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"We're going 'mother of God, how are we going to survive in this country?'"

Actor Michael Collins speaks to us about Traveller life in Ireland, and his latest role.

‘EVERY ONE OF us judges others on first contact’. That’s the tagline of Foxy, a new play by Noelle Brown, and it’s a line that rings true for actor Michael Collins.

As a member of the Travelling community, he has seen first-hand how people can discriminate against him because of his identity.

For Collins – who many will know from his days as Johnny Connors in Glenroe – starring in Foxy is a way for him to bring the topics of identity and discrimination to a wide audience.

“He knows that the child is his”

Foxy was inspired by real-life events. It involves red-headed garda Ivan, lonely Doreen who has a shameful past, and Traveller Michael who finds himself pushed to the limits when it is assumed his child is not his own.

“The character I’m playing, [Michael], is the father and the father is in the house with the child and the guards come,” explained Collins. “He’s trying to get his head around what’s going on. He knows that the child is his.”

The play deals with prejudice against Travellers, as well as their relationship with the gardaí.

“It’s a very emotional play but also parts of it are quite funny,” said Collins, who feels like he’s made a connection with the character.

He is a very strong member of the Travelling community. He is proud of who he is and where he comes from. He would have had bad experiences with the guards or with people who would discriminate against Travellers. I went through that and sympathise.

Collins and his wife have brought up her nieces as well as their own children. “The youngest one is very, very blonde with blue eyes, so I could imagine someone coming and knocking at the door and saying ‘is that your child?’.”

Mark Fitzgerald & Michael Collins in Foxy by Noelle Brown Direted by Oonagh Murphy Produced by Verdant Productions Project Arts Centre Tues 27 October 2015         Photo Tom Lawlo Mark Fitzgerald & Michael Collins in Foxy by Noelle Brown

Collins has written four plays himself, the most recent of which, Magpies on the Pylon, dealt with suicide in the Travelling community. There is an extraordinarily high rate of suicide amongst Travellers, and this was Collins’ way of taking a dark subject and exploring what it means to people.

After each show, he would meet people in the foyer who would tell him their own tragic stories.

“My nightmare is this tragedy is going to happen again”

Collins is a Traveller activist, and the recent deaths in Carrickmines are weighing heavy on his mind.

He fears another fire like Carrickmines could occur.

My nightmare is this tragedy is just waiting to happen again, because there are tonnes of sites around with naked wires, no panel walls blocking off mobile homes from each other.

While filming a recent project, Collins watched as a mobile home was set on fire – it took 6.5 mins to turn into an inferno. It further impressed on him the dangers that face people living in some halting sites.

The Carrickmines fire was “a terrible shock to the Traveller community”, but also to the settled community, he said.

“I think that people out around that area are traumatised and will be for a long time,” he said. “It’s great to see the settled people coming out in supporting the Travellers and great to see the politicians coming out on the radio from all different parties, and finally saying we need to do something about this.”

He believes Traveller accommodation needs to be taken out of the hands of local authorities. “Travellers are not a priority to government or to the local authorities,” he maintained.

He said there is no room in politics for people who get votes with an ‘anti-Traveller agenda’.

Collins did feel proud about the country’s reaction to the Carrickmines deaths – like the flag hung at half mast.

It made me feel very proud. It was the first time I’ve ever felt that we’ve been received as a community and almost felt like we were an ethnic minority grouping in [the eyes of the country].

But the reaction at Rockville Drive made him feel “that things were never going to change”. It is ”what you’re fighting against as member of the Traveller community”.

“I know it’s not all the local community there,” said Collins, who described himself as “heartbroken”.

He thought to himself:

Oh mother of sweet loving God, what sort of people would do something like that when there are people not even identified in the morgue? It brought me back to Ireland in the 70s, 80s, 90s… something else needs to be done.

Michael Collins in Foxy by Noelle Brown (2) Photo Tom Lawlor

He believes the settled and Traveller communities need to mix more, and from childhood. Collins notes how Ireland has become a multi-cultural society, but feels there has been no change in how Travellers have been accepted.

Of discrimination, he says: “We feel the brunt of that and we’re going ‘mother of God, how are we going to survive in this country?’ We all have children. All people want is to raise their children as good, honest, strong adults.”

All I want people to [say] is alright, OK, there’s Michael Collins out there, he lives up in that house, we know he’s a Traveller and we respect he’s a member of the Traveller community. That’s all I want: a little respect. Everyone deserves an opportunity. Everyone needs an opportunity to be accepted.

He is “completely” against bare knuckle fighting, describing it as “part of our [Traveller] society… it is an internal issue and an issue we need to resolve ourselves. It can’t be resolved by settled people.” He believes gardaí should arrest bare-knuckle fighters.

“A number of years ago, it was a way of dealing with Traveller feuds. Now it’s not like that anymore.”

Traveller pride

The parts of his life he is most proud of? His family, doing a show that gets a good response, “when the Irish flag goes up in the Olympics and there’s a Traveller standing there with a silver or gold medal”; “hearing that young Travellers are in the guards, are teachers, solicitors - all those things are a move forward”.

He believes in the importance of good role models, showing how there are Travellers with a variety of roles in Irish society.

As he prepares to explore discrimination yet again on stage, Collins sends his condolences to the families of the Carrickmines victims.

“I think these people will need the help and support of Travellers and settled people all over the country and will need time to deal with the situation themselves. May God give them all a bed in heaven.”

Foxy is on at the Project Arts Centre. Preview Tuesday 27 October, tickets: €10. Opening night: Wednesday 28 October. Until Saturday, 7 November, 8.15pm, tickets: €16/14.  2.30pm matinee on Saturday 7 November, tickets: €14/12

Read: Their journey almost at an end: Five members of Connors family to be laid to rest>

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87 Comments
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    Mute Toffeemac
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    Jun 1st 2019, 12:41 AM

    Also don’t forget Josepha Madigans law firm took up the Bailey case. If that was the UK they’d all be gone

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    Mute rosetheone
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    Jun 1st 2019, 11:20 AM

    @Toffeemac: swing date and co-living that did the damage??
    I’d say it was lying to the public about abortion legislation….cervical smear scandal and how they tried to cover it up… women’s rights (when it suits them)… the international embarrassment that is the children’s hospital… their TD partaking in fraudulent insurance claims… but what really did it for me: treating the nurses and midwives like a piece of dirt on his shoes….

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    Mute Frank Cauldhame
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    Jun 1st 2019, 1:10 PM

    “Swing gate” is obviously a PR disaster for her and FFG but in the grand scheme of things is pretty minor compared to the real scandals that have embraced this government. It clearly illustrates the pomposity of those chosen to represent us in governance but that pomposity has been on view since they took up office and can be illustrated by their inaction over the homelessness crisis, their failed attempt (thankfully) at introducing water charges, scandal and corruption in the Department of Justice, cervical smear test scandal, hospital waiting lists and overcrowding and handing out private contracts with colossal budget overruns. Maria Bailey is just a microcosm of whats wrong with everything in our current government.

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    Mute Milk The Drones
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    Jun 1st 2019, 12:14 AM

    Maria Baileys interview wasn’t just a car crash, it was a motorway pile up with a train wreck thrown in for good measure.
    Leo worries only because the best interests of the FG party (particularly the individual beneficiaries of the parties interests) will ALWAYS come before the best interests of the people who elected them. Which is why Bailey will be told to keep the head down for now until the storm passes. Easy peasy when your dealing with the dumbo Irish electorate.

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    Mute John Macken
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    Jun 1st 2019, 5:59 AM

    @Milk The Drones: and she just about survived that pile up but Leo keeps grabbing her and throwing her under ever passing bus

    57
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    Mute Pl O'neill
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    Jun 1st 2019, 9:08 AM

    @John Macken: Not another Claim !

    56
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    Mute Bhiniáimin Ó Beith
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    Jun 1st 2019, 12:21 AM

    FF pushed us off the cliff and FG smash us at the bottom… and still the electorate vote for them it’s exactly like game of thrones the wheel goes round and round nothing ever changes…

    271
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    Mute Brian McHale-Boyle
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    Jun 1st 2019, 2:40 AM

    @Bhiniáimin Ó Beith: Charles Haughey and Garret Fitzgerald were best friends. I don’t need to say any more.

    80
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    Mute Patrick O Connell
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    Jun 1st 2019, 9:08 AM

    @Bhiniáimin Ó Beith: there is a whole pile to choose from. The shinners are a disaster and the left are looney’s

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    Mute James Gorman #FBPE
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    Jun 1st 2019, 10:16 AM

    @Bhiniáimin Ó Beith: and yet you couldn’t suggest a credible alternative which answers your own point.

    11
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    Mute Chin Feeyin
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    Jun 1st 2019, 10:45 AM

    @Brian McHale-Boyle: they certainly were not!

    11
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    Mute Donal Desmond
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    Jun 1st 2019, 11:52 AM

    @Bhiniáimin Ó Beith: Agree 100% . Where were all the people who screamed never again. F.F. while in power brought this country to it’s knees, now keep in power the party F.G that just added to the mess. The electorate voted them in again.. A nation of fools is an understatement.

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    Mute Donal Desmond
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    Jun 1st 2019, 12:39 PM

    @Chin Feeyin: The one thing they had in common was they both had bank depths written off by the banks. Politically Charlie was a Republican when it suited him…. Fitzgerald was an a apologist for anything that upset the Brits.

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    Mute Donal Desmond
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    Jun 1st 2019, 7:56 PM

    @Patrick O Connell: In case it has escaped your attention it was not Sinn Fein or the Looney left as you put it , It was the two parties that the fools of this country just re elected that brought this country to it’s knees. The greens while in government also have a lot to answer for. If you are happy with a crumbling health service, housing crisis, homelessness, scandal after scandal take it you voted to re elect these paracites.

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    Mute high ho silver
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    Jun 1st 2019, 12:14 AM

    Housing transport hospitals stealth taxes I could go on fair play Leo your doing a great job thanks

    135
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    Mute Brian McHale-Boyle
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    May 31st 2019, 10:38 PM

    He really is a big feckin eejit. Can his PR not tell him to stop throwing those gormless faces?

    243
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    Mute Happy Out
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    Jun 1st 2019, 12:36 AM

    @Brian McHale-Boyle: Leo Varadker had a nice old sing song about Maria Bailey and Swing-gate. Press don’t seam to be covering it though:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI9aLAD5N9U

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    Mute Brian McHale-Boyle
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    Jun 1st 2019, 12:40 AM

    @Happy Out: This is my favorite so far:

    https://imgur.com/JTA5Qj5

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    Mute Eric Gaffney
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    Jun 1st 2019, 1:33 AM

    @Brian McHale-Boyle: Made me laugh.

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    Mute Robert Phelan
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    Jun 1st 2019, 2:34 AM

    Jesus only 48% went out to vote if even that.nobody gives a fook about politics it’s dying like the church and only for the divorce referendum more people would of stayed at home.sure let ffg think their doing a good job..

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    Mute Pl O'neill
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    Jun 1st 2019, 9:10 AM

    @Happy Out: Very Funny . Well done and showing that mob up for what they are .

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    Mute Paul White
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    Jun 1st 2019, 12:13 AM

    Wait till the General Election.

    120
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    Mute Martin Brennan
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    Jun 1st 2019, 1:05 AM

    Spare me this late early on Sat 1st June but to assume Leo hasn’t a clue – your are a chancer a spin merchant and an Taoiseach on borrowed time

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    Mute Gerry Dempsey
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    Jun 1st 2019, 1:30 AM

    Fine gale stirring up a storm. New Swingers club opening in Leinster House soon. Free Baileys every night. Come and have a fall sorry ball and swing the night away. Doctor on call.

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    Mute Michael Kelly
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    Jun 1st 2019, 7:31 AM

    If the people of Dun Laoghaire re-elect Maria Bailey whenever the next General Election is, I will lose all faith in humanity.

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    Mute Logan Shepherd
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    Jun 1st 2019, 9:14 AM

    @Michael Kelly: Loads of money was re-elected in Monaghan so nothing will surprise me anymore.

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    Mute Patrick O Connell
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    Jun 1st 2019, 9:17 AM

    @Michael Kelly: Louth re-elected a convicted terrorised for the last few elections, Kerry re-elected a gun runners for the last few elections

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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    Jun 1st 2019, 10:31 AM

    @Michael Kelly: she will never be let forget about her stupidity and greed and rightly so! Swing low Maria, swing low….

    15
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    Mute Donal Desmond
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    Jun 1st 2019, 3:39 PM

    @Michael Kelly: Lowery , is a prime example… Swings and roundabouts… Jesus what a nation of fools we are.

    4
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    Mute Padraig Salah
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    Jun 1st 2019, 2:33 AM

    Not much has changed since Bertie’s days. Those with contacts and in the loop can receive a lot of taxpayers et als money for what is basically legalized fraud. Madigans and Bailey are no better than berties mafia.

    However I put much blame on the voters who we see repeatedly re electing these crooks while struggling themselves to make ends meet.

    And the crooks know this and abuse people’s vulnerability over and over.

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    Mute Charles McGuire
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    Jun 1st 2019, 12:44 AM

    Makes Brian’s Cowen hung over hot mess of an interview sound like an inspiring and uplifting piece of radio in comparison.

    107
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    Mute iComment
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    Jun 1st 2019, 5:25 AM

    The big story of the election is the collapse of the SF vote..Which was very unexpected….Have not seen any media stories or analysis on this….

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    Mute Nuala Mc Namara
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    Jun 1st 2019, 9:07 AM

    @iComment:Fact: Of the 105 seats FG lost in 2014 local elections ,FG just won back 20 seats in 2019 local elections!(They had 340 seats before 2014 local elections but lost 105 seats in 2014)
    Fact:FF increased seats by 12 in 2019(They had 218 seats before 2014& gained 49 seats then &12 in 2019)
    Fact:Green Party increased their seats by 37.(They had just 12 in 2014)
    Fact:New party SD won 19 seats.
    Fact:SF won 105 seats in 2014(They had 54 seats before that)&FG had lost 105 seats in 2014.They lost 78 seats in 2019 however still have 22 more seats than before 2014 local elections.
    Fact:PBP/S lost 17 seats in 2019(combined they had just 9 seats before 2014& now have 11 seats.
    The turnout for the 2019 local elections @49% was the lowest in history and voters see more choices than the main parties eg: Green Party &SDs.
    So another big story of the 2019 is that FG just won 20seats back from the 105 seats they list in 2014&FF just won 12 seats.Greens won 37seats & Labour win 6seats while New party SDs win 19 seats.
    Fact:Labour increased their seats by 6 to 57(they had 81 seats before 2014 local elections)

    22
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    Mute Patrick O Connell
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    Jun 1st 2019, 9:15 AM

    @Nuala Mc Namara: fact: the shinners has a disaster of an election, lost over 50% of their seats in the locals, lost 2 seats in the euros, mind you the ape that won above in north west is running for the Dail so he won’t see out his term and they also fit smashed in the presidential last year. Roll on the GE with Mary lose mac at the wheel

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    Mute Nuala Mc Namara
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    Jun 1st 2019, 3:06 PM

    @Patrick O Connell: Fact:FG only regained 20.9% of the seats they lost in 2014 Local elections!!Any comment about that?
    Roll on GE all right as not good legacy having ongoing National emergencies in homelessness, housing and health,etc!

    5
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    Mute Padraig Salah
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    Jun 1st 2019, 3:19 PM

    @iComment: without Gerry and Martin in Sinn Fein is like Liverpool without van dijk and salah, a different proposition

    2
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    Mute Mary Dunphy
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    Jun 1st 2019, 2:23 AM

    Well isn’t it nice to have a fall guy and gal when reality bites. The population have been well disillusioned with FFG for many a long day and were awaiting an opportunity to display their wrath at the ballot box. Our country and culture has been changed beyond all belief during this Government’s tenure and then the upset caused to the faithful pensioners by fobbing them off with 20% of the back money they were due having been conned out of their correct pensions was a self inflicted blow. Bring on the General Election.

    74
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    Mute Brian McHale-Boyle
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    Jun 1st 2019, 2:33 AM

    @Mary Dunphy: It’s okay, Mary, Leo is singing this right now.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DxqdIA75sc

    16
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    Mute Martin Meyler
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    Jun 1st 2019, 9:54 AM

    @Mary Dunphy: Sadly, I think you’re deluded, Mary. No-one woke up at least not enough; they INCREASED their vote. Still too many eejits voting the way their grandparents did or suffering from amnesia.

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    Mute Patrick Nolan
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    Jun 1st 2019, 3:39 PM

    @Martin Meyler:
    Or don’t like socialism.

    1
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    Mute Pl O'neill
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    Jun 1st 2019, 4:28 AM

    Swings and Roundabouts Leo .

    Baileys doesn’t Mix with the Swings .

    And , Leo your Exit is certainly on the Roundabout .

    Phoney Show Pony .

    64
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    Mute Toffeemac
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    Jun 1st 2019, 12:34 AM

    Parish pump politics is why most of these incompetent represantives get re-elected. It will always be like that unfortunately because nobody here is held to account properly! If we were a true Republic not just by name these people wouldn’t even be on the election card

    108
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    Mute Patrick O Connell
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    Jun 1st 2019, 9:10 AM

    @Toffeemac: who do you suggest would be best in government????

    8
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    Mute Shane Murphy
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    Jun 1st 2019, 12:09 AM

    Ah varadkar. The biggest anti climax since me in the bedroom!

    78
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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    Jun 1st 2019, 6:40 AM

    This is what Leo spins in public. He’s happy, the Greens will throw their weight around now they are on a roll, impractical and expensive demands on the public, nothing to say about the lungs of the city being torn out. Instead they’ll bring in bans and taxes at local authority level.
    There’s a good positive about these results. It will show people that unless you get off your behind and vote and vote wisely, the status quo will remain.

    46
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    Mute Willy
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    Jun 1st 2019, 5:08 AM

    Those who are of the I’m alright Jack and Feck the rest brigade make up the majority of the FFG vote …

    55
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    Mute Patrick Nolan
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    Jun 1st 2019, 3:40 PM

    @Willy:
    They make up the majority of the voters.

    1
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    Mute Brian McHale-Boyle
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    Jun 1st 2019, 12:11 AM

    Ooh, have Fine Gael’s solicitors taken a look now?

    You’re meant to be journalists – Print and be damned!

    LOL at the next Cease and Desist sent to me by trustworthy Fine Gael solicitors

    52
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    Mute Adrian
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    Jun 1st 2019, 9:00 AM

    I’d say the FG analysis will be some fun. “Its all marias fault”. And they’ll probably get in a FG focus group to tell them they’re all doing a fantastic job.

    28
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    Mute Logan Shepherd
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    Jun 1st 2019, 6:05 AM

    Jeez Leo .. whose office were you in?

    24
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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    Jun 1st 2019, 8:33 AM

    When are Maria and Simon going to be thrown out of FG? Anywhere else they would be gone by now.

    42
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    Mute Daithi O'Raimór
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    Jun 1st 2019, 12:25 AM

    The worst political interview? Terence Flanagan,AKA stuttery Tiny Tears wins that accolade by a mile.

    28
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    Mute TonyM
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    Jun 1st 2019, 7:01 AM

    Big winners were decent Irish people with the demise of Sinn Fein.

    37
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    Mute Liam Ward
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    Jun 1st 2019, 6:59 AM

    F/g was never gonna accept their bad days @ the office anyway just like they have lost their way in governing the country and the people who they represent the people have spoken Leo I know you wont accept it f/g are finished with there governance of this country enda Kenny was by far the better leader ye had and ye should a kept him

    24
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    Mute Mark McGrath
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    Jun 1st 2019, 8:28 AM

    I may be wrong, but the cynic in me thinks that Maria Bailey is being thrown under the bus to make way for the EU fanboy Richmond to run in the Dun Laoghaire area. They can’t just drop her to make room for him or they will be accused of discrimination against a woman. There are a lot of bigger issues annoying the electorate, not just Bailey’s ridiculous claim.

    27
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    Mute Adrian
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    Jun 1st 2019, 9:36 AM

    Out of two main parties, they’ve got around 25% support. You could say up to 50% of the electorate are looking for somebody to vote for. If they performed better, they’d get more votes but the bottom line is that they’re just not doing a very good job.

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    Mute Adrian
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    Jun 1st 2019, 9:50 AM

    And no amount of photo opps and spin will make them any better. They pay themselves the big bucks but all they can produce is the fake news, the spin and the photo opps.

    18
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    Mute Toon Army
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    Jun 1st 2019, 8:10 AM

    It’s been under reported but the SDs bringing hope 19 and some good showings in Europe has to be a good day for them. A lot were writing them off after the last election but I always said they would be slow risers. A bold statement but I could see them become the largest party in 10 to 15 years.

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    Mute Patrick Nolan
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    Jun 1st 2019, 3:42 PM

    @Toon Army:
    God loves an optimist!

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    Mute Darragh Lewis
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    Jun 1st 2019, 8:20 AM

    Something I haven’t heard anyone mention is the effect of their opposition to the Nurses pay increase. This had to have resulted in more votes for FF. If I was in the public sector I’d vote FF all day…… FREE MONEY YEAAAH!!

    9
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    Mute Pl O'neill
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    Jun 1st 2019, 9:36 AM

    Johnny Cash Version .

    Obviously Maria Bailey substitutes “ Sweet Insurance Claim “ for “ Sweet Chariot “ !

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9Y_GLT4_9I&frags=pl%2Cwn

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    Mute Richard Keenan
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    Jun 1st 2019, 1:50 PM

    The only reason so many people still vote for FG is identity politics. Most of the social justice warriors don’t care what Varadkar does as long as he continues to be open about sleeping with men.

    9
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    Mute Pl O'neill
    Favourite Pl O'neill
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    Jun 1st 2019, 9:16 AM

    Fine Gael’s New theme music .

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8frEt6w4G8

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    Mute Lobert Rester
    Favourite Lobert Rester
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    Jun 1st 2019, 9:23 AM

    Only two issues at the doors eh, was that in Fine Gael land or what because there are quite a number of issues at the doors, you clown.

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    Mute Darren Carroll
    Favourite Darren Carroll
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    Jun 1st 2019, 7:45 PM

    Ff and fg…two cheeks of the same arse

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    Mute Wild Goose
    Favourite Wild Goose
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    Jun 1st 2019, 9:32 PM

    I’ve muted all comments from people with double barrel names. Wussies.

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    Mute Gerald Gallagher
    Favourite Gerald Gallagher
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    Jun 1st 2019, 7:42 PM

    Leo has lost 1 of new councilors as Frank Mc Brearty resigned from FG claiming he was hounded out by other elected FG members

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    Mute Leo Lalor
    Favourite Leo Lalor
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    Jun 1st 2019, 4:59 AM

    This person is living in cloud cuckoo land. He has a brass neck. FG have no credibility. Irish people truely deserve stupid paddy label putting up with these useless clown politicians

    1
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