Couldn’t agree more. What morons are voting for ff. Have they just landed from mars ?

Same crowd fall back to Fianna fail

Yes FF polling well , Mary Hanafin in line for 3 more pensions

I think it’s a shame that Labour are going so badly. Will we ever have a ‘normal’ political landscape in this country? I.e (left – right divide) instead of who fought for what side in a war everyone’s forgotten.

Hugh showing his true colours trying to spin this result as a success for SF. They have failed miserably by getting just 16% of the vote, despite widespread disillusion with the government. By the way Nicky mc fadden will easily take a seat in the other bye election for FG. You won’t see Hugh highlighting that though.

@john, it’s also a great Shame that labour lied to the public. They Asked the public to vote for them so they could be elected into government so that they could “keep an eye” on FG. The tesco style adverts had a list of six points, each stating what FG would implement and that it would hurt the people of Ireland. A vote for labour would be a vote for fairness. And what happened john? The electorate believed labour and now look at that six point advert, every single one of those promises are broken. That is why people are angry. Labour lied, they raised expectations that they were on “our side” and they sold out the very people who voted them in and have heaped austerity and hardship on the most vulnerable in society. Shame on them!

Even Newstalk are “spinning” it that way. Nice try. “Sinn Fein” up from 50 to 100+ in locals and zero to 2/3 in Europe! “Romping in Dublin” as they put in. The major factor is they have a huge grassroot membership now and will surely take the majority of the independents at the next general election. FF stagnant and FG and labour imploding. Roll on next GE.

G’wan Ruth!!!!!!

Wouldn’t you think they would of learned from the greens, so no one to blame but themselves.

I think commentators overly underline the civil war basis of the parties…. I’ve never met someone say they’re voting one way or the other based on which side of the civil war a party was on. Is this really how pple think? Defo understand there’s a habit of voting with a household voting one way for years that originally started along the civil war lines… But at this stage is the original reasoning lost in the mists of time and it’s more rote, apathetic voting is the problem and voters just don’t consider their vote deeply enough?

We’ll said John. This is exactly what the problem is. We have two main right wing parties in opposition to each other, while about a dozen parties who are of the left are continually tearing each other apart while the right looks on and laughs at them.

God, the comments here are so naive. The idea that we had a choice about austerity!
One way or the other, the writing was on the wall from 2008. Any govt that inherited the economy was going to end up having to reduce the deficit.

I think it’s safe to say people havn’t forgotten, otherwise it wouldn’t be much of an issue

Having said that the world of the 1920′s is a bit different to today. But the fact FF are getting any look in is a terrible reflection on the mind set of the voters out there. FG and LAB have their part to play in the mess but FF Got the ball rolling and the same oul hacks are still there. Joke

Brian Crowley got a higher percentage of the vote than his actual attendance at EU. He done nothing ever for anyone go figure how is that right?

If Labour had of Stayed in opposition then the political situation would have been much better in that regard. But unfortunately for us it appears they were never sincere in the first place, and so jumped at the opportunity to get into government, no matter what the cost. Very short sighted.

Stunning vote by SF and Paul Donnelly.
Even if doesn’t win this time – he is a shoe in , in the upcoming General Election for a seat !

We are the only country in the whole of Europe that has never elected a non conservative government.

Paddy – we’ve only recently got out of the shackles of a deeply cruel and negative church and with prosperity and travel people are open to alternatives. I really believe a socialist leaning government is not far away. That will create balance and perhaps we will have proper choice in the elections thereafter.

True peter, it’s a dismal record for a democratic republic to show to the world.Perhaps the loss of our best through emigration was a big factor in all of it.

“The loss of our best to emigration”? Bit of an insult to those of us who decided to stay behind and work hard to try and fix our country.

If FF and FG ever got together, what passes for democracy in this country would be over.

Brian Crowley gaining huge sympathy vote. Harsh but true.

Agree! They’re both very similar parties. Same policies, both conservatives and continually protecting the rich. Many political experts are bemused by Irish politics. Both main parties have the same ideology and political leaning. All the that divides them is civil war politics. If they ever got together, and it could well happen, we will see corruption and cronyism on a scale never before seen in a Western democracy.

Actually Jebus I think the opposite would happen, at least eventually. A FF/FG coalition would, I think, lead to a right/left political divide which would lead to a stronger opposition. At the moment when people want a change of govt, they go from FF to FG. A coalition of those parties would remove that choice.

Both FF and FG have sold out Irish sovereignty to the EU so the Civil War divide is meaningless now.

They are both Neo Redmondite.

Jim we had a choice who paid for It people on €100.000 paid very Little but disabled paid with there Lives that’s what has the People pissed off even FG supporters will tell you It’s not fair ,?

Well mahon.
I wonder how many votes you have personally harvested for Sinn Fein.
I still reckon your party cower every time you go online.

It’s called democracy, would you prefer to live under a Communist regime ?

Brian Crowley was very sick a lot of the last couple of years ass hole consider yourself lucky you are not the same as he is. People like you would take away people’s right to comment if you could. So F off

they don’t deserve to call themselves Labour anymore

If he was that sick Sean he should not have run

Dermot, I think your comment is probably the one with the most insight on here. If the two right-leaning parties would wake up and merge then the whole political landscape would change, not overnight but over a fairly short time. There would then be real choice without the massive blurring on the right. However, there is no black and white in politics; it’s all shades of grey as a look at the UK will confirm with the three main parties fighting over versions of the middle ground and UKIP er…….. having a ball sniping at everyone. I truly believe that the vast majority of people wish to see a balanced society, I.e. the middle ground, not the extremes at each end of the spectrum. That will take time to evolve in Ireland and, as we all know, growing up can be painful.

If Labour had stayed in opposition things would have been better? How do you work that out? We were in total crisis, 160 billion in debt, 18 months away from having to pay off a 40 billion promissory note, paying 6.75% interest and shedding 5000 jobs a week. We were about six months from total collapse. Due to Labour going into government with FG, most of that has changed (apart from the FF legacy debt that saw them rewarded yesterday) and the country is on the road to recovery. But don’t let that stand in the way of a good anti government rant.

Wrong. Wasn’t our first government a Sinn Fein government, who’s charter was James Connolly’s old ICA charter? Makes them socialist in anyone’s eyes.

Barry even if you were correct- that the country is on the road to recovery – how could you claim a success- forcing people who had nothing to do with the crisis to pay up is not imaginative, it’s not brave and it’s certainly not something Labour should be advertising – how dare they say that they have reduced our debt! At the same time they oversaw the biggest emigration drain for decades while they promised jobs.
They have not punished nor have they introduced any legislation to prevent the type of white collar crime that led to this crisis.
They sat by while a brave Garda was vilified and bullied by his colleagues for trying to improve standards in the force.
This is not just incompetent – this is showing contempt for ordinary citizens trying to do their best in their jobs – something possibly alien to these ministers.

On the whistleblowers, Dermot Ahern had that report and sat on it. Shatter at least had it investigated, but in the meantime made the mistake of believing the Commissioner and believing untruths, which he later had the decency to apologise for and correct the record of the house. Irish people have ALWAYS seen emigration as the first option in times of crisis, back as far as crofters going to Scotland for work in the 1840′s and even earlier, so blaming the present government for what is effectively a tradition is disingenuous.

@Fergal. It was the people that gave them half of the vote.

Then let FF and FG go into power together as Nostradamus predicted.

Met him once ,couldn’t predict a text

The Nation holds it’s breath.

I said it before, the next govt will be FF/FG coalition. The conservative parties will close ranks to preserve the status quo.

Jarlath
The people have spoken……you say and then you ask if the Government have been listening!
You raise an interesting point that is worth debating but first you need to answer a basic question and that surrounds the purpose of yesterday’s elections.
My understanding is that we were supposed to be electing Members to the European Parliament and the County and City Councils. At no stage did I believe that the results of yesterday had anything to do with the sovereign decision of the people at the last General Election when we elected a Dail and Government.
Have I got my wires crossed or are you suggesting that yesterday’s results compels the Government to step down.
Perhaps you would be kind enough to point out the section of our Constitution that addresses your point.

Enda Kenny will probably get Nostradamus to stand somewhere, more Blueshirt celebrity candidates.

They might get some of ye to look for a job for a change instead of living off the tax payers.

You should see some one about that ego of yours Sean it’s worrying

RR…this was the first opportunity for voters to show your clowns that they are sick of these corrupt muppets, roll on the GE! Unless of course FG/Lab muppets collapse becore then

Derek
Just a minor correction. Neither Fianna Fail nor any of it’s candidates have been voted into power as a result of yesterday’s elections.

Thank you Richard for your diligence. Mary has topped the poll in comfortably numb Blackrock to a position of power as a councillor. I’m very aware it’s not a general election.

I for one am very worried about all these commies. The people that have voted for these crusty’s will be sory down the line.

If it was up to me, I would ban socialist parties in this country. Its the welfare system that has us in the state we are in. With these same lazy people sitting at home all day looking up bigfoot conspiracies.

Get out and get a job……

Derek Morgan,
I’m very, very worried about the rise of Sinn Féin.
…and I voted Independent because I feel very let down by FF/FG/LAB.

Well done rodgers, you are personally responsible for many thousands of votes for independent’s and Sinn Fein.

You are a real comedian ‘ Sean’

And that Sean is called fascism. You cannot ban a party because of the beliefs they hold or whether you disagree with their views. We’re all entitled to have our own opinions, ideals and philosophies. That is the central value of a democratic republic.

Well said sean I couldn’t agree with you more he dossers would have a field day

Thankfully the last person who tired to ban the communist part is now dead, although maybe he lives on in people like you.

Have you thought about starting your own party to have your own 1000 year reich

Rupert
Fear not we are in transition, we are setting the tone if they lose sight of the result they lose our mandate.
This is the future not party whips.

Yeah that’s a great comment Sean. The people voted for the right wingers for years and look what it got us! Do you really think it makes a difference, left wing, right wing! It’s all from the same bird!

Hey Sean. Why don’t you clear off to Britain and join your mates in UKIP or the Tories. You and your ilk are a disgrace to the Republic. Shame on you.

Why would I join a stupid party like that I am a proud Fine Gael man and always will be….

Im worried by the rise of Nationalist Socialists. Ok…can i be worried?

Let down? Just now? When were they any good!? When they had created a total artificial economy during the “celtic tiger”!????

Your like that character in “team america” who can only repeat his name, if you had any idea what socialism was you wouldn’t say such crappie, read some books your a man now.

Pride and Fine Gael shouldn’t be in the same sentence, their self hating fascists, I cannot wait till all us “commies” get to power and put you blueshirt’s to work in the Gulags till your parasitic, “croppy lie down” servetude politics are condemned to history books. You should read some books actually..

Sad!

Sean your like a parrot same old same like I told you yesterday not everyone on the dole want’s to be there. I wonder are you for real ?????

That’s your right Sean now just leave the rest of us alone

Sean: troll level 97. Well done, Sean!

I would……if there was any. The welfare system doesn’t have this country the way it is, you idiot. Corrupt incompetent capitalism does. FF sold this country to developers and incompetent bankers. The unemployed didn’t borrow billions they couldn’t afford, and people like myself worked hard the whole way through the boom, only to be thrown on the scrapheap when it ended, so stop blaming us.

im glad its its not up to you sean, i for one would ban ‘fascist’ parties. Starting with FG. – wait no I wouldnt because that would be un democratic and stooping to your level -which is lower than vermin cockroaches or other scuttling little bugs. But anyway thanks fior showing everyone the true nature of FG supporters.

@Sean; You’ve probably the IQ of a mackerel. Because they’ve leftist views and therefore aim to reduce disparity and promote egalitarianism, you brandish them all “commies” like some brain-dead American. They mightn’t be perfect but they’ll aid in creating a balance in Europe and Ireland. Some people see the word “socialist” and immediately think of soviet-style communism, whilst failing to forget that a lot of the main tenets of socialism are a lot more conducive to economic stability, environmental sustainability, and social equality so many some right-wing policies.
I think in a developed country like Ireland, left-wing parties will never evolve into parties reminiscent of failed communist parties of the past.

@Boo; The only party that is both nationalist and socialist in Sinn Fein, not any of the other socialist parties.

E.Coughlin never had a chance, Labour always going to wiped out (J.Burton). Very close to call I’d go with SP by less than 100 votes, very small transfers form FG to SP or SF.

I agree!

The thing is Eliot, people know what to expect from FG. a big chunk ( not everything of course) of what they have done, they said they were going to do before the general election. Labour on the other hand have been seen to renage on several pre election promises.
Plus, people voted for Labour expecting them to hold FG to account, to halt their worst excesses. They haven’t done this and they are paying the price.

Isin’t it amazing that smaller Parties never seem to cop on to that fact ?
The PDs bucked the trend for a while but eventually learned the lesson. Dail is maybe school for slow learners

I voted :)

Voted.

Didn’t realise the x factor was still on

Me 2

yes

I have never missed casting my vote since I was old enough to do so. Neither holidays or sickness ever got in the way and I have never spoiled my vote. I hope that record can continue as long as I live.

Voted

There was an election yesterday? Jaysus they kept that very quiet.

Yes I always vote, have done since I turned 18.

Yep always do, Independents all the way and I wasn’t disappointed.

And me. And not for any of the main parties!

U2, Sean? ;-)

yes I did.

I voted

FF I presume Mick?

No they were sipping pints at their local getting drunk on tax payers money

They are responsible for so much of the mess we find ourselves in and ” The Man” is a part of it.

All members of the dail at d time were a part of it not just ff remember d good times when fg and labour were telling d government to spend spend spend on d budget

Surely your vote can should taken away as you don’t seem to have the mental capacity to remember who got us into the worst economic recession ever in our nations history! How anyone could vote for those pack of gangsters in suits is beyond me.

Ripley you Turkey

And d same gangster in suits are still there in d form of fg and labour

So what we pick one gang who are in favor of austerity over another don’t forget ff started the policy of austerity FF,LAB and FG are all as bad as each other.