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THE COUNTRY GOES to the polls in a little under three weeks to elect eleven MEPs to the European Parliament.
This year’s election has something of a ‘musical chairs’ aspect — our representation’s down from 12 to 11 this time out, and the boundaries have been significantly re-drawn.
The big names taking part this year, we’re all well aware of — they include junior ministers, former GAA presidents, and outspoken independents.
As with any election, however, there’s no guarantee that anyone you vote for will still be representing your constituency in five, four — or even a year’s time. Life happens: people resign, people die — and in these circumstances, European seats are filled from the candidate’s own ‘replacements’ list. There are no by-elections for Brussels.
Three of the current crop of MEPs were substituted into the role: Paul Murphy took over from fellow Socialist Joe Higgins in 2011 when the latter regained his Dáil seat; Phil Prendergast replaced her Labour colleague (now junior minister) Alan Kelly the same year; and Emer Costello was drafted in to replace Prionsias De Rossa in 2012, after the veteran politician decided to step down.
The rules for the replacements?
Registered political parties can submit a list with up to six names more than the number of candidates running for the party in a constituency. Non-party hopefuls and independents can submit up to four names.
So — the lists this year?
In Dublin, Eamonn Coghlan is the standout name on the ballot paper — the former world champion runner and current senator is on Brian Hayes’ standby list. Coghlan is also a candidate for the Dublin West by-election.
Another Dublin West candidate also makes it to the list for Labour: party chair Loraine Mulligan is on the bench this time out for Emer Costello.
The Director of the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network, Tiernan Brady, is Mary Fitzpatrick’s number one choice of replacement for Fianna Fáil. While elsewhere in Dublin, Irish Times security analyst and former army officer Tom Clonan makes the list for independent Nessa Childers.
In Ireland South and Ireland Midlands-North West, where Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are each running multiple candidates, the candidates from the Civil War parties also take up the top spots on the respective standby lists. In other words, Simon Harris is a sub for Seán Kelly who is a sub for Deirdre Clune, etc. etc….
From CitizensInformation.ie:
A person cannot be nominated as a replacement candidate in more than one constituency. However, a person who is actually a candidate in the election can also be a replacement candidate.This means that a candidate who was not elected but who was also in the replacement list may be eligible to fill any casual vacancies that arise.
Elsewhere in Ireland South, Tom Shortt — a Limerick councillor and brother of comedian Pat — is one of the names on Phil Prendergast’s list of back-ups.
Midlands-North West
In the massive 15 county Midlands-North West — John Wilson, the former garda whistleblower, is one of the most-high profile names in the mix. He’s the top-listed sub for independent TD Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan.
For Fianna Fáil, former TD Niall Blaney — who pulled out of the 2011 General Election citing personal reasons — is on the list for Pat ‘the Cope’ Gallagher and Thomas Byrne. Elsewhere, pro-life campaigner Eilís Mulroy is a replacement for independent senator Rónán Mullen.
Final notice
One candidate vying for a seat on 23 May felt compelled to issue a ‘rest easy’ note of advice to his replacements bench in advance of the vote.
Contacted by TheJournal.ie, anti-bailout activist Diarmuid O’Flynn confirmed fellow ‘Ballyhea Says No’ campaigners Fiona Fitzpatrick, Pat Moloney and Phillip Ryan as his preferred substitutes, adding…
The only thing that would bring me back from Europe though is Dr Death.
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Young men who won’t expose their arses in public? A rare breed of Irishman indeed . They don’t make them like that any more ………. :)
William wallace: its all for nothing if we dont have freedom.
If he though the Irish were smart asses, I wonder what he thought about the Jews…..oh wait……
Great film
Timely article given the impending referendum. What would William do these days?
I seem to remember a huge sense of disappointment, that Mel Gibson didn’t mention the boys from the defence forces, while doing his “thank you” when he received his Oscar.
My good friend Jason Mckevitt is the very lad in the article. Grand head of hair on you Jay
Cheers Buddy, That clip has brought back some memories, especially regarding my Hair…..Mel Gibson was actually a genuine guy….no airs or graces Hollywood stuff, he would talk to us the same as his co-stars and production team, Still a smartass none the less !!!!!!!
Genius film maker.
@Thomas, calling Mel Gibson a “Genius Film Maker” probably puts you in a very small minority group. A lot of things spr
….spring to mind, when he’s mentioned but “Genius” is not one of them ….
Braveheart, The Passion of the Christ and Apocalypto are all film masterpieces. He is a great director.
It’s my Island
That movie also spawned the chat-up line that was most used by irish male students on foreign female students for a couple of years… Every single on them claimed to have been an extra. My landlord in first year in college was working for the irish film board when they granted the funding for brave heart so I heard about it coming to Ireland for filming months before they arrived.
I’d say you’re great craic.
What chat up line. “You bled for wallace now bleed for me”?
Very good!!!
Overrated and basically fictional version of history. So completely irrelevant to the independence debate.
Clown
Alan, about sums it up. Great Scottish hero, played by an Australian and filmed in Ireland. Obviously no suitable scenery in Scotland. Decent film but hardly a history lesson.
Indeed, it’s actually considered one of the most historically inaccurate films ever made.
Er, I’d say that dubious honour would fall to Neil Jordan’s version of “Michael Collins”, Ben.
You don’t speak Latin?
Yeah well Mel is a girl’s name.
The Irish Army is a good army They do a great job at peace keeping for the UN, but a lot of respect is lost when we see them being extras in films and minding the banks money
The banks pay them to do it. It’s not free service afaik.
Soldiers have been extras in films for years and years. There was a time their pay was total shit and so they’d do it for a weekend away on the piss and a bit of craic. I wouldn’t begrudge it to them.
That’s a bit like saying nurses lose a lot of respect when they take a coffee break.
Jack those extras were fca (reserves)
There’s always one….
They kept him in fags anyway.
He is just a drunk lads take no notice of him
Why should I care what an alcoholic, wife-beating myth peddler has to say?
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