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MARY LOU MCDONALD has warned the Green Party that facilitating a Fianna Fail and Fine Gael government would create considerable public anger in Ireland.
The Sinn Fein president cautioned Greens leader Eamon Ryan that doing business with those parties would be a “mistake”.
McDonald’s comments come amid ongoing efforts to form a government three weeks after the inconclusive general election result.
She also declined to be drawn on whether a coalition deal between Sinn Fein and Fianna Fail would be more likely if Micheál Martin was not leader – insisting questions about her rival party’s leadership were “entirely a matter for themselves”.
Sinn Fein is still trying to form a left-leaning government with like-minded parties and independent TDs in the Dail, but will struggle to reach the 80 seats required for a majority.
Fianna Fail, which like Sinn Fein currently has 37 parliamentary seats, is also trying to form an administration, and has held tentative discussions with Fine Gael, which has 35 seats.
Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have repeatedly ruled out going into government with Sinn Fein.
The Green Party, which has 12 seats, has held talks with both Sinn Fein and Fianna Fail over the potential of entering government as a junior coalition partner.
Ahead of a meeting of her party’s ruling council in Dublin today, McDonald said: “One thing is very clear – people did vote for change and whatever way you might interpret that it certainly was not a vote to return a Fianna Fail/Fine Gael government.”
The republican leader said her party had “constructive” talks with the Green Party during the week.
Asked about the Greens’ discussions with Fianna Fail, she added: “I have said publicly and privately to the Greens I think that any move to put Fianna Fail and Fine Gael back together in government is a mistake.
“I think it would cause considerable disappointment and indeed considerable anger amongst the public, certainly for that more than 50% of people who voted for Sinn Fein, and others, with an eye to a new government and to what we would describe as a government of change.”
McDonald was asked about a comment made from the floor at one of her party’s post-election rallies during the week when someone described the Greens as “Fine Gael on bikes”.
The party president acknowledged that the comment might not have gone down well with Green Party members, but she insisted it was meant as a joke.
“I think for those who were at the meeting it was said in a way that certainly I took as light-hearted,” she said.
“It was certainly not meant to be an insult to them.”
McDonald added: “I think the person who made that comment was making it in mirth. Much as Fine Gaelers take offence at being described as ‘blue shirts’ but nine times out of 10 that is said as a light-hearted almost throwaway remark. But I accept that also might cause offence to some of them.
“We are called lots of things too and we have to take that on the chin equally.”
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Yes, if it’s popular, I wouldn’t use it.
@Thunder Snowman: exactly this! I looked at the top 10 list when my kids were born, and ruled them out!
Notions!
@Thunder Snowman: things are popular for a reason,
@Thunder Snowman: the problem in Ireland with names is that masses of people have the same surnames. Eg hickey.. Kelly.. Murphy etc so by giving out popular names like John.. Jack. Mary
It makes it near impossible to trace old friends or contacts.. As. There’s billions of john murphys. Sean Brennan.. Parents are loath to be more creative. Such as elvis.. Johan.. Or non saints names..
@NotMyIreland: now that would be a good original name :)
The more popular the name the less likely I’d pick it. Poor child would end up with loads others in the school having the same name and end up being called by their surname instead of their given name.
Yes, exactly. Also at work. I remember two colleagues having the same first, last and middle name and our manager asking them to pick a way to tell them apart for paging and payroll purposes. It’s awkward enough. In the 80s I got cheques made out to various versions, Fitzpatrick, Fitzsimon, you name it, and had to have them reissued. The more unusual the name, the better.
@Fiona Fitzgerald: I was the same as this! Ended up calling us by our first name and then the county we were from as our second name!
@Johnny B: Exactly. I was born in 1954, The ‘Marian year’ .. in Tipperary. Practically every girl in my class was called Marian Ryan ha. Thank goodness for my late mother’s independent thinking!
@Fiona Fitzgerald: I worked in sales at a company once where there were four Mark,s. When the fourth one came on board he was asked to answer the phone as John. Naturally what followed was hilarious as the poor lad had to adjust to not using a name he’d used all his life.
@Johnny B: Unusual names sentence your child to a lifetime of being asked to spell or repeat their name. I am variously called Colin, Donal, Colm, Connell etc and my name is not that exotic.
Just name your child what you want and stop jumping on the bandwagon. My wife and I are quite happy with our newborn Jorge, pronounced (Horhay)
@Ricky: Lovely name, but if you have to spell a name, and then tell people how to pronounce it, it’s a bit awkward. I suspect he’ll end up being called George by everyone else.
No way I’d let the popularity of a kids name effect my choice. Just ask my son, Adolf.
A lot of people don’t seem to care as they are still naming their kids Jack and there must be about 5 of those in every classroom now.
@Fandandi: it’s impossible to trace old friends in Ireland because of all the Jack’s. John’s.. Sean’s. Murphys.. Hickeys etc. Its like tracing win wing woos in China.
Yes I don’t want my kids to have basic names like Jack but nothing too over the top like Dymphna either.
@rice water: Dymphna is hardly over the top. I wonder were there any Assumpthas born this year or any of the names that were common when John Paul II was visiting
Sure every Tom Dick and Harry is called Jack now !
I’d never pick a name for popularity’s sake. I would give my child a name that has meaning
I wanted to call my daughter Emma but was nervous that she would be one of 10 or so girls called Emma in her school. For a while I considered Éabha instead purely because it was less popular. Anyway, I called her Emma and she ended up being the only Emma in the entire school. There was another Éabha in her class though. Just go with the name you like, your child will have it for life.
I’d always be inclined towards fairly plain names. I just could never imagine Nevaeh-Lily – Rose being taken very seriously as a presidential candidate, for example
Our twins boy+girl were born in 2014.stayed away from the popular names and tried to pick something totally different and in hunter and raven I think we succeeded.
@Tony Hanratty: good luck getting jobs lads
@Tony Hanratty: I think they will be changing them when they hit 18.
@Tony Hanratty: Fan of the 90′s show Gladiators by any chance?
I was weirdly pleased when my boy babys name( born in 2019 ) wasnt in the top 100..no other Harrisons in his class !!!
@Lisa Quinn: there are 2 in my sons creche. Like the name though, almost went for it myself. Dexter’s son was Harrison
@Lisa Quinn: there’s a good reason for that
@Wheresmyjumper: ask me tits
@Wheresmyjumper: also youre slaggin a newborn ye dick
@jzT: ha no way!!! 2!! That shut me up!! Its after George Harrison!
I’m teaching 13 years and have one Emily in my class, 11 years ago. Two Jacks in 13 years. Think we have one Jack and one Emily in the school now in a school population of over 400 children
@Mary Josephine: it’s because there’s a bigger variety of names people are choosing from. Even though jack and Emily are the most popular, it’s still less likely they’ll be used than Catherines or Johns were 30 years ago.
My husband’s name is Kim, he’d have much preferred to be called Jack! Think carefully folks.
I went with what was popular in 1969 lol my daughter born last Jan was called Mary-Anne after my godmother and my granny ❤️
Is there a difference between popular and common?
@Marg FitzGerald: Yes, rain is common in Ireland, but not popular.
I really don’t get if for example Emily is number one for 9 years how you’d add onto that list and have your kid forevermore Emily H. or Emily M. Or whatever in a class full of Emilys! But I’m obviously in the minority! I say this as someone who had 4 or 5 of same name in my class all my life and hated it.
@Sinead Mooney: Pick a name you like, nevermind whether it is no.1 or no.99 on the list. Picking a name based on the popularity is silly, yes there may end up been three or four in their class at school, but what does that matter! School is for a few years, a name is for life!
Yeh, I wouldn’t use a popular name. Maybe Virginia for a girl
@The only INFP in Ireland: your daughter will sue you.
Nope, I’m happy with mine.
I haven’t heard of anyone copying my kids snot and puke name,I wonder why
have your say