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Updated 5.25pm
FIANNA FÁIL LEADER Micheál Martin has been reluctant to congratulate Mary Hanafin on her success as it looks like she is set to take a seat in south Dublin alongside Kate Feeney.
The two candidates were at the centre of an awkward row which raised questions about Fianna Fáil’s leadership, but now it now looks like both will be elected.
Hanafin remained a candidate despite repeated calls from Martin for her to withdraw after her late arrival on the ticket prompted by reports that Feeney was polling badly.
Speaking to Newstalk this evening, Martin said Hanafin’s decision to defy the party’s wishes “changed the dynamic of the election and galvanised forces there.”
“I was told a long time ago that a good row in politics can do wondrous things in the next election,” he joked.
While he acknowledged that “Mary Hanafin has done well”, he made a point of congratulating Feeney, saying he was “delighted” for her and she showed “great courage and great nerve”.
“You’ve been through a baptism of fire and you stood up to it,” he said.
Martin told RTÉ that Hanafin will likely still face disciplinary action for going against the party’s decision.
Tallies
The latest tallies for the Blackrock local electoral area show the former Minister for Education is on 14.4 per cent, with newcomer and president of Ógra Fianna Fáil Feeney on 12.4 per cent.
Both are behind front-runner Marie Baker of Fine Gael who is on 17 per cent, but ahead of the remaining eight candidates. There are six seats on Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Council on offer in the area.
Hanafin is projected to have 1,527 first preferences with 1,308 for Feeney. Hanafins transfers are likely to push Feeney over the line.
The first count is expected within a few hours. The valid poll is 10,953 votes with the quota set at 1,513 votes.
First published 3.23pm
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Heartbreaking. Is that the best that the USA can do, with its huge resources. So many live in abject poverty.
They’d sooner spend their billions on other children from far flung areas of the globe turning them into orphans and refugees. If they don’t care about their own children own whey would they care about anyone elses.
Kid needs to check his privilege.
Congrats to the boy
Poor little boy hasn’t had a great start in life, so many more out there like him, contrast this and the story about little Prince George and it’s just such a shame how one little boy has it all while another little boy has nothing!, hardly seems fair, hope his future is brighter!
Good luck to them all. Tis hard to be a child growing up without a proper home. Hopefully they can make it through.
And people give out about having to stay in hotels
Wow. Poor little guy. And sometimes we have a cheek to complain about silly things
Land of the Brave, Home of the Free. If you can cut it in the rat-race, never get ill, never get tired, never make a mistake. Given this country’s adoration of all things American, look out for a similar story in a venue near you – sooner rather than later.
Has already happened, SDCC evicted a 17 year old girl from her family home on Wednesday morning after the passing of her mother last year. They wouldn’t even let the poor child back in to get her mothers ashes and left her curled up in a ball, in her pyjamas, on the doorstep heartbroken. They told her she wasn’t their concern….. an orphaned 17 year old should be everyones concern.
Ann…i didnt hear about this..tell us more?
Please share more information on this story. Those responsible need to be called to account for their despicable behaviour. We can’t do that with sufficient information.
Scroll down their page – the media is too busying with other stuff!
https://www.facebook.com/Cairdeas-Homeless-Action-Group-768034629939704/?fref=photo
The girl wasn’t actually living in the house ..
You seem to know more than I do Suzie – do you know what the story behind it is? I searched the other night when I came across the post but could find nothing more about it. But the fact remains regardless of whether or not she was living there, her mothers ashes need to be returned to her.
Ann , the young girl is living wuth her grandmother and they were corresponding with her at all times , she knew it was happening so I would say she had her belongings in her grandmother’s house .
When this young ladies mother was alive she used to spend a couple of nights a week in her grannies and the rest of the time at home with her mother. When her mother got sick she stayed with her all of the time. Before her mother passed her gran was diagnosed with a terminal illness and when her mam died she stayed with her granny to look after her while she was sick (and lets not forget this young girl has school and doing her leaving cert). Her grandmother is now dying and in the hospice. In February the council wrote to her and told her that because she was a minor they could not leave her in the house and that as it was a 3 bedroom house it was needed for a family. So it will probably be back to square one when her granny passes.
Free to live in abject poverty. God bless America. It bloody-well needs it.
Contemporary sociologists have a nice cuddly descriptive term for this type of non traditional family unit – “a blended family”. Its essential…mandatory even,to be non judgemental about such social constructs so i will say only…well done.
You know the sad thing about this.
In a decades time some angry feminist or rights group activist will accuse him of having had a privilieged white male existence.
And social media will believe them.
Ireland 5 to 10 years on ?
Land of the free, home of the brave. Shocking how those in most need are let down by society.
For the love of God tell me if I can donate to this family. I don’t have much but I will send what I have. I can’t comprehend what these people have been through. Is this America?
Yeah.
Obama’s America.
Democrat’s America.
thejournal.ie you are way to PC with what people want to say, shame on you.
Ah god she left the buying of his birthday cake til the middle of his birthday party. …..that’s a bit odd
If only the Patriarchy would come to this guy’s rescue
have your say