuppets wrote: »

Agreed.....

Skcornnelg wrote: »

Well my vote goes to Yinka Dixon, mainly for putting her person most admired as "the lollipop lady" as opposed to all the other Nelson Mandela/Popular American politican cliché answers.

Sorry but I cannot bring myself to vote for someone who admires the Lollypop lady more than anyone else, smacks of an impluse answer......er next.

Uniden

SINN FEIN DID CHECK YOUR FACTS THEN COME BACK AND APOLOGIZE....

IT IS AN ACTUAL FACT :

http://www.politics.ie/sinn-fein/35467-why-did-sf-support-bank-bail-out.html

Uniden

noels little bu wrote: »

i am sorry but sinn fein in no way backed the banks bailout..in fact they have condemed it all the time and continue to do so...

http://www.politics.ie/sinn-fein/35467-why-did-sf-support-bank-bail-out.html

you think another Sinner lover next thing you will be denying the Troubles get a life and stop supporting terrorists

delly

Uniden banned for 7 days. Just because someone has a different viewpoint does not mean you can accuse them of supporting terrorists.

siralansapprent

I dont think Sinn Fein are in the same place as everyone else, they just disagree for the sake of disagreeing there is never any texture behind thier views.

Youreavinalaugh

siralansapprent wrote: »

STM you have commented badly on every candidate that has been mentioned on this board so far including FF, FG, SF so that leaves Labour the Greens or an Independent so which are you? You are lecturing everyone on thier views but yet you wont say who you support. We are all wrong and you are right...Stop hiding behind your bumph of words and tell us who you really support.

Hey, CALM down Mrs Callan, dis is only meant to b a bit of banter!

Porkpie

A lot of people out there, myself included, are just utterly confused about who to vote for. These election posters/beauty contests don't make a damn difference. Oh yes, I'm very impressed that they are all number 1. Drogheda is turning into a real kip of a place, with shops closing down in the town, increasing anti-social behaviour, little for young people to do (when will we get our long-promised skate park?), the state of the Lourdes hospital and the fact that visitors have to pay for parking there is absolutely scandalous. Any candidate who has some sort of track record, seems genuine, and vows to tackle issues such as these will have my vote. I need to see more than election posters and leaflets. At the moment I feel disillusioned and apathetic and have yet to be convinced.

Whiskey Devil

Was anybody else swamped by the 'Labour' mob at the train station this morning? :rolleyes:



A knock at the door from Herr Godfrey was a most welcome surprise for my 24 year old girlfriend earlier this week. It went a little something like this..


Door opens..
Shanks - Is your mammy or daddy in?
Gf - (Laughing) No, this is my house!
Shanks - Are you old enough to vote, then?
Gf - Just about!
Shanks - Will you give me your number 1?
Gf - I will!

Wish I'd been there! I want to ask him about the time he burnt a Union Jack in United Park! What a man!! :cool:

Stopthemuppets

Ah Jasus will yeh leave poor Shankers alone. He has become the whipping boy for this local election and its not fair really. His election brochure is a rather sad affair, listing all of Shank's past glories, a bit like reading the honors role of, em, let me see, Leeds Utd. And, we know deep in our hearts, like Leeds, Shanks may never reach those dizzy heights again....

There are others with Slick campaigns, and the Schmooz to go with it, but few, if any, with the panache of Mr. G.!

TheRocketman

At a time when this town needs good leadership and vision, I believe that its important that we get someone with new ideas and enthusiasm. I've lived in this town all my life and for one I'd like to see some new faces.

Its a disgrace that the council has allowed the littering of posters throughout the town. There should be a limit on the number of posters a candidate can put up and only in certain places.

If there was one objective that you would like a candidate to undertake what would it be??????

Community is gone from the town. Can we get it back?????

Great Forum

Blarggggh

My eldest sister went to school with James Carrol and worked with Kevin Callen in the Westcourt back in the day. The both hold law degress James gained in UCD and Kevins bought in Griffinth Collage. She thinks they will both ok if elected. But says they are carriests and are only running for the "prestige" of the role. Once they can get there pictures in the paper every week they will be adaquite. So Godfrey mark 2. But I suppose its better then Linda Bell. Who is going to get a University for Drogheda or Meath candidate James Carey who single handedly is going to create nearly 3000 jobs in Stamullen !!!!

BQQ

Good forum though I'm not sure the original poster is any the wiser now.
They're all going around with the same platitudes and empty promises we've heard so many times before.
With that in mind, I've decided to vote Godfrey. At least with Frank you know what you're gonna get - 100% entertainment. We're gonna be stuck with a bunch of wasters one way or the other, so we may as well get a few laughs out of it.:D

Youreavinalaugh

This Week: The Big Boys

FF - Populist Party with a Nationalist hue now fading with age. Ideologically bankrupt e.g. Bertie called himself a socialist while presiding over one the most right-wing govt’s in Europe: Daft!
Pro-Lisbon stance

Dear, oh dear, oh dear, the big daddy of Irish politics has really gone and gotten itself into one BIG mess. 10 years+ of failed economic and social policies, tribunals, scandals and complete ineptitude has left the party and its supporters totally and utterly exhausted. Spent the family jewels during the wild years on, let me see, E-voting machines (€55,000,000 million that you paid for and the meter is still runnin' on that one ) and a port tunnel that cannot accomodate super trucks. NTR paid €15m for the building of the Toll Bridge and FF then paid €600m to get it back! Stop laughing at the back, this is not meant to be funny....... Leader with NO sense of humour, obviously lacks any emotional intelligence that would be required of Der Furher….

A combination of historical circumstances, Tammany-Hall style antics, political dynasties (a bit like Irish supermarkets used to be ‘till big bad Tesco came along) and the parochial nature of Irish politics have seen them more or less dominate the political landscape since DEV came in out of the cold with his band of soldiers back in the early 30's. Will rely on traditional support-base that WILL get out and vote for them, that’s the worrying thing. And they do have a Lazarus-style ability to come back from the dead and emerge as vanquished heroes (see DEV, also BEV, et al)

In a word: Donalducked
Entertainment value: *****

FG - Conservative with a big "C" i.e. Right wing big time
Pro-Europe stance
Now this lot have been playing a canny game and are keeping well below the radar for the time being. Went along with FF on most of the big failures of the Tiger years and unreservedly supported all of the unfettered free-market madness than has created current mess. Ideologically have shifted more to right over the past couple of years (recent love-ins with the British Tories) and will have a murkey past of dabbling in right-wing reactionary politics (resentments/hsitories die hard in Irish Politics). Indeed, they have been at it again with more (see the honorable member for Blanchardstown) stuff right out of the RW Tory manual.

Traditionally the party of BIG business, BIG farmers and aspirational-types i.e working class wannabe lower middle class, lower middle class wannabee middle class, middle class who just wannabee richer and better than us plebs and get invited to golf weekends with the likes of Quinn. Will pick up votes from disaffected FF voters. Again, like FF, rely on an almost blind tradition of historical voting patters i.e "My Daddy, god bless 'im, was a staunch FG supporter"...or "sure, that's always been a strong FG town", etc. Christ, the stupidity of it!

In a word: Dangerous!
Entertainment value: ***

Lab - Purple Pragmatic Party (i.e. red meets blue in messy mish-mash of compromise)
Pro-euro Stance

Since deviating from traditional left-wing style politics donkey's years ago, have morphed into a middle-of-the-road outfit, a kind of mish mash of:

"dont really know what we stand for anymore, em', the workin man perhaps, that's it, and a fairer Ireland may be? , what's that? Not sure but we'll play ball with anyone so as we can get a bit of oul' power, get into bed with FG, whom we are supposed to be opposed to, ideologically speaking ,ideology - wha's dat for jasus sakes? ah sure, nobody will notice if we have no real principles, philosophy,vision... "

One or two genuine types on board, but lack any real vision for a party that is supposedly for the workin’ man, the weak, the disadvantaged, the downtrodden, etc. Leadership has been lacking any charisma since Dick Spring made it obligatory for all Lab leaders to look like a stuffed shirt.

In a word: Dull
Entertainment value: *

Sinn Fein - Nationalist /Republican Party aka The Closet Party (as in, more skeletons that St Peters contained therein)
Anti-Lisbon stance

Have a (in some cases, well deserved) reputation for getting things done in more deprived areas, where they have built a solid bedrock of support. They are good at mobilising the troops in these areas and this will see them through me thinks.

Adams and McGuinness are tremendous politicians, no doubt about that - they brought hardliners away from the gun and to the ballot box. Full marks. However, not convinced if they have a real role in 21st century politics in the Republic. Abhor nationalism of any hue personally, only leads to polarization, and at the end of the day, ye can't eat a flag lads.....

In a Word: Anachronism
Entertainment value: ****

Greens- The Cyclist’s Party
Pro-Europe stance

The above word also applies to a party that has singularly failed to provide any kind of spark since they went into Govt with Bertie last general election. Somewhat of an irrelevance now, since most Govt’s are now tied into protocols, agreements, etc to do with Green Issues. And all too late, anyhow, since anyone with half a brain can see that the planet is more or less donald......

Noel (sure I'll come an open a can of beans for ye) Dempsey did more with his bag tax than this crowd have done since in "power". Granted, Yinka is a bright spark in an otherwise same-old, same-old campaign, but, once again, let me rail against any kind of vote for "if the face seems to fit" scenario.

In a word: Irrelevant
Entertainment value: No stars. Nil.

Next: The smaller parties and independents reviewed. No mercy!

Stopthemuppets

My only advice to the virgin voter (irregardless of whether they've done the deed or not) is:

DON'T LEAVE THE CLOWNS IN CHARGE OF THE CRICUS ANY LONGER!

TheRocketman wrote: »

At a time when this town needs good leadership and vision, I believe that its important that we get someone with new ideas and enthusiasm. I've lived in this town all my life and for one I'd like to see some new faces.

Its a disgrace that the council has allowed the littering of posters throughout the town. There should be a limit on the number of posters a candidate can put up and only in certain places.

If there was one objective that you would like a candidate to undertake what would it be??????

Community is gone from the town. Can we get it back?????

Great Forum

positron

Apparently I can vote in this election, but I am lost on who to pick from the faces looking down at me from the fences and lampposts. Most of them seems to be putting on some Paul McKenna-ish attempt to hypnotize passers by - looks like some of them are thinking 'I can make you vote for me, look at my eyes...'. Some of the faces are are just grumpy with a smile photoshop'd into it. Some are just having a laugh and all credits to photographer for making them look half credible. Some of them even I can see thru all the photoshop - they are just grinning ear to ear for a chance to shaft me...! Hmm, not a good start!

None of the leaflets thru the door has not been useful either - same faces and meaningless words - hard do distinguish from the Pizza leaflets that comes in every week - such an unnecessary waste of nice thick paper in this day and age of technology and media.

Okay, so I am a 'virgin' voter as reffed above. If there is one thing that will make me vote for any of the candidates this election - it would be good old honesty and integrity. With MP's across the water counting every penny in their wallet and even the back of the sofa trying to prove their credibility, I would vote for the first candidate to come forward and publicize his/her personal finances, and offer to stand up to independent scrutiny, and who would offer to do the same for the length of their term. Is that too much to ask from one who is in it ONLY because they want to serve the public?

Please let me know if any of the candidates have already promised this - if so, they gets my sweet virgin.. err.. vote!

siralansapprent

From reading the forum i think that we all have one thing in common, we all want whats better for Drogheda and that Drogheda basically needs a full resuscitation and the life and soul pumped back into it.
In my view Drogheda is in the state that its in because of the elected council that are in there or have been in there for the past 5/10/15 years...Godfrey is certainly one of these non doers/showmen and the state of Drogheda is proof of that. He called to my house the other day and all he was concerned about was who i was giving my number one to...that was it.... the sitting council have had their chance and not performed so why should they deserve a second, third, fouth maybe 10th in Godfreys case, but i dont want my kids to be in the same position that we are in now......

mobrien

Right im a Virgin Voter this year aswell... out of pure ignorance on my behalf! (im 23 so could have voted before) however, i will use it this time as the state of the country even has me worried, someone who before this would very happily sit back and let others do the work..

I have been trying to read about what candiates will do when elected and to be honest have not found alot of information on any leaflets that have been thrown through my door. never mind the fact that most of them are being delivered either late in the evening (last night a FF one came in the door at 10:15pm) or early in the morning (at 7:15 last week!!) how are we meant too ask the questions we want too ask when they are coming in at these times?
also Carroll's leaflet in particular comes to mind, yes i know he went to college, yes he has 2/3 sisters, plays some sport, is the only boy.. could i tell you one thing he is offering.. no because the leaflet was full of so much oh so about me...
and then the same week the estate at the front of my estate was mobbed my Carroll's people all set to cut the grass and tidy the area up for the community vote.. however after cutting the grass on the roundabout they all packed up and left leaving the rest of the estate looking just as bad as when they started. think that just represents exactly what FF is all about... start something too look good, but never follow through.

i have no idea who to vote for, i have not seen one person who i am impressed by, i looked at Yinka Dixon's website to see was there any information on that... it was awful... have a look yourself...

http://www.yinkadixon.com/election2009.html

i just taught it was such a bad website to look at, some of the writing you cannot read as there is a picture in the backround, the text stops half way tru in one line!

Then there is Labour, had the lovely(used very loosely) Nash and his mother on my door last week, as soon as i opened he handed me a leaflet and said i won't keep you and turned and walked away. i wasnt obviously busy, i hadnt taken a long time to open the door, i wasnt standing in a towel with a screaming baby in my arms... why would he not keep me.. more like he didnt want me too keep him as his mobile was ringing in his pocket.

I have noone in mind and so i shall continue to troll the websites to see if they have any more information than the shaddy leaflets that came in the door...

and as for the posters and leaflets, one thing i said from the start, i would have voted for the candidate that didnt put posters or leaflets in the door and put one, front page ad in the Drogheda Leader with all the information needed and saved the money from the posters etc to pump into this town when they were elected.

one more thing before i go, Tomas Sharkey will never get my vote, i cannot get his face out of my head, who needs that many posters, right across the bridge every single one is his face, with that very leery smile!! photoshop did not do wonders for you boy!!

digitaldarragh

I can’t say I know a lot about Irish politics but what I do know is that every single party representative I've heard in Drogheda and indeed Louth has spoken more about national politics than local issues. Did any of you listen to the interview on LMFM last week with all the existing and hopeful county councillors? The only person who kept issues at a local level was the independent Ken O Heiligh. At a town level, who stopped the high rise apartment planning applications because they were badly thought out and higher than everything else in the town? Ken O Heiligh. Who has been campaigning and actually suggesting viable locations for the skate park? Ken O Heiligh. Actually, let me clear something up while I'm at it. The Drogheda Independent reported that during the Council Meeting in February Cllr O Heiligh suggested Dominic's bridge as the location of the skate park facilities. This was completely incorrect. He in fact suggested the huge unused space between McDonalds and the bridge of piece that use to be the entrance of Dominic's park as a perfect location of the skate park. This would be a cheap but very effective solution as the council already own the land and it is right across the river from the garda station so easily monitored. It has been Cllr O Heiligh delivering social and affordable housing, he who has campaigned for the continued recognition of the Barcelona declaration for improving access to our town for people with disabilities that all Councillors agreed to a few years ago and he who has represented people without fail for the past five years.

I firmly believe that he is the best man for the job at both local and county level but even if you disagree, I strongly encourage you to vote independent. The parties are narrow minded, unimaginative and without any drive.

garrincha62

digitaldarragh wrote: »

I can’t say I know a lot about Irish politics but... the independent Ken O Heiligh.... Ken O Heiligh... Ken O Heiligh... Actually, let me clear something up while I'm at it... Cllr O Heiligh suggested ...Cllr O Heiligh... I firmly believe that he is the best man for the job at both local and county level but even if you disagree, I strongly encourage you to vote independent. The parties are narrow minded, unimaginative and without any drive.

Hmmm, you wouldn't by any chance be a relative of the aforementioned Mr. O'Heiligh by any chance?

mobrien

garrincha62 wrote: »

Hmmm, you wouldn't by any chance be a relative of the aforementioned Mr. O'Heiligh by any chance?

was thinking the same thing myself!!!

digitaldarragh

mobrien wrote: »

was thinking the same thing myself!!!

Yes. I am.

But that simply puts me in a better position to see everything he's done not just in the last five years while he's represented people all over Drogheda but before that too when he fought with the Drogheda residents against bin charges. and when he campaigned around the clock with the residents of willmill road to stop HGV's using it. and in his own area when he helped set up the residents association. The list goes on. I can continue giving examples if you'd like?

The fact also remains that the party representatives who are standing in the local elections not just in Drogheda but all over the country are just that! "Party representatives". Not local representatives. I don't care if their FF, FG, SF or any other party. Their not fighting the battles we need them to fight.

So, once again, while I'm biased and therefore my opinions could be judged as such the actions of Cllr Ken O Heiligh over not just the past five years but the past thirty or more years speak for them selves. I'll finish by saying again that even if you don't vote for him, I'd still encourage you to vote for another independent. From my experience, it's them who represent the people. not the party puppets.

mobrien

Fair play for you for being honest! i was looking at his work the other day, does look like he's done well, and they only one who has bothered to put the odd poster on the small roads (seen two on the road up to Ardin garden centre) havent seen an awful lot of his posters which is exactly what i like!!

will have to read into his campaign and see what i think!

Stopthemuppets

mobrien wrote: »

Fair play for you for being honest! i was looking at his work the other day, does look like he's done well, and they only one who has bothered to put the odd poster on the small roads (seen two on the road up to Ardin garden centre) havent seen an awful lot of his posters which is exactly what i like!!

will have to read into his campaign and see what i think!

This is sly and devious behaviour on the part of this candidate and sums up the state of Irish politics really.....morally bankrupt, no scuples and lacking any kind of truth or honesty. Good night!

mobrien

Stopthemuppets wrote: »

This is sly and devious behaviour on the part of this candidate and sums up the state of Irish politics really.....morally bankrupt, no scuples and lacking any kind of truth or honesty. Good night!

please explain the lovely statement you jst made!