Mary O'Rourke may lose her seat!

pascall

Originally posted by oscarBravo
Why did Mary O'Rourke lose her seat?

Very simple answer: she alienated the people of Mullingar, and indeed everywhere outside of her own town of Athlone. She always had the attitude that her constituency responsibilities stopped somewhere west of Moate, and the people of Mullingar finally got fed up and voted Donie Cassidy into her seat. The same type of miscalculation by the Fianna Fáil local organisation cost junior minister Tom Moffat his seat in Mayo.

Mary O Rourke never alienated the people of Mullingar or Westmeath lets get a few things straight here, as a person from Westmeath let me comment on this one. 1 if you look at the Mullingar vote for her it is up on the 97 count, she lost out in her neighbouring townslands because they were being asked to give Cassidy the number 1 and O'Rourke the number 2.

O' Rourke lost her seat because Donnie Cassidy took over 70% of the territory within the county. Henry Abbot who won the seat before in westmeath with a Mullingar base did not go out side the boundaries of Mullingar to get votes, Cassifdy was campaigning in places like Moate, Kilbeggan, Glasson all within 10 miles of athlone.

There was never 2 FF seats in Westmeath, if either had a farming base, there was a maybe, but they didn't. FG also has a strong core vote in the county and in fact it was up on the 97 count, so McGrath was always going to hold it.

O'Rourke should feel hard done by, Cassidy is a gangster like lawler and the only person getting Planning around Castlepollard and Mullingar is his companies. He owns the largest Business park in Mullingar at present and maybe a fortune off the farmer who sold it to him at farm acres prices.

He will not hold his seat in the next election as he can never deliever on ho his promises that he made, (If he does fair play I'll be living in probably the most well off county in Ireland)

Occidental

A quick summary of why Mary lost her seat

1. Mary has traditionally relied on transfers from failing FF candidates to see her over the quota. FF ran a second strong candidate in Westmeath, leaving her with no FF transfers.
2. Nicky McFadden did an excellent job for FG in Athlone.
3. Mary was caught lying over the National Transport Museum, which alienated her from many of the voters and worse still, gave further support to Cassidy.
4. Mary has done sod all for Athlone or Westmeath in general, for the last five years.


She did not loose her seat over the Eircom flotation or for anything she has or hasn’t done as Minister over the last five years.

Lastly, she does not need anyone to defend her, or to have pity for her. When backed into a corner she’s as formidable as Maggie Thatcher ever was.

pascall

Originally posted by Occidental
A quick summary of why Mary lost her seat

1. Mary has traditionally relied on transfers from failing FF candidates to see her over the quota. FF ran a second strong candidate in Westmeath, leaving her with no FF transfers.
2. Nicky McFadden did an excellent job for FG in Athlone.
3. Mary was caught lying over the National Transport Museum, which alienated her from many of the voters and worse still, gave further support to Cassidy.
4. Mary has done sod all for Athlone or Westmeath in general, for the last five years.


She did not loose her seat over the Eircom flotation or for anything she has or hasn’t done as Minister over the last five years.

Lastly, she does not need anyone to defend her, or to have pity for her. When backed into a corner she’s as formidable as Maggie Thatcher ever was.

Some very valid point OC but if you look at the votes Nicky McFadden did not do any better than any FG canidate before her. Her votes was more or less the same as in 97. O'Rourke lost out because her vote was DOWN in Moate, DOWN in Glasson, Down in Kilbeggan, all because the FF party asked those cumman's to vote Donnie 1 and Mary 2.

Athlone is propably one of the best of areas in the Ireland at present, it is in the early stages of being made a city, companies like ELAN and Erikkesson and countless others place Athlone as a thrieving employment sector. O'Rourke single handedly brought Athlone and its area into the BMW region when most wanted to keep Athlon out.

Mullingar has done very well for itself by the likes of Tom Bourke and Cassisdy, and O'Rourke has seen that it has gotten its fair share of wealth that was going out, in terms of roads infrastructure, railway's etc.

My beef is up is that the FF party could allow a gangster like Cassidy get perferential treatment over O'Rourke. Cassidy has being parading himself in front opf ever lens that took its cover off in the 18 months before the elections.

I agree that Eircom did not effect O'Rourke's seat, as most of the cute Iarmhi whores who bought the shares sold them with 5 days as we were told.

Occidental

Pascall,

The original deal was that the county was to be split down the middle, with everything Northeast of Ballymore going to Cassidy and everything Southwest to O'Rourke. If Cassidy or some of the local FF party campaigners didn't stick to this rule then Mary was more than capable of taking them to task over it.

The local feel in Athlone seems to be that McFadden did take a lot of No1’s from O’Rourke. Don’t forget it’s her first time running and as such her vote was a lot higher than FG expected, even before the FG disaster unfolded across the rest of the country.

Of course with Cassidy being one of Aherns best mates, it’s very possible that many of the local FF party had seen the writing on the wall and dumped O’Rourke for the new meal ticket on the block.

Still can’t understand why the lying over the transport museum, as I think if she had endorsed it she would have left Cassidy dead in the water.

pascall

Originally posted by Occidental
Pascall,


Still can’t understand why the lying over the transport museum, as I think if she had endorsed it she would have left Cassidy dead in the water.

very true.

I was looking at the Westmeath Examiner and I see that the Bookies didn't even give O'Rourke a price for her to lose her seat she was that sure.

Were you disappointed that the Mullingar count didn't even warrant a live braodcast, seeing as it was a crucial seat for FF if they got it?? Typical of RTE overlooking the county.

As a Kinnegad Man i will find it very interesting to see if Cassidy even comes near fulfilling half his promises?

Occidental

Pascall,

RTE did have a live interview with Mary when it was down to her and McGrath. They were about to go over to the final count in Mullingar when something else got in the way and by the time they got back to it, the result had already been pasted across the screen.

Agree that Cassidy has a lot to do, although I think finishing off Longford-Westmeath General will be enough to get him back in. If he delivers the museum and the oft mentioned government offices I can see him in a safe seat for the next twenty years(providing he doesn't turn up in too many tribunals).

Be interesting to see if/where Cassidy features in Aherns government, as I've a funny feeling he doesn't intend to hang around on the back benches. Plenty of stepping on fingers and in party fighting to come?

pascall

Which to you think will come sooner occie,

Doonie being linked to a tribunal or a Character based on him in Bull Island????

Occidental

I'm sure a wig on a lead character is already being planned. As for the tribunals, he's a member of FF and he knows lots of builders, nuff said.

212.2.179.66

From what I have seen so far I must take it that everyone here has been in a Political Shoe at one stage or another and that everyone knows what goes on behind the closed doors of Polo tics. If this is true then I can't wait for all the changes ye are going to make for the better. (don't get me wrong) If everything your saying here is true then things can only get better now that she is gone.... right? I mean let's face it.... people are not remembered for all their achievements.... just the 1 thing they do wrong even if it is not their fault. So let's see how far we get with the new Minister (whoever).


212.2.179.66

212.2.179.66

Originally posted by Victor
Armchair no, straight-jacket, yes!

It show's