Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
GREEN PARTY LEADER Eamon Ryan has just won a seat in Dublin Bay South, bringing the party up to two seats in the 32nd Dail.
His deputy Catherine Martin was a surprise winner of a seat in Dublin Rathdown yesterday, knocking out Fine Gael’s Alan Shatter.
Martin, speaking to TheJournal.ie yesterday after her win in the three-seat constituency, said that she had spent the last four years canvassing:
The Greens are back in town and there’s a new Green there too. Why I did it all along is to get that Green voice restored, it’s been sorely missed. I believe that’s why I was elected.
The Greens suffered catastrophe in the 2011 election when all six of its TDs lost their seats. The return of two seats and a vote share of up to 3% means that they now have State funding restored to the party.
Ryan, following his win in Dublin Bay South, remarked:
I think we are the first party to lose all its seats in the Dáil and to come back.
He said that it proves that “money isn’t everything”.
It’s been a really big voluntary effort for five years with nothing, with no resources but with people.
Though his party will have just two seats in the Dáil, he told RTÉ he still believes they can make a difference.
“Two voices in opposition, if we’re really progressive…I think you can do a lot.”
Fine Gael’s Eoghan Murphy also took a seat in the constituency – he had a total of 8,023 votes to Ryan’s 8,788 – the quota was 7,941.
Jim O’Callaghan of Fianna Fáil and Kate O’Connell for Fine Gael took the final two seats, neither reaching quota.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Good stuff. We need a strong Green voice in the Dáil more than ever.
Things haven’t been the same since The Hulk lost his seat…
You won’t get a strong anything with 2 seats. Will be invisible and treated like the clowns they are. Also don’t forget who propped up the FF government of Brian Cowan – your friends the greens
Hope they’re kept out of Government or we’ll be taxed to the hill.
Oh there was no propping them up. The greens were as reasonable for the bank guarantee as FF were.
The phrase is “to the hilt” Mick. Delighted for the Greens
Hill were I come Ciaran
They need to get together with the Social Democrats and maybe a couple of independents and form a technical group of the centre-left.
The Green party propped up the FF lead government for a ban on hunting animals, meanwhile they let the banks hunt their fellow human beings – how many people killed themselves due to the policies the Green party sat their supporting – I cannot believe this guy has gotten a seat!
Amazing selective amnesia there Karl – typical of the Irish electorate. You take time to comment on this, and seem oblivious to the fact that the creatures who were actually responsible for it all are currently leading in seat numbers.
Saw a poll on are RTE last night that the people want more taxes so that we could spend more
I’d say SDs 3 could join AAAPBP’s 4. They would shun labour and probably greens. Labour/greens would probably make up 7 for speaking rights.
Ironic that Dublin people vote for someone who doesn’t want them to own massive Audi cars
Watchful Axe, I’d be happy for GP/SD/AAAPBP/Indos4change/MOS to get together, and eventually for a detoxified Labour which has ousted its leadership and returned to its roots to join them too. We’re talking about over 20 TDs there. If they joined with SF and called it the Progressive Front or whatever, they would be bigger than FF and could be the official opposition regardless of who’s in power. It doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of happening though.
Affluent Dublin people votes for higher energy bills.
Thanks.
The Healy Rae family are entitled to as much of a voice as the Green Party considering they have the same number of T.D.s
The Hulk may have lost his seat but we still have Alan Kelly..
Why are people obsessed with small parties being obliterated permanently after a bad stint in government? The Greens were naive and stupid to prop up FF for so long, but there’s been a major overhaul in the party and big lessons learnt by those who remain like Ryan.
The same applies now with Labour. It’s ridiculous to hope they disappear as a party. Let the ignorant leadership of Burton, Kelly, O Riordain and Rabitte disappear, but there’s a good tract of young politicians in that party that can rebuild it over the next decade and bring it back as a proper centre left, liberal party.
Looks like Kelly is going to hold his seat.
Fantastic! We need green thinking in government!
Shure €2 per litre of diesel will work out just great like.
Great news.
Well done GP!
Although I don’t support the Greens, there is a role for the Green Party in the Dail, providing they have learned a political lesson in not supporting parties which have a fundamental lack of support from Green environmental policies. The Greens should not sell out again. They have only 2 seats and this may inhibit the temptation to be led astray, as in the past.
Jaysus! Plastic bag tax up… Carbon tax up.. Save the planet waffle??.? … Sod it I’m going back to bed!!
And yer bed is on what planet?!
Saving the planet stuff is waffle? How sad your life must be.
Tom there are two of them in the Dail. They’ll hardly have the power to increase taxes. Plus the plastic bag tax is a huge success and has been copied in other countries.
Well done to Eamon Ryan and the Greens. We need their perspective in national politics.
Feckin tree hugger woffle for 5 years. Oh the humanity
For forks sake
Thank god only two
Two too many
You really don’t have a clue what’s going on around you. Please, educate yourself before giving your opinion.
What I see is overpriced fuel that drives up the cost of everything we buy and acts as a disincentive to work because people’s commuting costs are astronomical. When there is a viable alternative to petrol and diesel then the greens may have a point. But their policy to tax tax and tax some more is utter bollix.
Drive electric :-)
Wasted votes
No such thing.
We need a better Roach spray.
Looking at that profile pic I think you’ve had more than enough roach spray.
What a time to be alive !
Here is the actual quotation from Wordsworth:-
OH! pleasant exercise of hope and joy!
For mighty were the auxiliars which then stood
Upon our side, we who were strong in love!
Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive,
But to be young was very heaven!
It’s the Irish electorate that really needs to learn a lesson here. Voting the same two parties in and out of government every few years and expecting different results each time. Insane.
Feckin tree hugger woffle for 5 years. Oh the humanity
Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.
Mighty hurl from big ash made.
Climate change is a load of nonsense. The idea that I can save the polar bears by turn my lights is stupid. Big industry and business has to do the heavy lifting instead of the Greens sticking their hands in my pocket
According to the RTE exit poll, climate change wasnt even an issue yet 2 greens were elected
yes the more fruitcake’s just what the doctor ordered. Remember these guys would flood the country with you know who, so they can deal with their white privileged guilt complex. (WPGC) they wont be living beside them in D4, it will be next to you …. and you will be paying for it and not just from your pocket …… lol
Who’s you know who?
Lady Gaga
or the smurfs
The Left and Greens want this for you.
http://www.dw.com/en/group-of-foreign-men-harasses-girls-at-mall-in-northern-germany/a-19078431
“White privilege”?
What colour are you then?
Delighted to see a green voice back in the Dail.
We need an environmental voice to call out bad developer led planning, a toothless EPA , appalling underinvestment in public transport, shoddy building standards, a free for all on wasteful packaging, poor quality groundwater … the list is endless
Can it get any worse? ?
Jaysus, it’s a couple of well-meaning tree huggers, not the return of Hitler. Chillax
LOL Neal fair point. Still fcuking greens will probably stop me mowing the lawn.
Green energy is the future and a Green voice is essential to drown out the loud mouth bunch of deniers and their fantasies.
Thank you for the Green Party story. Congrats to the Green Party for an excellent campaign. The Green Party Green New Deal eco jobs for the economy is a winner. Green Party solar jobs, wind jobs, geothermal jobs, rail jobs, conservation jobs.
That was that lad who was on holiday in d sun a few year ago in Jan when he was minister for transport when d rest of us was freezing in d snow in traffic in our cars He was also d lad responsible for doing a Michael Jackson stunt with his child hanging over due balcony do any of u remember the incident?
He was never minister for transport.
He was minister for transport on the planet Liam lives on.
Ironic that Dublin people vote for someone who doesn’t want them to own massive juggernauts.
If he gets in govt its goodbye cheap petrol. Electricity bills will go from third highest to highest in EU
Nobody’s forming a government with two seats. It’ll be fine.
the lack of political understanding on show here is mind boggling.
Greens will go into govt with anyone
No Owen they won’t, not after what happened to them the last time
A govt of FF/FG/Greens is not impossible.
Ryan will ask for Energy minister in return for backing them up on austerity and cuts
Dermot, you dont understand green mindset.
They crave power and control over ordinary people
Owen the Green Party uniquely in Ireland has never accepted corporate donations, because they view them as inherently corrupting. If they craved power as much as you imply, this wouldn’t be the case.
Ah now, leave Owen alone lads, his stupidity is hilarious!
Tax policies that reward the rich and savage the poor. No thanks.
The windmill and concrete people will be hoping he gets energy minister as he will write them a blank cheque
Green party the party of the south side of Dublin and head up their collective holes, 2 seats means nothing why as they dont have speaking rights…But they would sell their souls to the devil to get back in Dublin, bunch of over entitled idiots
gg
have your say