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Here's why these twenty-somethings are running in the local elections

Whether they’re party-affiliated or independent, all of these fresh-faced candidates are looking to make a mark on their constituencies and speak out for their generation.

THE LOCAL ELECTIONS are fast approaching and while some old familiar  faces are back on those campaign leaflets, there are a significant number of younger candidates putting themselves out there.

The focus of their campaigns vary but all of them agree that more needs to be done to get younger people more engaged with politics so that their interests can be represented.

We spoke to a selection of young candidates from across the country.

Maura Hopkins – Fine Gael

29-year-old Hopkins is an occupational therapist at St James’ Hospital in Dublin whose key reason for running in the Boyle area of Roscommon is that she believes this country needs an action plan to support the economy in smaller towns like her own.

“I am one of those young people that wasn’t able to live in rural Ireland and I see so many people leaving,” she said. “It’s important for us to get that education and broaden our horizons with travel but it’s also important that we create opportunities for those who wish to return.

The biggest challenge is employment – if there is not employment, young people aren’t going to live there and raise their families, even if they want to.

Hopkins, who has been involved in the youth wing of Fine Gael for a number of years, said she feels that we need more young people involved in politics – particularly young women.

“I am getting a really positive reaction from the doorsteps and there’s been huge support,” she said. “There’s a sense that there’s new ideas – fresh ideas – needed and there’s a balance needed.”

Cian Prendiville – Anti Austerity Alliance

Cian Prendiville Cian Prendiville

This candidate in Limerick City North is 24-years-old and has been politically active for ten years having joined a campaign against the war in Iraq while he was in secondary school. He said the main issue he is focusing on is unemployment in Limerick.

“I myself am unemployed and two thirds of young men in Limerick City are unemployed,” he said. “The average rate of unemployment here is twice the national average and the only options for young people are emigration and JobBridge.”

His experience on the doorsteps has also been positive as the 24-year-old said his age “doesn’t really ever come up”.

People are more concerned about what you’re about – I don’t think people are looking at the age or the face of the person – they are looking for the policy of the candidate.

On the topic of young people’s hunger for politics – or lack thereof – Prendiville said he thinks “there’s a disdain towards politicians”.

“Young people have – up until recently – tuned out of politics because there had been nothing for them. What politics had to offer was cutbacks, college fees and emigration,” he explained. “When you’re talking to them about the issues they have a lot to say and they’re interested but they’ve been alienated from the political establishment.”

Gary Gannon – Independent

27-year-old Gannon is running in Dublin’s north inner city and has recently worked with early school leavers to help them to get back into education and gain employment.

“I’m somebody who is working on a very issues formed basis, rather than politically formed,” he told us. “I don’t have any family connections to parties and I don’t have background in it.”

As Gannon is a first time candidate and doesn’t have a large party budget backing his campaign, he’s made an ambitious promise to knock on every door in his constituency before the election and he said he is “slowly and methodically getting through it”.

“I can’t get into apartments and of course lots of people aren’t answering because they aren’t there so I’ve started leaving stickers saying “sorry I missed you”,” he joked. “It’s a big promise but it’s a great conversation starter and it’s important for me to talk to people.”

The Dublin candidate said the topic of his youth does come up on the doorsteps but “only in a negative sense from people who are affiliated with other politicians”.

Most people see it as refreshing because if you keep voting for the same old politicians you keep getting the same old politics.

Political interest among Irish youths has moved away from party politics and has become more issues-based, according to Gannon, who said he would be “mortified being in the youth wing of a party”. He also said he would be in favour of lowering the voting age to 16, pointing out that at that age himself, he was working and paying taxes as many teens are today.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire – Sinn Féin

This is the second time the young Sinn Féin candidate is running in the Ballincollig/Carrigaline area of Cork, having come seventh in a six seat race the last time.

The 25-year-old said he had not planned to get involved in politics when he was in college but Sinn Féin’s policies spoke to him and reflected his experience of growing up in Ireland.

“I still see ferocious evidence of disadvantage and that motivates you to get involved and work for a more equal society,” he told TheJournal.ie.

Ó Laoghaire said that with 71,000 people living in his constituency, there are a variety of experiences from both an urban and rural perspective.

My generation were led to believe that Ireland was thriving and there would be great opportunities but so many people I grew up with have emigrated to Australia and Canada and there’s not much in the way of employment. Access to education is also becoming increasingly difficult, particularly if you’re from a low income background because the amount of grants has been reduced.

The Cork candidate has the advantage of having run in the area in the past and said he is well known for the work he’s done in the community in the last few years so his age is not an issue for prospective voters in his constituency.

“I think people are encouraged to see a new generation willing to step forward and take leadership to change the system. People are ferociously frustrated with politics at a local level and a national level and also the delivery.”

Grace Tallon – Labour

This 28-year-old music teacher is already sitting on the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Council and is running in the Dundrum area in this election.

She comes from a family that has always supported the Labour party and joked that she “couldn’t really get away from it”.

“I really think it’s important for young people to be in there,” she said. “It’s important for them to have their votes and obviously experience is important but we need young voices in politics to talk about what affects young people.”

What’s the best way to get more young people interested in politics? It’s simple according to Tallon – just talk to them.

When you engage with them they realise there’s so much we can do at a local level and we can do lots more as a group and that’s what’s encouraging younger candidates to get involved.

From her experience on the council in the last two years, she has learned that “it takes an awfully long time for things to happen.”

“We have little powers in the council but there are huge things you can do,” she said, referencing a campaign she headed encouraging people to shop locally which has already helped businesses in the area.

“The thing is, you’re very much on your own as a councillor, obviously I work with Labour and get lots of help from colleagues but you’re doing all your own stuff,” she explained.

Adam Wyse – Fianna Fáil

Wyse took his place on the council representing Waterford City East following the sudden death of his father, Councillor Gary Wyse last year. For him, this election is not just about representing his community, it’s about continuing the work his father did in the area for many years.

The 19-year-old is the youngest Fianna Fáil candidate and one of the youngest candidates running in the election but he said there was always a plan for him to take his father’s seat – he just hadn’t expected it to happen so soon.

I remember when I was in sixth year and dad would be driving me to school and we’d listen to what was being said on the radio and talk about it afterwards so I always had an interest in it and what he was doing. There are two other boys in my family but my dad always said that if someone was going to take his place it would be me.

Wyse said his age is mentioned by people when he’s out canvassing but most people tell him they think he’s “brave to be out doing this”.

“There are some people who might think, you know, I haven’t the experience but that’s nothing without dedication and action and you could have ten or twenty or thirty years of experience but if you’re not taking action you won’t get anything done,” he said.

Encouraging younger people in his area to vote is a priority for Wyse as he said there are 170 people under the age of 21 in his area who haven’t registered to vote yet – including some of his own friends.

“People never believe that one vote can make a difference but it did for my dad, he got in on eight votes in 2009 and the city would have lost an awful lot if he wasn’t elected,” Wyse commented. “We need to encourage young people to realise their vote is encouraged, needed and respected.”

Cormac Manning – Green Party

Currently studying Law and Irish at UCC, the 21-year-old first time candidate says he decided to run because there are “so many things being done wrong” that he thought need to be changed.

He also thinks the 70,000 people living in his constituency of Ballincollig-Carrigaline should have the option of voting green.  Manning believes his party is offering something different that is particularly attractive for younger voters – policies that look to the future.

“We don’t just look towards the short-term or the next election, we’re looking towards the next generation,” he told TheJournal.ie.

I suppose because of what happened in the last general election, we have a lot of first time candidates or people who ran limited campaigns before so we’ve got a mix of fresh ideas and people with experience.

Manning said some people on the doorstep have been “skeptical” because of his youth but he has been pointing out that with 55 people to represent the interest of everyone in Cork, diversity is needed in the council.

“There’s a whole generation of different experiences of life going unrepresented,” he said.

“It’s a vicious circle really because young people don’t see it as being relevant to them so they don’t vote and then the establishment just focuses on groups who do vote.”

Like the other young candidates we interviewed, he’s hoping his presence on the council will help foster equality in his community.

“If you walk down any street or call around any estate you can see social inequalities and gaps between rich and poor at the moment and I think that it’s horrible and needs to be addressed,” he added.

Will you be giving new and younger candidates a chance in the upcoming local elections or will you be sticking with familiar faces?

Read: Labour Youth admit: Our posters break the law – but we’re prepared to pay the fine>

Read: A candidate from the ‘Don’t Give A Feck’ Party is running in the Meath East local elections>

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65 Comments
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    Mute Peter King
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    Apr 20th 2014, 8:03 AM

    Why is the 20 something FF candidate running? Cos it was his dad’s seat. Nothing changes!

    930
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    Mute Deaglán O'Ceirín
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    Apr 20th 2014, 8:41 AM

    ‘…comes from a family who always supported Labour and joked ‘she couldn’t really get away from it’..

    …this is more of it!

    549
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    Mute Eoin Ryan
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    Apr 20th 2014, 10:19 AM

    We live in a democracy…. Nobody- not an individual, not a family ‘owns’ a seat.

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    Mute Dave Harris
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    Apr 20th 2014, 10:41 AM

    you sure about that Eoin?

    89
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    Mute Paul Mc
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    Apr 20th 2014, 11:55 AM

    How could anybody young or old have the neck to seek public office for Fianna Gael, Fianna Fail or the Labour party have they no shame?

    110
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    Mute socrates
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    Apr 20th 2014, 1:26 PM

    You should read up on how a person sets up a party and how someone is admitted to a party and then subsequently elected minister or Taoiseach … The whole thing is a farce,

    34
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    Mute Joseph O'Regan
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    Apr 20th 2014, 1:28 PM

    How can they be ashamed when they are totally disconnected from reality in their ivory tower.

    46
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    Mute Eileen Roche
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    May 5th 2014, 2:41 PM

    Why do most of these candidates think they can make a change, they have no say, have to follow the leader, and mainly paid big money to be a hand up saying nay or yea, ( the count ) We have way to many TD’s, advisor’s, Office, family and friends in Leinster House. Do you really think these new TDs are going to make a difference. New and old in the coalition and every one voted Yes to all the cuts etc, only loud and clear No was when asked to take a wage cut by Sinn Féin. One of the main reasons why so against SF getting in is their obscene wages and perks will be cut, and pensions levelled off. Now tell a candidate at the door his/her wages will be cut in half, and see how many posters come down. I suppose you can’t blame them for joining even the likes of Labour, the wages and perks are way better than even a USA president gets.

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    Mute richard ferris
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    Apr 20th 2014, 8:14 AM

    The people of Waterford East need to remind Adam Wyse it isnt his dads seat. Its a right you have to earn not be born into. If this lad gets in just for that this cou ntry has learnt nothing

    576
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    Mute scooter mcgavin
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    Apr 20th 2014, 8:20 AM

    Did anyone else find themselves skimming past the Labour candidate? Just saying…….

    291
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    Mute Aoife Mc Hugh
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    Apr 20th 2014, 10:00 AM

    A 20 something year old occupational therapist running for a party that shut down her catchment area’s A&E department. The mind boggles

    235
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    Mute Ann-marie Mc Caffrey
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    Apr 20th 2014, 10:34 AM

    An A&E which an independent regulatory authority deemed unsafe! Would people really have been happy to be cared for in an unsafe environment? With all the new services and developments to the hospital that have happened and are under way it’s refreshing

    28
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    Mute Aoife Mc Hugh
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    Apr 20th 2014, 10:41 AM

    You obviously don’t live in the area. I do. And if you are hurt or sick in the event of an emergency the nearest accessible hospital is over 40 minutes away on very poor roads. So what was more unsafe? That hospitals recently built A&E department or a 40 minute drive whilst having a heart attack?

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    Mute Aoife Mc Hugh
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    Apr 20th 2014, 10:46 AM

    And before you reply that they are available to treat head, neck and chest pain it’s worth bearing in mind that that is in the “urgent care unit” of the hospital which operates between 8 am and 8pm.

    55
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    Mute Aoife Mc Hugh
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    Apr 20th 2014, 10:50 AM
    25
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    Mute Ann-marie Mc Caffrey
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    Apr 20th 2014, 10:54 AM

    Your right I don’t live in the area I live 55mins from a hospital in leitrim… I wouldn’t like to be treated in a hospital service deemed unsafe, when some thing goes wrong and there’s a pre existing report saying it was unsafe to begin with everyone love to complain… Choices need to be made! Oh and Boyle isn’t 40 mins from Sligo general…

    27
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    Mute Aoife Mc Hugh
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    Apr 20th 2014, 11:11 AM

    It was “deemed unsafe on the grounds of lack of medical supervision”. If every hospital in the country was assessed on these grounds how many would still be open? So why wasn’t more supervision put in place? It all comes down to money it’s that simple. It was a money saving measure. The issue wasn’t patient safety ir was dollars and cents. Do some research into the closure of the hospital and the ramifications of said closure. Educate yourself before you comment, pre election the people of Roscommom were promised it would remain open.
    You’re right Boyle isn’t 40 minutes from Sligo general, but the hospital covered a very large area which expanded into county Galway. I’m from an area that was covered and in an emergency could be at the hospital in 20 minutes but now the nearest is UCGH which is 45 minutes away.

    48
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    Mute Aoife Mc Hugh
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    Apr 20th 2014, 11:39 AM

    Also worth noting that before the hospital was downgraded on the grounds of safety in 2011, after an inspection by HIQA, it was reported that HIQA inspectors never actually visited the hospital. So there’s that.

    http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/hiqa-inspectors-never-visited-roscommon-hospital-hse-admits-512492.html

    36
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    Mute Ann-marie Mc Caffrey
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    Apr 20th 2014, 2:38 PM

    The consultants reported in your local newspaper the care within the hospital is now of a higher quality and a higher standard since the a & e closure. With the people with the highest standing within the hospital agreeing with the closure surely it was a good option and everything comes down to money the country hasn’t found a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow so decisions have to been made. Instead of focusing on past it would be nice to look to the future, and I understand your concerns but I grew up in leitrim and just bought a house here and we survive been the distance from our local hospital. Communities can do lots for themselves we have fundraised for AEDs and trained people with in the community to use them. Time to become proactive.. Complaining about the past is a waste of energy, Happy Easter!

    8
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    Mute Aoife Mc Hugh
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    Apr 20th 2014, 2:59 PM

    http://www.finegael.ie/latest-news/2014/consultants-confirm-what-/

    Assume this is your source of information, a Fine Gael website… I’ll say no more.
    Happy Easter to you too.

    26
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    Mute Glittergirl
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    Apr 20th 2014, 7:58 PM

    Aoife McHugh -first off, no political agenda here but this is a subject I feel passionate about. I work in a large urban Emergency Department. Ask any doctor or nurse where they would choose to take their relative in the event of an emergency and most will tell you they will (and do) tell family to bypass the local hospital and drive the 45 minutes to a centre of excellence, rather than bring a patient to a local ED with less experienced staff (where there are usually only a few docs on a training scheme and/or locums as the best medics want to work in the busier specialist centres, in terms of learning/development), staff with less experience in trauma and a limited range of available urgent procedure, you just can’t have specialist care everywhere in such a small country. It’s not all about money, high quality medical staff just don’t want to work in the smaller hospitals. I know Emergency Dept staff, myself included, who have bypassed Naas, Navan etc, to get to an urban hospital to access procedures such as stroke thrombolysis. 95% of sudden cardiac arrest patients die before they reach hospital, yet people always highlight these patients as a reason to keep smaller hospitals open. The reality is that without CPR and AED within minutes to improve survival rates, the statistics clearly show that the patient is likely to be dead by the time they reach hospital (I’m talking more than 7 minutes from time of attack). We should learn from other countries who don’t have hospitals in every locality and manage successful rural healthcare in vaster regions than Ireland. Look at Australia, huge investment in high quality paramedic and emergency services, longer distances to travel to Emergency Department and good outcomes for trauma and sudden illness patients. Most laypeople do not understand the importance of having centres of excellence as they get caught in the emotive and deluded desire to have something on their doorstep. It’s for that reason that I believe decisions about hospitals should be made by those who best know how to get the best outcomes for patients, including patients in rural communities. If you are interested in improving outcomes for people in your community who are at risk of heart attack, heed Ann Marie McCaffrey, get yourself trained in CPR, improve availability to AEDs in your community and campaign for paramedic services. That will actually help. The current Irish hospital restructure is based on international principles which have been proven to improve survival and quality outcomes for the majority of patients, in communities who have to travel over 40 minutes to access Emergency Care. Decisions must be made on evidence not emotion. I would assume Maura Hopkins as a healthcare worker, will be in complete agreement!

    15
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    Mute Jennifer McGuinness
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    Apr 22nd 2014, 2:37 PM

    Aoife, if you chose to live in one of the least populated areas of an already sparsely populated country then you cannot expect to have the services of a metropolitan area. It’s a risk you have to weigh up. I live in Dublin precisely because I’m near all those services at the expense of wide open spaces etc.

    3
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    Mute Derek Richardson
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    Apr 20th 2014, 8:25 AM

    Nothing wise about young wyse carrying on ff agenda of the past few years can he not see the mess they left the country in

    200
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    Mute Joseph Siddall
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    Apr 20th 2014, 1:20 PM

    At least Maura is getting a good response from the doorsteps. There again, doorsteps don’t get to vote. Think she may want to talk to people and not their thresholds. Just saying.

    20
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    Mute DubDon
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    Apr 20th 2014, 8:43 AM

    So if Miss Hopkins is unable to live in Roscommon… How is she going to be able to listen to the people? Maybe a bit like her party colleague Frank Feighan TD. He listened to his constituents told them all they wanted to hear. Even brought Enda down to back up the promises… Then back tracked on everyone of them.

    183
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    Mute Sinead Hanley
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    Apr 20th 2014, 8:54 AM

    I am sure some of these people start out with good intentions but then they start mixing with the pigs at the trough.. You’d love to think they’d bring about change but you just have to look at the evil smug face of sean fitzpatrick outside the court walking away scot free to know that some things will never change. Even after all we went through, we still havent learned a thing. Its not what you know, its WHO you know

    111
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    Mute davey p
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    Apr 20th 2014, 8:22 AM

    Are the green party still going?? I honestly thought they disbanded. Its always good to get fresh faces in, but are they coming with fresh ideas. I find it hard to trust legacy politicians, especially if he comes in with more or less the same policy as daddy

    126
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    Mute jimmy haribo
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    Apr 20th 2014, 8:47 AM

    Eammon Ryan was canvassing at knocklyon shopping cntr yesterday, tried to hand me a leaflet, I just looked at him ans said, i cant stand you lot your extinct.

    82
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    Mute Connaughtabu
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    Apr 20th 2014, 9:33 AM

    Jimmy, Time to grow up – the Green Party made the mistake of going into coalition with FF and paid the ultimate price at the last general election.

    There is however a place for a Green Party in Ireland, focused on local and environmental issues.

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    Mute Brigid Leahy Dunne
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    Apr 20th 2014, 9:48 AM

    Green Party put 23c on a litre of fuel during their stint in power. Reason enough to never let them near the coridoors of power again.

    133
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    Mute Barry
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    Apr 20th 2014, 10:41 AM

    …and introuduced the idea of 10% a month fine if your late paying taxes, contiuned in LPT.

    58
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    Mute David Harrington
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    Apr 20th 2014, 8:12 AM

    Young and idealistic. The reality of how things actually work in our system will fix that unfortunately.

    125
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    Mute lunadoran
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    Apr 20th 2014, 9:12 AM

    Im sure they know how things work, that’s why they want to get in! Easy money.

    68
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    Mute Tom Fennelly
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    Apr 20th 2014, 8:24 AM

    Only super rich countries like Ireland have 19 and 21 year old’s who have enough money to fund their own election campaign. The homeless referred to in another article in the Journal have no chance if being represented. Having said that, it’s better to see these young lads at it than John Joe who came on as a sub and scored the winning point in the ’53 county final.

    120
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    Mute Hakuin Murphy
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    Apr 20th 2014, 8:58 AM

    Anyone have the feeling that it’s no coincidence that the Socialist Workers Party candidate is unemployed?
    They always strike me as people who prefer to bitch, moan and point the finger at “the system” rather than take responsibility for their own lives.
    Seriously how does he put himself forward on an unemployment platform when he can’t even find a job for himself?

    109
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    Mute Niall H
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    Apr 20th 2014, 9:22 AM

    That’s a bit harsh, I don’t know if you’ve noticed up there in your ivory tower but it’s not easy to get work if you’re in your twenties in Ireland these days.

    86
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    Mute Hakuin Murphy
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    Apr 20th 2014, 10:03 AM

    No it’s not easy, it’s a challenge….
    So for me I wouldn’t be asking people to put their faith in me to help others with that challenge, if I hadn’t been able to surmount it myself….
    You know, kind of like a morbidly obese person touting themselves as a personal trainer….

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    Mute Vincent F
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    Apr 20th 2014, 12:25 PM

    Dare I say a clean appearance may also help for job searching. If you can’t be bothered to wash your face what’s your work ethic going be?

    12
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    Mute VinHeffer89
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    Apr 20th 2014, 1:24 PM

    Sorry now lads, but appearances aren’t everything. That Fianne Fail kid looks like a follower more so than anything else; dead behind the eyes and completely indoctrinated by “party values” since birth. Sure, he’s well groomed and all but based on what he said he seems thick as a plank. I’d rather have a scruff with a bit of a brain that an empty suit full of party rhetoric learned by heart and anecdotes about how Daddy was a great man. Lord knows we’ve enough of them already.

    36
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    Mute Marlon Major
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    Apr 20th 2014, 8:24 AM

    Regardless of the party… I wish all these young candidates the best of luck. I pray with the changing of the tide… The way politics are practiced here in Ireland changes.

    101
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    Mute Tony Skillington
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    Apr 20th 2014, 8:28 AM

    Pray away Marlon…it ain’t gonna happen.

    106
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    Mute Brian Ó Cuinn
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    Apr 20th 2014, 9:15 AM

    Sinn Féin have jumped on the celebrity-candidate bandwagon and gotten Michael Fassbender.

    100
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    Mute My Views
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    Apr 20th 2014, 3:02 PM

    Now he’s a SF candidate I could easily vote for!

    19
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    Mute JakkiB
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    Apr 20th 2014, 8:35 AM

    Nice try FG & LAB using two women, We see you!!!!

    98
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    Mute Ian O'Mara
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    Apr 20th 2014, 8:54 AM

    The cynicism on this website is at new levels. It takes courage for anyone, particularly young people, to run for public office. Fair play to them.

    Also, there is no gravy train in local government. Cllrs make about 12k a year for what in many cases is a full time job.

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    Mute Sèamus Kennedy
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    Apr 20th 2014, 9:05 AM

    Don’t forget the 15k expenses on top of the 12k

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    Mute Jimbo Murphy
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    Apr 20th 2014, 8:47 AM

    Why are these twenty-somethings running in the local elections? To try jump on the gravy train of course.

    Also, I was interested to learn that 19 is now considered twenty -omething.

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    Mute Con ODomhnaill
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    Apr 20th 2014, 11:00 AM

    “I am getting a really positive reaction from the doorsteps and there’s been huge support,” said Maura Hopkins who is running for Fine Gael in Roscommon. Strange that Maura, surely the people of Roscommon are asking you about the lies told by your leader about Roscommon hospital? And have they not mentioned the Property/Bondholder Tax and the water charges which Fine Gael are introducing later this year and which START at 250 Euro?

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    Mute The Truth Hurts
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    Apr 20th 2014, 11:45 AM

    They all have to say that… Wouldn’t be good for the ‘campaign’.

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    Mute Dave Byrne
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    Apr 20th 2014, 11:08 AM

    I was expecting that there would be more than one school teacher going forward for election, As for the FF candidate whose daddy held the seat nothing changes there; The dynasty policy still prevails within Irish politics.
    Do we want or need another inda calamity coughlan or cowen, Who all got elected very young and wouldn’t know how the normal person has to survive and budget.

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    Mute gary banner
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    Apr 20th 2014, 9:43 AM

    Wonder what’s the odds of any of them not being self serving , boring, unemployable chancers in the making !!

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    Mute Kieran Harvey
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    Apr 20th 2014, 11:37 AM

    The awkward moment when the 21 year old green candidate thinks he can change the world….

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    Mute Stephen O Flynn
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    Apr 20th 2014, 9:17 AM

    Sinn Fein for change n patriotism no financial agenda

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    Mute Patrick Cosgrave
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    Apr 20th 2014, 9:45 AM

    Vote Carcetti !!

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    Mute Dan
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    Apr 20th 2014, 10:27 AM

    Cormac get a haircut ya hippy

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    Mute Liam Ó Séicspéir
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    Apr 20th 2014, 3:12 PM

    I’d do the Sinn Féin one and, if I was pushed, I’d probably give the Green one a go as well.

    My fave is the Independent though. He can knock my door any time he likes ;)

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    Mute Eoin Milner
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    Apr 20th 2014, 2:12 PM

    If they are running for ff, fg or labour there is nothing fresh about it.. After everything we’ve been through over the last 6 years, how any young person can still join these parties is beyond me. You can’t fix stupid I suppose……….

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    Mute Michael Garett
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    Apr 20th 2014, 10:26 AM

    Never listen to a politician at election time.

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    Mute phunkyboy
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    Apr 20th 2014, 3:04 PM

    NO FG ,NO FF and definitely NO LAB.

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    Mute Siobhán Maher
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    Apr 20th 2014, 12:26 PM

    I can’t speak for all of them, but I met Gary Gannon through a youth organisation a few years ago and know that he really is focused on changing things for the better of his community and not for what he can get out of it. I would hope the other young candidates are the same and I wish them all the best of luck. At least these people are actively trying to change things and not just moaning about how bad everything is!

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    Mute whitesloe
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    Apr 20th 2014, 10:14 AM

    Nach dathúil an t-Uasal Uí Laoghaire? Ní shinner mé áfach, Corcaíoch ach oiread.

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    Mute Alan Flannery
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    Apr 20th 2014, 12:20 PM

    Election W@nkers

    Joke the whole effing thing

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    Mute Dead Ball Browne
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    Apr 20th 2015, 12:13 AM

    Tallon !

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