Locals Galway City 2019

IrishStuff09

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Define a genuine candidate,

I suppose you're right to question that, it is subjective. I mean a satirical runner, like those from the Monster Raving Loony Party (UK), Lord Buckethead and what have you.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_Monster_Raving_Loony_Party

Snow Garden

bobbyss wrote: »

Never heard of him either. Wonder what's he all about.

He was chancing his arm. He probably thought the changes to the electoral boundaries would confuse people and he'd get lucky. It is actually surprising how few candidates ran in certain wards. For example - Connemara North had 7.

TerrorFirmer

He's not a 'genuine' candidate. Never engages in debates, never has any press releases, not sure he even canvasses.

The fact he demanded a full recount in the last GE despite getting something like 17 votes says it all really.

Lockstep

Sinn Féin called a recount in Galway East but the results stayed the same. It means SF have noone on the city council now.

Labour did the same in Galway Central after they were behind the Greens by single digit votes. Apparently both Labour and the Greens have called in the lawyers.

Arghus

You'd wonder if they have the same lawyers.

Gadgetman496

Just one vote in it in the Central re-count

bobbyss

Snow Garden wrote:

He was chancing his arm. He probably thought the changes to the electoral boundaries would confuse people and he'd get lucky. It is actually surprising how few candidates ran in certain wards. For example - Connemara North had 7.

Is there a deposit? He would have lost it or them.

spurshero

I was there yesterday and somebody said candidates had to put up a 600 deposit and you lost it if you didn’t get certain amount . Somebody said he ran in 3 wards and if so he’s 1800 poorer !

TerrorFirmer

He wanted to run in the presidential election as well, and ran in the last General Election.

Lockstep

Interesting developments

Smegging hell

Very tight in City Central, an announcement is supposedly imminent.

Smegging hell

John McDonagh (Labour) eliminated.

Lockstep

McDonagh and O'Connor both ended up with 768 votes. But seeing as O'Connor had 17 more first preferences, McDonagh was eliminated.

Really shows that every vote counts.

Smegging hell

McDonagh transfers look like favouring fellow Shantalla resident O'Connor

Lockstep

Greens have it. Nolan (Soc Dem) just got eliminated.
So it's 6 independent, 5 FF, 3 FG, 2 Greens, one Labour and one Soc Dem.

Robbo

ChewyLouie wrote: »

Disappointing result for Patrick Feeney in Galway City Central.... 1 Vote.

Assuming he voted for himself that's going to be awkward around any friends, family or anyone that helped with his campaign!

I see a late surge happened in the second count and he ended up with a respectable 2 votes.

Zzippy

Robbo wrote: »

I see a late surge happened in the second count and he ended up with a respectable 2 votes.

Phew! Another marriage saved. Hopefully both voted for making divorce easier, just in case...

zell12

Today's Examiner

Robbo

zell12 wrote: »

Today's Examiner

270 votes in the 2014 Locals and 251 in the 2016 General Election, the heat death of the planet will come before Tommy's time.

ClanofLams

On the topic of ridiculous letters, Niall O Tuathails in the Galway advertiser last week was mad stuff. He didn’t run in the local elections because he wants to be Minister for Health and with a general election coming up, he would be hoping to leave the City Council shortly.

Quite like the Soc Dems generally and voted for O’Tuathail in last general but that’s just ridiculous reasoning. For starters, his desire to be Minister for Health is irrelevant and at this stage a very remote possibility. Asking people to vote him on to council and then ‘off’ it in a General Election isn’t selfish either, he could have done good work in the interim in the council, made clear who his replacement would be etc.

Seems like he just wasn’t bothered running for the Council which has likely cost his party a seat and weakened his chances in next General election.

xckjoo

ClanofLams wrote: »

On the topic of ridiculous letters, Niall O Tuathails in the Galway advertiser last week was mad stuff. He didn’t run in the local elections because he wants to be Minister for Health and with a general election coming up, he would be hoping to leave the City Council shortly.

Quite like the Soc Dems generally and voted for O’Tuathail in last general but that’s just ridiculous reasoning. For starters, his desire to be Minister for Health is irrelevant and at this stage a very remote possibility. Asking people to vote him on to council and then ‘off’ it in a General Election isn’t selfish either, he could have done good work in the interim in the council, made clear who his replacement would be etc.

Seems like he just wasn’t bothered running for the Council which has likely cost his party a seat and weakened his chances in next General election.

I actually agree with the principle of what he did. Irish politics is ruined with the mingling of local and national politics. Locals shouldn't be treated as what you do until you can get a national seat.

what_traffic

ClanofLams wrote: »

On the topic of ridiculous letters, Niall O Tuathails in the Galway advertiser last week was mad stuff. He didn’t run in the local elections because he wants to be Minister for Health and with a general election coming up, he would be hoping to leave the City Council shortly.

It is unusual strategy - has any other party done this before locally?

ClanofLams

xckjoo wrote: »

I actually agree with the principle of what he did. Irish politics is ruined with the mingling of local and national politics. Locals shouldn't be treated as what you do until you can get a national seat.

It isn’t at all unique to Irish politics. In the US politicians generally start off in the City Council or the State Senate eg Joe Biden/Beto O’Rourke,etc


It makes sense in that it gives those candidates a platform to prove to voters they can be effective etc. I also don’t get how local politics suffers from the involvement of those with further aspirations rather than being limited to those happy at local level. Surely the other way round it anything.


In any case as I said he could have made it very clear who his replacement would be and being a new example for transparency in that way. This just came across (to me anyway) as he wasn’t bothered running for the City Council which is fair enough but not the best thing for either his party or his own chances in the next general election.

Would think Pauline O’Reilly after running and winning a seat impressively along with another green Councillor being elected is now in a significantly stronger position than O’Tuathail/Soc Dems.

ClanofLams

what_traffic wrote: »

It is unusual strategy - has any other party done this before locally?

No idea but presume not.

xckjoo

ClanofLams wrote: »

It isn’t at all unique to Irish politics. In the US politicians generally start off in the City Council or the State Senate eg Joe Biden/Beto O’Rourke,etc


It makes sense in that it gives those candidates a platform to prove to voters they can be effective etc. I also don’t get how local politics suffers from the involvement of those with further aspirations rather than being limited to those happy at local level. Surely the other way round it anything.


In any case as I said he could have made it very clear who his replacement would be and being a new example for transparency in that way. This just came across (to me anyway) as he wasn’t bothered running for the City Council which is fair enough but not the best thing for either his party or his own chances in the next general election.

Dunno do we want to use the US political model as guidance :pac:. The US is so different in scale to us that it would be hard to make any carry-overs.

Ya my issue is that our national level policies, etc. are being dictated by local issues as politicians are focussed more on getting re-elected than the greater good of the country (which should in turn be better for us all). You also have people promising the earth because they know they'll be gone from the locals in a few months and won't have to follow through with anything.

I'm not sure it was a good idea for the party that Niall took this approach but at least it shows he's sticking to his morals. I'm not convinced by SocDems as a party overall TBH. Good individual messages but poor overall party structure and direction (IMO). Hopefully they'll get things together but I don't think they're ready to be a major player yet.

ClanofLams

xckjoo wrote: »

Dunno do we want to use the US political model as guidance :pac:. The US is so different in scale to us that it would be hard to make any carry-overs.

Ya my issue is that our national level policies, etc. are being dictated by local issues as politicians are focussed more on getting re-elected than the greater good of the country (which should in turn be better for us all). You also have people promising the earth because they know they'll be gone from the locals in a few months and won't have to follow through with anything.

I'm not sure it was a good idea for the party that Niall took this approach but at least it shows he's sticking to his morals. I'm not convinced by SocDems as a party overall TBH. Good individual messages but poor overall party structure and direction (IMO). Hopefully they'll get things together but I don't think they're ready to be a major player yet.

It’s fairly common EU wide also, it was just easier to name individual examples from the US. The local focus rather than national focus is far more related to the constituency system rather than any councilors seeking to become TDs. The German list system and five percent requirement seem to be a good balance to this parochial focus though there are concerns about that too, no system is perfect obviously.

RainNeverBow

I wouldn't vote (top 3) for a GE candidate in the locals. Or for European. What's the point? Anyone could theoretically replace them. And he couldn't announce who would replace him because the local branch has to vote for that and they don't have to listen to who he says

Pen Rua

ClanofLams wrote: »

On the topic of ridiculous letters, Niall O Tuathails in the Galway advertiser last week was mad stuff. He didn’t run in the local elections because he wants to be Minister for Health and with a general election coming up, he would be hoping to leave the City Council shortly.

Quite like the Soc Dems generally and voted for O’Tuathail in last general but that’s just ridiculous reasoning. For starters, his desire to be Minister for Health is irrelevant and at this stage a very remote possibility. Asking people to vote him on to council and then ‘off’ it in a General Election isn’t selfish either, he could have done good work in the interim in the council, made clear who his replacement would be etc.

Seems like he just wasn’t bothered running for the Council which has likely cost his party a seat and weakened his chances in next General election.

Didn’t ask myself once why Niall didn’t run. Didn’t know it was such a burning question through Galway he needed to have a letter published on it. 🙄

ClanofLams

RainNeverBow wrote: »

I wouldn't vote (top 3) for a GE candidate in the locals. Or for European. What's the point? Anyone could theoretically replace them. And he couldn't announce who would replace him because the local branch has to vote for that and they don't have to listen to who he says

That’s fair enough but you are in a very small minority I would think. O’Reilly was announced as the Green GE candidate long ago and nearly topped the poll in the West.

Sure in theory ‘anyone’ could replace a councilor subsequently elected to the Dáil but in practice another member of the same party will overwhelmingly share the same views.

It actually would have presented the Soc Dems with an opportunity to be innovative and lead the way in transparency by them agreeing/voting on a replacement for O’Tuathail in advance and informing voters accordingly with a half page in leaflets or whatever.

Anyway I don’t particularly care so have probably spent long enough debating this. I just found the letter a bit bizarre and the reasoning illogical at best.

RainNeverBow

Interesting the Tribune today says a FF pact isn't certain. Figured they would have figured out who was Mayor until 2035 at this point