Irish Politics

Missing Links

Two sites have popped up in the last few weeks doing things that ought really be done by the Oireachtas website, but probably never will be. Here's Mycandidate. ie, from the Rock the Vote people.

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The Centre Cannot Hold

Turning and turning in the widening gyreThe falcon cannot hear the falconer;Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,-The Second Coming, WB YeatsYeats could have been channelling the spirit of the modern political campaign manager. For nearly twenty years political parties and candidates have been successful in imposing previously undreamed controls on campaigns.

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Events, dear boy, Events

Politics is not a horserace. And politicians, contrary to the misleading impressions given by some political correspondents, are not the primary deciders of their own fate. For months we've been treated to articles detailing poll results and trying to find a correspondence with the doings and transpirings of our elected representatives.

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Noel Whelan and the right to speak

Last Saturday's Irish Times opinion page, like most Saturdays, had a piece by Noel Whelan. In this the former FF candidate and FF electoral advisor with a weekly column in a national newspaper laid out the reasons why citizens ought not be permitted to state their opinions publically. It was, he argued unpersuasively, a danger to democracy.

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When the election won’t be called

Something we learned today; It won't be called this Thursday (26th April). Nor will it be called on Thursday of next week (4th May). Experts and watchers of this kind of things will be better placed than I to say when it might be called.

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Bertie Ahern’s Presidential Address as Tag Cloud

agus (8) ar (7) believe (8) care (8) child (6) children (11) commitment (9) communities (9) complete (6) continue (6) crime (7) deliver (7) development (7) economy (7) education (9) ensure (10) families (9) fianna (18) forward (24) future (8) government (14) health (8) fáil (19) irel ..

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List of donors to Fianna Fail in 2005

Value of Donation - Name of Donor 5,750 - Ascon Limited Company 5,380 - Ballymore Properties Limited 6,348 - Castlemarket Holdings Limited 6,348 - CB Richard Ellis Gunne 6,348 - Durkan New Homes Limited 6,348 - John J Fleming Construction Limited 5,450 - Kilmacraddock Homes Limited 6,348 - Maplewood Developments Limited 5,750 - P.

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Bertie Ahern’s opening Ard Fheis speech as Tag Cloud

carbon (9) challenge (9) change (13) climate (9) continue (5) country (9) developed (6) economic (6) emissions (12) energy (10) environment (6) environmental (11) eu (6) europe (6) fianna (14) forward (7) future (6) government (13) growth (7) fail (13) increased (10) ireland (23) irish&nbs ..

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