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FIANNA FÁIL CANDIDATE and former TV presenter Gráinne Seoige has not fared well in her first election, according to a final tally in Galway West where she garnered just 5.1% of the vote.
One of the so-called ‘celebrity candidates’ – a term Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has said he does not like – Seoige announced her intention to run for one of the constituency’s five Dáil seats in August this year.
With Seoige out of contention, Fianna Fáil now have to pin their hopes on her party colleague John Connolly, whom the final tally had on 12% behind Sinn Féin’s Mairead Farrell (13.2%).
The Galway West race is tight at the top, independent TD Noel Grealish on 11.5%, independent TD Catherine Connolly on 11% Fine Gael’s Hildegarde Naughton on 10.1% and Independent Ireland’s Noel Thomas on 9.9%.
Micheál Martin has said Seoige is “a substantive person” who “ran a very spirited campaign”.
He also said she had “very big shoes to fill” after the retirement of Fianna Fáil’s Éamon Ó Cuív.
Martin added that the party was happy “on one level” because John Connolly is in the running for a seat.
Independent Catherine Connolly, who is on course to be re-elected, responded to the poor performance of Seoige this evening, telling Virgin Media the decision to run her was “daft”.
Connolly called the decision “an insult to people on the ground” and said she would leave it to Fianna Fáil to do “their own post-mortem”.
Mairead Farrell (SF), John Connolly (FF), Catherine Connolly, and Noel Grealish (IND) are on course to take the first four seats in the five-seater.
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What did she expect pointless candidate
@Trump24: In fairness to her Micheál Martin asked his party to seek out “popular” candidates as runners, instead of trying to get the finger out and increasing quality of effort, sounds like his hairbrained plan backfired.
@Trump24: a silly vein cow
@Trump24: irony. You’re “hero” is a multiple sexual assaulter of women. A draft dodger. A serial cheat. A user of escorts. A multiple bankruptee. Golfed 1/3rd of his shambolic presidential term and told over 30,000 provable lies.
@Ted Daly: ye dems STILL CRYING????
@Basildon Joe: I don’t know her personally but I highly doubt she deserves this level of abuse from someone cowering behind a pseudonym. She’s a fellow citizen who hasn’t done anything worse than put herself forward in an election. I can absolutely guarantee you she can spell ‘vain’ though! Whatever your silly and irrelevant troll thoughts are about her, she’s not a blood carrying bovine tube..’lol’.
@Basildon Joe: I don’t think it’s spelled like that Jim
@Trump24: Why did Martin think that a celebrity would make a politician? Grainne is better suited to renting property to the FAI. Anyone could see that this was an unwise decision, with an inevitable outcome.
@SerotoninWars: well said
You are indeed
@SerotoninWars: Going well bud till I looked up and saw your Pseudonym, ah well ,but anyway I totally agree .
@Kevin Kerr: Thanks Kevin :) I had a nice day. Met some people, did some weekend stuff. Went and lived some life. Checked in on some articles 15 minutes ago… and he’s still here! All day, every day, with no break. Does he sleep? Is insomnia to blame for the bitter and unhinged takes on every subject going?! Apart from the minor annoyance of every article being flooded with the same multiple accounts, it’s the textbook definition of sad. Imagine this was your entire life…
@Gerry Campbell: I’m not here abusing women behind a handle. Details matter! :)
@Ted Daly: Aka a winner
@Patrick MC Dermott: Dont know ask him
@Basildon Joe: Jealous Joe
@Patrick MC Dermott: what makes a teacher a good politician? I don’t think celebrities are the problem, more like the type of celebrity. I wouldn’t have thought Grainne was ever that popular with the public despite being on television.
@Basildon Joe: vein? Haha
@Des Quinn: don’t mention the hair …
@Ted Daly: That’s a lie.
@SerotoninWars: accidentally thumbed you up !! It’s nice to be nice but prove to us that Seoige is nice? She ran an arrogant campaign for an arrogant mean party. She claimed on rte in a defensive way that her campaign was spirited. Nah, it’s nice to be nice… TO nice people! It’s BETTER to be honest about others like Grainne or that dope Cynthia ni mhutchu!
Depressing, 4 years on from the last debacle of a FG/FF coalition and guess what, more of the same…there’s no hope changing the mindset and mentality of people in this country.
@Marcus Maher – Triskellion Films: I didn’t vote for them but jesus christ obviously most people don’t share your views or mine for that matter. Get over it. It’s like you and you alone are right. A lot of people are obviously doing fine the way things are.
@Marcus Maher – Triskellion Films: the people have spoken. It’s a democracy.
Oh its been a great day….. the greenies got more or less eradicated, Ireland won the rugby & now THIS??? is Christmas early or what?????
@Frank Mc Carthy: ‘What did she expect pointless candidate’….you could of just said that in one comment without changing your name from trump24. XD
@HisMastersAlibi: ‘could of’ yep, sums you up & everything you say is pointless when you don’t understand basic grammar.
Lack of education is obvious
@Jim: yawn
@Frank Mc Carthy: it hasn’t been a great day. The portion of Ireland celebrating any return of FFg are not good people – theyre bad people and they despise decent people.
She’s no Gerry Hutch!
@Dan The Man:
At least she isn’t a crook like Gerry Hutch.
@John Deane: very debatable lol
@John Deane: How do you know? Maybe she just hasn’t been caught
Sush a shame she didn’t make it 4 the people of Galway I had the privilege of working with her in sky news here in dublin back in the day she’s such a lovely genuine lady and very plesent to be with even back then
@liam ward: zero interest in my tax euros paying for wannabe ‘pretend’ TD’s… regardless of how nice they may be
@Frank Mc Carthy: ironically with a degrees in sociology and political science she’s more qualified than most of them
@Dermot Blaine: It’s always fun when there’s some good old fashioned facts to throw in the mixer! Not a FF voter but she’s as qualified as anyone to give it a go. In this climate it’s not easy for anyone to put themselves forward.
@liam ward: Christ. Working with someone that mentions her favourably years later in a Journal post doesn’t even qualify her to work in my local shop.
I think Michael Martin picket the WRONG PERSON to Run. What work did she do for the party…. NOTHING. I AM OVER THE MOON.
@Olivia Cheevers Cooke: that would explain the grammer. Signal from the moon can be weak at best.
shows how out of touch mehole is
@William O leary: Shafted the local Councillor put forward seemingly.
@SV3tN8M4: Meehole Is a creature and shame on those who elected him again.
Thanks be to God for small mercies. Thank you, Galway West
Another so called celebrity who probably hasn’t a clue about working class people’s problems not getting in is a result
Another one bites the dust…Queen
Eye candy out of date
@burrito girl: you’re thinking of her sister– Sile??
@burrito girl: Actually, she’s a human being who is immeasurably more successful than you, a troll, whose head she is living in rent free. And she’ll never even know who you are :(
Good news. I didn’t know that Eamonn O’Cuiv had big feet
It shows what FF think of the electorate if they believe drafting in a celebrity at short notice is the way to win votes.
Unlike FF to make an FG move and run with a so called “celeb”
@Jack: especially one with zero empathy and likability!
@Jack: but this is about FF?
@Meatball Martin: your point??
@Jack: same party jack,so no surprise at all
Back on tv in no time I bet
@Stephen McGrath: back presenting TG4′s election coverage tomorrow, I hear
@Ian McDonald:
Tg4….another waste of taxpayers money
@Stephen McGrath: TG4 certainly is not a waste of taxpayers money
@Stephen McGrath: rte is a waste of taxpayers money. It’s a blatant propaganda outlet for ffG. Tg4 tries and is a relatively decent reflection of our culture
Coalition of FG/FF/Monk becomes a reality despite Michael Martin said that Monks election campaign is not going to mterialize.
Looks like we learnt from sending a jockey to Europe
@Ian McDonald: yeah, there’s no place for a first past the post system?
Interesting to see Mary Toilet Mcdonald on TV not ruling out a coalition with FF, she is Fianna Fail and so is Pearse
I’m delighted she’s nothing besides being a journalist
G0b$h1t€
Cad é ‘womp womp’ as Gaeilge?
How is she a celebrity? What is there to celebrate about her? Run away back to South Africa.
Entitled aul bint
Notions pure Notions what a dose
Re-joyce!
So sad
Ride.
@Dave G Doe: Momma Doe would love Grainne, I think ye would make a lovely couple. In fairness Dave, you have no shortage of best men on here. The only thing is she might want you to change your name to as gaeilge, Daithí G Dó, there is another one for you
Fools did not vote for her
Move on the reality is people are not stupid they choose not to elect a party whose policy and direction is given from outside this state.
Awful conceited candidate. Then again, Maria walsh got in alongside fellow parish pumper Nina carberry in the Europeans. Seoige claimed she ran a spirited campaign – hilarious!
I would give her 1
have your say