Tag Archives: election

Clare farm leader, Eddie Punch, has named the development of Shannon Airport and the return of political power to local areas, as two of his main issues ahead of his bid to be elected to the European Parliament. The East Clare man stepped down as General Secretary of the ICSA on Tuesday in order to attempt to become Clare’s first MEP since Sylvie Barrett (FG) was elected in 1984. Mr Punch believes that now is the time to rebalance the political power structure in Ireland. He says that the upcoming introduction of a directly elected mayor for Limerick could be a catalyst for increased devolution of powers at the local level. He also believes that the role of Shannon Airport must be strengthened in the years ahead to insure balanced regional development. “I am really concerned about the tourism sector in Clare in particular. There has been a completely lackadaisical approach to tourism. The role of Shannon Airport really has …

Election 2024 is already on the minds of Ennis councillors with a call being made for the creation of designated sites for the erection of election posters rather than having them on lampposts and other locations throughout the county capital. Councillor Mary Howard (FG) made the novel suggestion at a recent meeting of the Ennis Municipal District where she said specific sites for posters would encourage “responsible consumption, climate action and reducing the visual impact of posters, while also ensuring equity between new and existing candidates”. The council executive responded by stating a bill intending to regulate the placement of election posters and referendum material to “designated areas” chosen by local authorities has not been enacted. Councillor Howard recalled that back in 2019, sitting members of the Ennis Municipal District voluntarily agreed not to erect posters, however this agreement did not extend to incoming candidates. Councillor Howard described the move as a “very brave step” for the members of the …

Former Clare TD James Breen has thrown down the gauntlet to Fianna Fail leader, Michael Martin to put the people before power and get a new government in situ. “It’s time for the talking to stop and to get a deal done. We need political stability and a new government, not a caretaker one running the country. We need to get the country back on its feet and our workforce back to work. We need Michael Martin to put people before power,” he declared. Mr Breen, who resigned from the Fianna Fail party and was elected an Independent TD in the 29th Dail from 2002 to 2207, said that it seems national interest has gone out the window given the protracted nature of discussions between Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, The Green Party and now the independents. “At the Clare election count I spoke a lot about national interest. Now, 300 days on from that election it appears national interest has …

EVEN as it was apparent that he was going to lose his seat, Pat Breen cut a relaxed figure at the General Election count centre and this week he announced that he will not be returning to political life in any guise. The Senate is very often the next target for those who don’t get to the Dáil but the Ballynacally man said it’s not for him. “There was huge pressure on me to run for the Senate from party members in Clare and from colleagues but I kind of made my mind up. “Here I am, at this stage of my life and if I don’t do something different now, I’ll never do it. I want to do something different, rather than stay in a political career. I’ve served 20 years in politics, 18 years in the Dáil, and I’ve left my mark on the county. I think it was Barack Obama who said once, ‘Never fear the future, …

Well, what a week it’s been. I was down early on Saturday to vote as it’s important to exercise your right as a good doggy citizen. It was an amazing result although I didn’t make it up to the count in Ennistymon on Sunday. Not alone were no dogs allowed in the count centre but did you see the weather? I put my nose outside and decided it was a duvet day. That said, with all the uncertainty over choosing a new Taoiseach, I reckon there’s nothing to be lost by putting my paw in the ring. My Pawty promises more bones for every dog in the country, free access to pubs, restaurants and hotels by law and as many sausages as you can snaffle from the butchers. Surely that’s an enticing prospect and we could pay for it all by bringing in a tax on cats. Win win. I’d better sharpen up my negotiating skills a bit before I …

THE performance of Sinn Féin was the story of the election in Clare, with Violet Anne Wynne winning the party’s first seat here for a century, as the county’s two longest serving TDs fell from grace. En route to the Falls Hotel on Sunday morning everyone heard the same information on the radio programmes; exit polls showed it was going to be a great election for Sinn Féin. As the early tallies came in they showed that the Sinn Féin surge was putting Ms Wynne close to the top and despite having heard the national story, there was still huge surprise around the count centre. “I heard Sinn Féin were doing well, but I really didn’t think it’d happen here,” said one woman involved in compiling the tallies. Many other people around the count centre were making similar comments. How could anyone have seen it coming? Just last May she won a mere 385 first preferences in the local elections. …

ON Monday, Dr Michael Harty announced that he is not looking to be re-elected to the Dáil and in an interview with The Clare Champion, he said the outgoing Government has failed rural Ireland, while the administration didn’t accept obvious solutions to major problems facing the country. Dr Harty also revealed that he had turned down invitations to stand for established parties in the General Election. “Obviously, the economy has recovered and that brings benefits to everybody. But I think there is still a huge dissatisfaction within rural Ireland that they are being left behind, that services are still being withdrawn to rural Ireland,” he commented. As it stands now, he feels that the likes of Leo Varadkar, Simon Harris and Eoghan Murphy do not understand the needs of a county like Clare. “I think that the Government is urban-orientated. We have the Taoiseach, the Minister for Finance, the Minister for Health, the Minister for Housing, who are all urban-based …

WHILE it had been expected, it was only this week that former TD Michael McNamara confirmed that he will be standing in the General Election. Having started his political career as a European election candidate, he stood for Labour in the 2011 General Election and won a seat. With Labour taking a hammering in 2016, he failed to hold the seat, despite putting up a credible display and winning 4,472 first preferences. He had sought Labour’s nomination to run in the Ireland South constituency in the European election, but has now left the party and will be running in the General Election as an independent. His chances will have been boosted by this week’s announcement by Dr Michael Harty that he will not be in the race. There is a feeling in local political circles that there is a strong possibility of one candidate from beyond Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael being elected, and the departure of Harty from the …