| Irish General Election 15:42 - Feb 9 with 15726 views | BrianMcCarthy |
Seismic shift to the left in Ireland today.
Exit polls suggesting that left parties are heading for 45% of the vote.
So many fascinating issues arising now:
Are Sinn Féin now on a par with the right-wing monoliths of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael?
Will either of them get into coalition-bed with Sinn Féin?
Can Sinn Féin be trusted in Government?
Have Sinn Féin left violence behind?
Will Ireland, could Ireland, actually have a Left-Wing Government in the near future?
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| Irish General Election on 15:58 - Feb 9 with 4155 views | Boston |
So no change really. |  |
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| Irish General Election on 16:08 - Feb 9 with 4128 views | BrianMcCarthy |
Ha!
I think it's a huge change. If they don't get into power this time they'll certainly be running multiple candidates from here on in. They're now a permanent fixture in politics in the South, and the duopoly that ruled us for 100 years only got 44% of the vote between them. For people my age that's astonishing. | |
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| Irish General Election on 16:29 - Feb 9 with 4072 views | LythamR |
| Irish General Election on 16:08 - Feb 9 by BrianMcCarthy |
Ha!
I think it's a huge change. If they don't get into power this time they'll certainly be running multiple candidates from here on in. They're now a permanent fixture in politics in the South, and the duopoly that ruled us for 100 years only got 44% of the vote between them. For people my age that's astonishing. |
There was a demographic inevitability i suppose, final results will be interesting. Important for Ireland but could also have a significant impact for the UK if SF can actually form a governement! |  | | |
| Irish General Election on 16:33 - Feb 9 with 4061 views | Benny_the_Ball |
From the little I've seen online, it sounds like a pretty big shift to me. Quick questions for you, Brian; how different is the Sinn Féin of today to the (violent) Sinn Féin of old? Are the Irish people buying into new Sinn Féin or are they frustrated with the old guard? What ramifications, if any, are there if this coalition government presides over the post-Brexit era? [Post edited 9 Feb 2020 16:35]
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| Irish General Election on 16:33 - Feb 9 with 4054 views | Watford_Ranger |
Amazing what can happen when people aren’t drip-fed by The Sun for their entire adult lives. | | | |
| Irish General Election on 16:42 - Feb 9 with 4015 views | Gloucs_R |
Does Ireland support a United Ireland?
Will SF push for that in the South? |  |
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| Irish General Election on 16:45 - Feb 9 with 4012 views | Paddyhoops |
As an economic refugee of 32 years or so and being subjected to a straight choice between Fine Gael and Fine fail on the couple of occasions I did vote back in the eighties, it's good to see an alternative party emerge even it is the party of Gerry "I was never a member of the IRA " Adam's.
What an odd world we live in when the possibility of a sinn fein led dail could stand side by side with a Dominic Cummins ...sorry Boris Johnson Government and not forgetting the free worlds populist in Chief , Donald Trump.🤦â€â™€ï¸ðŸ¤¦â€â™€ï¸ | | | |
| Irish General Election on 16:47 - Feb 9 with 3990 views | Boston |
Has there ever been a single party government since PR was introduced in Ireland? I'm under the impression that the Irish Labour Party was usually the junior party in a coalition, what's the difference between them and SF? | |
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| Irish General Election on 16:48 - Feb 9 with 3992 views | BrianMcCarthy |
| Irish General Election on 16:42 - Feb 9 by Gloucs_R |
Does Ireland support a United Ireland?
Will SF push for that in the South? |
Yes, a majority do.
And yes, they do and will. | |
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| Irish General Election on 16:50 - Feb 9 with 3973 views | Boston |
| Irish General Election on 16:45 - Feb 9 by Paddyhoops |
As an economic refugee of 32 years or so and being subjected to a straight choice between Fine Gael and Fine fail on the couple of occasions I did vote back in the eighties, it's good to see an alternative party emerge even it is the party of Gerry "I was never a member of the IRA " Adam's.
What an odd world we live in when the possibility of a sinn fein led dail could stand side by side with a Dominic Cummins ...sorry Boris Johnson Government and not forgetting the free worlds populist in Chief , Donald Trump.🤦â€â™€ï¸ðŸ¤¦â€â™€ï¸ |
Not the problem really though, you have to gaze north for the potential of serious issues. | |
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| Irish General Election on 16:50 - Feb 9 with 3977 views | Paddyhoops |
The Sun and Irish mail are still on sale in Ireland.
Shame on any of those who buy it after some the editorials and articles written in the past about Irish people in general!! | | | |
| Irish General Election on 16:53 - Feb 9 with 3964 views | WatfordR |
Looks like the support for SF is strongest among younger voters, with the traditional vote for FF and FG beginning to wain as the older voters also begin to wain.
Exit polls suggesting a dead heat between FF, SF and FG. I'd guess the chances of another election are probably quite high. |  | | |
| Irish General Election on 16:54 - Feb 9 with 3964 views | BrianMcCarthy |
| Irish General Election on 16:33 - Feb 9 by Benny_the_Ball |
From the little I've seen online, it sounds like a pretty big shift to me. Quick questions for you, Brian; how different is the Sinn Féin of today to the (violent) Sinn Féin of old? Are the Irish people buying into new Sinn Féin or are they frustrated with the old guard? What ramifications, if any, are there if this coalition government presides over the post-Brexit era? [Post edited 9 Feb 2020 16:35]
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"how different is the Sinn Féin of today to the (violent) Sinn Féin of old?"
Very different in some parts of the Country, not so different in others. There are undoubtedly vigilante elements that take on drug dealers in Dublin, for instance. They've yet to fully distance themselves from violence, I would say. But maybe 90-95% of them have.
"Are the Irish people buying into new Sinn Féin or are they frustrated with the old guard?"
Most my age (49) and up are still wary of Sinn Féin, most younger either don't know about their past or don't care.
There is huge, huge frustration with the old guard re housing, health and other social needs.
"What ramifications, if any, are there if this coalition government presides over the post-Brexit era?"
Great question. Depends on who gets in. if it's FF/FG, no change. If SF form part of it, they have a history of dealing with the British Government and have closer ties with them (ironically) than FF or FG. | |
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| Irish General Election on 16:54 - Feb 9 with 3959 views | MrSheen |
I find it extraordinary that while Europe’s great and good are having a collective nervous breakdown about the menace of the far right, that drug-dealing, knee-capping, kiddie-fiddling, gun-running, bank-robbing Sinn Fein, the party run by an army council and with its own in-house death squad, are considered a breath of fresh air. |  | | |
| Irish General Election on 16:55 - Feb 9 with 3957 views | bosh67 |
We don't need left wing. We don't need right wing either. We simply need quicker defenders and another forward...
... ah, hang on. I didn't read this thread properly. Carry on. |  |
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| Irish General Election on 16:57 - Feb 9 with 3946 views | johncharles |
Both the other parties have sworn they won't form a coalition with Sinn Fein but this is politics and watch the scramble if the three end up level. |  |
| Strong and stable my arse. |
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| Irish General Election on 16:57 - Feb 9 with 3945 views | BrianMcCarthy |
| Irish General Election on 16:47 - Feb 9 by Boston |
Has there ever been a single party government since PR was introduced in Ireland? I'm under the impression that the Irish Labour Party was usually the junior party in a coalition, what's the difference between them and SF? |
Yes, but not since the 70's.
Labour has been a junior party in the past, as you say, but they're shot now. Dead in the water. Not trusted by the left voters as they're too close to the right-wing parties.
The difference between them and Labour? We'll have to see how SF perform in power if they get in. | |
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| Irish General Election on 16:58 - Feb 9 with 3937 views | BrianMcCarthy |
| Irish General Election on 16:53 - Feb 9 by WatfordR |
Looks like the support for SF is strongest among younger voters, with the traditional vote for FF and FG beginning to wain as the older voters also begin to wain.
Exit polls suggesting a dead heat between FF, SF and FG. I'd guess the chances of another election are probably quite high. |
Can't see another election. FF in particular are desperate for power now. | |
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| Irish General Election on 17:00 - Feb 9 with 3925 views | BrianMcCarthy |
| Irish General Election on 16:54 - Feb 9 by MrSheen |
I find it extraordinary that while Europe’s great and good are having a collective nervous breakdown about the menace of the far right, that drug-dealing, knee-capping, kiddie-fiddling, gun-running, bank-robbing Sinn Fein, the party run by an army council and with its own in-house death squad, are considered a breath of fresh air. |
Ya, it's amazing. There are many who are worried.
However, it shows how corrupt, lazy and arrogant FF and FG have been that SF have even a sniff of power. | |
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| Irish General Election on 17:00 - Feb 9 with 3921 views | BrianMcCarthy |
| Irish General Election on 16:57 - Feb 9 by johncharles |
Both the other parties have sworn they won't form a coalition with Sinn Fein but this is politics and watch the scramble if the three end up level. |
FF will share with them if they have to. | |
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| Irish General Election on 17:05 - Feb 9 with 3902 views | WatfordR |
| Irish General Election on 16:58 - Feb 9 by BrianMcCarthy |
Can't see another election. FF in particular are desperate for power now. |
Maybe, but a dead heat between the three means either FF or FG going into government with SF. I don't think that's likely, so I'm not sure what other options there are. | | | |
| Irish General Election on 17:07 - Feb 9 with 3887 views | BrianMcCarthy |
| Irish General Election on 17:05 - Feb 9 by WatfordR |
Maybe, but a dead heat between the three means either FF or FG going into government with SF. I don't think that's likely, so I'm not sure what other options there are. |
Micheál Martin was interviewed a while back and I thought he was making eyes at SF - "people have spoken, I'm a democrat" etc etc
Also FG and FF could well prop each other up again. | |
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| Irish General Election on 17:12 - Feb 9 with 3873 views | Paddyhoops |
| Irish General Election on 16:42 - Feb 9 by Gloucs_R |
Does Ireland support a United Ireland?
Will SF push for that in the South? |
Brian reckons people in Ireland would support a United Ireland . I'm not so sure
Are they ready for at least three generations of strife, violence and upheaval?
Unionists in the North won't lie down and take it like little lap dogs . Far from it.
Also will a united Ireland be able to support the security and cost implications of it? Debatable. Be careful what you wish for!! | | | |
| Irish General Election on 17:12 - Feb 9 with 3872 views | MrSheen |
| Irish General Election on 17:00 - Feb 9 by BrianMcCarthy |
Ya, it's amazing. There are many who are worried.
However, it shows how corrupt, lazy and arrogant FF and FG have been that SF have even a sniff of power. |
On reflection, it’s equally strange that anyone would trust Fianna Fáil to run a bath after Bertie Ahern. Did Sinn Féin decimate the various anti-austerity parties? And what about the Healy Rae brothers, will they have to get a proper job?
I didn’t realise until last week that a former Sinn Fein mayor of Belfast was one of the 72 people in the pub when Robert McCartney was killed who didn’t see anything. Are people really so stupid to think they could ever get Sinn Féin to give up power if they were ever voted in? [Post edited 9 Feb 2020 17:16]
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| Irish General Election on 17:13 - Feb 9 with 3869 views | WatfordR |
| Irish General Election on 17:07 - Feb 9 by BrianMcCarthy |
Micheál Martin was interviewed a while back and I thought he was making eyes at SF - "people have spoken, I'm a democrat" etc etc
Also FG and FF could well prop each other up again. |
Maybe you're right Brian. I wonder if SF might be happy to go again. The direction of travel seems to be with them, and it's probably unlikely they'd lose any votes? | | | |
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