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Gabrielle McFadden, right, campaigning with Fine Gael TD, Helen McEntee. Liam Kidney

Gabrielle McFadden tops Westmeath-Longford poll to win late sister's seat

McFadden’s win was emotional as she takes the place of her sister Nicky, who died from motor neurone disease in March.

Updated 02.23, 25 May

GABRIELLE McFADDEN has comfortably topped the poll in the Longford-Westmeath by-election.

McFadden received 12,365 first preference votes, just over a quarter of the total votes cast. It puts her at precisely half the quota needed to get elected. She was finally announced as the constituency’s newest TD – for Fine Gael – after midnight this morning.

McFadden is the sister of Nicky McFadden whose death led to the by-election.

In second place behind McFadden was Aengus O’Rourke who received 8,910 first preference votes. Sinn Féin’s Paul Hogan polled in third with 7,548 votes.

Two independents John McNamara and Donal Jackson were eliminated first with their transfers distributed among the rest of the candidates. Labour’s Denis Leonard has also now been eliminated and his 3,352 votes are now being distribution for the third count.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny arrived at the count centre in Keenagh, Co Longford yesterday evening in anticipation of McFadden’s election.

First published 19:53, 24 May

LIVEBLOG: Local election results 2014 >

Read: Micheál Martin is delighted for Kate Feeney…and Mary Hanafin did well too >

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63 Comments
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    Mute Liam Byrne
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    May 24th 2014, 8:41 PM

    Her campaign staff came to my door and literally used the fact that she was nicky mcfadden’s sister as a reason to vote for her.
    It’s disgusting.

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    Mute Alex Nevin
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    May 24th 2014, 8:47 PM

    She is Nicky’s sister so what’s wrong with pointing that out? I think it’s brilliant that she cruised through so easily.

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    Mute Liam Byrne
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    May 24th 2014, 8:49 PM

    Alex, you’re part of the problem. What’s the relevance of her relationship to nicky McFadden to her ability to do the job?

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    Mute Tony Hartigan
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    May 24th 2014, 8:59 PM

    Keep it in the family.

    50
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    Mute Alex Nevin
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    May 24th 2014, 9:00 PM

    She was simply stating fact. The fact that she has already served as a Councillor for years meaning she has already got political experience is why she was elected. She was well ahead of 2nd place Aengus O’Rourke for Fianna Fail.

    38
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    Mute Liam Byrne
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    May 24th 2014, 9:04 PM

    You’re going off on a tangent. Respond to what I said or just don’t respond.

    116
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    Mute Alex Nevin
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    May 24th 2014, 9:09 PM

    There is no relevance, she was simply explaining about her sister so that people know she has local links and that politics run in the family.

    26
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    Mute Tom Tucker
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    May 24th 2014, 9:29 PM

    Politics running in families is one of the reasons why we are in such a mess. Better quality candidates don’t bother running because they don’t see the point against the cronyism politics of the Healy Raes, Springs, Cowens…etc. That is why we have a Dail chamber full of gombeens who are only in it for the money and at the same time using taxpayers money to buy vote. And why we have monstrosities of houses blighting the countryside or pedestrian crossings on busy roundabouts because these same gombeens are being elected at local level.

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    Mute Rose
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    May 24th 2014, 10:47 PM

    Liam I heard her on vinyl brown and she was all for austerity, hard heartless woman

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    Mute Richard Keogh
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    May 24th 2014, 11:27 PM

    Nicky originally took a seat on Westmeath County Council when co-opted into it on the retirement of her father Brendan. Gabrielle is a nice lady, always found her grand to deal with in her pet shop but electing her on a sympathy vote shows exactly what is wrong with Irish politics. Her comments on banning politics from art last year should’ve been enough to scare off any voter with half a brain. There were a number of candidates running, of various hues, who work far harder on the ground but sympathy wins the day.

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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    May 25th 2014, 7:36 AM

    Tom Tucker you are totally correct, the family cult voters are the ones who helped bring down the quality of TDS and councillors over the years, political inbreeding has been Irelands downfall

    56
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    Mute David O Brien
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    May 25th 2014, 8:59 AM

    The result shows you that despite rage at this government Irish people are very very descent people – perhaps sometimes to a fault.

    7
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    Mute Richard Rodgers
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    May 25th 2014, 9:02 AM

    Tony
    No , keep it in the Party and select a candidate who is likely to win the seat for you and that’s exactly what they did. Apart from that she’s a female and qualified as a town mayor to do the job.
    Apart from the begrudgery have you any other contrived criticisms?

    5
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    Mute Les Rock
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    May 24th 2014, 7:59 PM

    Talk about playing the sympathy card by getting helen mcentee to campaign with her. Why not go the whole hog and get yoko ono, jackie kennedy and do the sympathy to the max. Same old parish pump going full wack

    341
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    Mute Constance Markievicz
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    May 24th 2014, 8:02 PM

    Chip on the shoulder much?

    1
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    Mute gerbreen
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    May 24th 2014, 8:46 PM

    In fairness the sister was already active in politics.

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    Mute gerbreen
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    May 24th 2014, 8:50 PM

    In comparison to Ms McEntee I mean …

    52
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    Mute walter white
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    May 25th 2014, 2:50 AM

    Obviously some people are not hurting enough to vote for these clowns . oh well enjoy your austerity and paying billions to the gamblers well done

    76
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    Mute Richard Rodgers
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    May 25th 2014, 9:04 AM

    Lesley
    Stand for election yourself instead of whinging like a girl.

    9
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    Mute Paul Dunne
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    May 25th 2014, 11:34 AM

    elected beacuse her father died and her uncle played for Meath I heard her on radio totally clueless

    10
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    Mute Michael O'connor
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    May 24th 2014, 8:17 PM

    Do their relatives leave them the seats in their wills? Democracy.

    207
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    Mute James Dunne
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    May 24th 2014, 8:32 PM

    It is democracy… she’ll win the seat because she has the biggest share of the vote

    56
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    Mute Charles McCormack
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    May 24th 2014, 9:38 PM

    You think “name recognition” means nothing,? Why did she not campaign in her married name,? Democracy’s fine on a level playing field,but playing the sympathy/tragedy card is LOW.

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    Mute Neal Ireland hello.
    Favourite Neal Ireland hello.
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    May 25th 2014, 5:50 AM

    In fairness, she didn’t campaign in her married name because she doesn’t have a married name.

    64
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    Mute Trevor Beacom
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    May 24th 2014, 8:36 PM

    Corpse surfing has become a trademark of fg

    191
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    Mute AhhhMeBollix
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    May 24th 2014, 8:45 PM

    Excellent point.

    86
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    Mute Jeremy Usborne
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    May 24th 2014, 8:53 PM

    Corpse hiding being the preferred sport of SF.

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    Mute AhhhMeBollix
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    May 24th 2014, 9:08 PM

    Can’t see Mary Lou MacDonald hiding any corpses in the near future.

    You appear to have confused the Sinn Fein that was with the Sinn Fein that is.

    85
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    Mute mcgoo
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    May 24th 2014, 9:22 PM

    It wouldn’t be hard for her to hide anything.

    27
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    Mute Jeremy Usborne
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    May 25th 2014, 12:11 AM

    SF today or SF yesterday?

    Its all the same RA heads in charge.

    No difference.

    66
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    Mute Richard Rodgers
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    May 25th 2014, 9:07 AM

    Ahhhmebollix
    If you are correct then tell me why a current member was found with a car in a Dublin Hotel car park last week and therein lay a milk churn laden with good old fashioned explosives.
    He wasn’t of the dissident variety and was a former senior member of the Army Council.
    Don’t you dare suggest that they’ve gone away.

    17
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    Mute Barry Mc Donnell
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    May 25th 2014, 9:30 AM

    Oh so when you talk about civil war politics, you don’t count the civil war party that never stopped fighting in the 1900′s. The shinners are the only party allowed to change, while the same commentators still refer to FG as if Eoin Mac Neill was still alive rather than 50 years dead. Maybe this woman got elected because she was the best candidate.

    3
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    Mute AhhhMeBollix
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    May 25th 2014, 9:31 AM

    There’s a difference alright. When I send someone into bat for my Ireland I expect them to do just that.. We are Irish first, Europeans second, we always will be. Some of our people died for just that nearly 100 years ago.

    You must have slept through the passing of the IBRC bill. I saw FG/Lab in action that night and if ever I needed an indication as to who they really represent, I got it right there. In all it’s drunken splendor.

    What I want is someone who will not go down on their knees in Brussels to beg for a bone. For me, therein lies the difference.

    11
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    Mute AhhhMeBollix
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    May 25th 2014, 10:02 AM

    Richard.

    Last I checked an individual is not required to submit a Garda vetting form in order to affiliate with a political party. Nor is he/she required to provide a character reference in order to so.

    Those fringe dwellers you speak of will never go away. They’ll always be here in one form or another. I didn’t vote for them. I voted for what Sinn Fein represent today, I did that because I sure as hell know what FG/Labour will continue to do tomorrow.

    7
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    Mute Paul Dunne
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    May 25th 2014, 11:30 AM

    new sf new ff old nonsense

    1
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    Mute Fluffy Kont Biscuits
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    May 24th 2014, 8:12 PM

    Sympathy vote pure and simple.

    http://www.politicalworld.org

    143
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    Mute Ciaran Farrell
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    May 24th 2014, 8:12 PM

    He might as well go to little mayo instead of real mayo.. Brother Henry in trouble in Castlebar. Has a sitting Taoiseach every lost his seat? The prospect might be there in 2 years

    107
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    Mute Alex Nevin
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    May 24th 2014, 8:23 PM

    Both Fine Gael and Fianna Fail did very well here in Longford. Sinn Fein did desperately badly in Longford.

    64
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    Mute Enda Nolan
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    May 24th 2014, 9:33 PM

    That tells you all you need to know about the people of Longford

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    Mute gerbreen
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    May 24th 2014, 11:52 PM

    Cheap remark Enda.

    30
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    Mute paul whelan
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    May 25th 2014, 3:39 AM

    inbreeding is alive and well i see in longfoed

    50
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    Mute paul whelan
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    May 25th 2014, 3:42 AM

    its good to see longford is still the inbreed capital of Ireland,

    45
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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    May 25th 2014, 7:39 AM

    Cheap but sadly true!

    29
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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    May 25th 2014, 11:15 AM

    Because Longford people are mostly farmers

    3
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    Mute Paul Dunne
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    May 25th 2014, 11:35 AM

    bafoons

    4
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    Mute Alex Nevin
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    May 25th 2014, 1:12 PM

    How is inbreeding alive and well? I thought it was great to see both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael get over 30% in the Longford Electoral Area and Sinn Fein only got 4%!!!

    3
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    Mute Enda Nolan
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    May 25th 2014, 1:24 PM

    Alex when if you had kids are your wondering how your going afford to give them what they need or they get a fair chance in life you would not thing it great at all

    4
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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    May 25th 2014, 4:28 PM

    Too many conservative sons of the soil maybe?

    4
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    Mute Francis Dooley
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    May 25th 2014, 12:21 AM

    Longford my god will you ever grow up and think.

    68
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    Mute Alex Nevin
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    May 25th 2014, 1:14 PM

    Yeah we will, and that’s why we voted FG

    1
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    Mute Jay Warner
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    May 24th 2014, 10:07 PM

    Ah and why wouldn’t Enda endorse a good old fashioned bit of Nepotism and sympathy politics? Wouldn’t be nearly the worst thing he has done now would it??

    65
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    Mute Joan Featherstone
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    May 24th 2014, 8:07 PM

    Like we give a fcuk!

    61
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    Mute walter white
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    May 25th 2014, 2:52 AM

    why are the irish so fking stupid voting the same idiot partys
    oh well you deserve everything you get

    54
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    Mute Stephen
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    May 25th 2014, 6:00 AM

    Anything is better than Dingus O Rourke.

    17
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    Mute Alan Farrell
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    May 25th 2014, 11:55 AM

    Nepotism operates at a level in Ireland the kim Jong Un dynasty in North Korea can only dream of’; also I see that carpet bagger Hannafin got elected, there has to be an intelligence deficit in Ireland

    5
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    Mute James Franco
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    May 25th 2014, 10:29 AM

    Richard Rodgers. How’s Roy haven’t seen him in ages

    5
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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    May 25th 2014, 11:15 AM

    And dont forget his horse Trigger!

    5
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    Mute Martin Smith
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    May 25th 2014, 12:58 PM

    try win it next time without sympathy vote

    4
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    Mute Alex Nevin
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    May 25th 2014, 1:17 PM

    Martin, they’d have won it anyway. In Longford, Fianna Fail ran Aengus O’Rourke and had no sympathy vote for him yet he still got nearly 30% of the vote. The left wing parties have never prospered here in Longford, which was proven again yesterday because Sinn Fein only got 4% in the Longford Local Elections.

    2
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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    May 25th 2014, 4:31 PM

    Because Lonford has a high percentage of old conservative farming families who have voted for them since 1922 and are incapable of changing their thinking, parish pump politics at its worst ,

    4
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    Mute Paul Dunne
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    May 25th 2014, 11:25 AM

    another one elected to the dail on a sympathy vote plain and simple with o Rourke and fianna fail doing well stupid country hicks in that part of our little country idiots and the more west you go it gets worse Ming sweet Jesus

    4
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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    May 25th 2014, 4:29 PM

    Ming could buy and sell the rest of them, dont judge a book by the cover!

    4
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    Mute Seán O'Sullivan
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    May 27th 2014, 12:21 AM

    dont tar Ming with that same brush ya hear!

    2
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