Well, that’s it. End of story, end of party. The Shinners are finished. And this isn’t just me saying it, it’s the IRISH Daily Mail. “HUMILIATION FOR SINN FEIN” is its block-capital headline this morning. And it points out that “Sinn Fein’s seemingly inexorable march to power juddered to an ignominious halt yesterday”. This despite the fact that the successful candidate Paul Murphy did so on the back of his opposition to the water charge: “just the sort of populist issue that Sinn Fein had hitherto been so adept at exploiting”. So now. It goes on and mentions that Fianna Fail’s candidate, also heavily favoured, came a cropper in Roscommon-South Leitrim, but its big death knell bell is tolled for the Shinners.
Which is interesting, because Michael McDowell in today’s Sindo has just the wheeze with which to fill the gap, now that Sinn Féin are finished. You remember Michael – the former leader of the former Progressive Democrats. “A political landscape akin to Ground Zero has emerged as the dust clouds settled”. What’s more, Michael has been thinking: “I think Middle-Ireland wants something new.” He figures this could be a movement which would be “politically reformist, socially liberal and economically pro-enterprise”. What’s more, it could “deliver 20 or 25 TDs in the next Dail”.
So now you know. All those people who’ve been voting Sinn Féin, and who now obviously will have no party to vote for, will turn to this new Middle-Ireland party and go all socially liberal and economically pro-enterprise.
I don’t know what your opinion of Michael McDowell is, but a lot of things about him impress me. In particular I think he has an outstanding neck. When you touch it, it gives off a metallic sound – made of some sort of metal. Brass, maybe. But I think the people of Ireland, particularly in the 26 counties, owe a debt of gratitude to Michael for pointing out all that Ground Zero and new Middle-Ireland party stuff to us. Not forgetting, of course, the IRISH Daily Mail, which has explained all that juddering and ignominy-making stuff from yesterday.
And while of course I’m in complete agreement with both sources of insight – you can’t argue with a man whose brain is as big as Michael’s – I do keep remembering very similar language when the Shinners, instead of increasing their TD numbers as was expected, actually wound up losing one. Wasn’t there juddering and ignominious stuff then too? Maybe I dreamt the whole thing.
Meanwhile, fair play to both independent one-issue candidates – they pulled off what looked impossible. The only thing is, what now? Will it be like the dog chasing the bus: what does it do now it’s caught it? Oh right – I forgot. Form a Middle-Ireland party. (Did I mention that Michael once ran a party? Into the ground?)
Jude, SF across the island will need to contend with a major problem, their inability to win transferred votes. This was crucial in the SW Dublin by election and also in the North across the board in council elections in May. I do agree there is a major swing in Irish politics and have no doubt SF will continue their drive, increase their appeal and electorate! Yesterday’s by election results all but suited the Southern media who have depised the rise of SF – they may get used to it as SF “aren’t going away ya know.” Interesting times ahead as a General Election in the south looms …
Forget about the papers media and everything else the sole question is this why were sf unable to win a seat which really should have been in the bag?
Hard to say, neill. My guess from watching the debate was that the winning candidate declared unambiguously that people shouldn’t pay water charges, while the SF candidate said he’d not be paying but it was up to other people to make up their minds. He probably had his reasons for so saying – if he had taken the same line as the winning candidate, no doubt political opponent would have denounced the Shinners as extremists, pro-law-breaking, etc. I can only judge from that debate and in it the SF candidate came across as solid/stolid; Paul Murphy came across as a clear one-note man: can’t pay, won’t pay.
Now that Murphy has secured a very highly paid position funded by the tax payer, I’m sure he’ll do his civic duty and pay his tax…
If topping a poll and winning 30% first preference votes is humiliation, roll on the next election. The electorate has taken to the streets and articulated their grievances in the silence of the ballot box. Thoughtful journalists will no doubt reflect on and analyze the outcome of the recent elections in Dublin and Roscommon. Others might find it useful to examine Lindner’s research on humiliation. Most relevant here is the connection she makes between between humiliation, conflict and human rights. When subordinate groups become aware of human rights and adopt them into their value system, they reframe their formerly accepted subordination as humiliating circumstances that can no longer be deemed to be acceptable. The electorate are rejecting the imposition of stealth taxes and have given a clear mandate for the introduction of policies that will enhance the quality of life for all citizens.
The name of a good El Paso hombre, one Peadar Mac Giolla Chearra, punslinger, came to mind as I read today’s bulletin, Esteemed Blogmeister. He was the wry rhymester who parodied Percy French’s ‘The Darling Girl from Clare’:
‘Now the whole place is seething with sedition
It’s Sinn Fein through and through
All the peelers they are joining local units
And the password’s Sinn Fein too.
Every doggie wears a tri-coloured ribbon
Tied firmly to its tail
And it wouldn’t be surprising
If they’d be soon uprising
Said the Man from the Daily Mail.
As P. French, lui meme, would have put it: ‘plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose’.
Though the Dworkin Class, for whom the Yawnaiste Joanie B, Goode. is the most prominent (hand over) mouthpiece, would be quite sharpish in finger wagging/ handbagging at the sexist nature of the parody’s title.
The two faces of the Irish Male which have been seen most often on a Daily basis for the past week in the Free Southern Stateen has been the butt-kicking, leg-raking, head-butting Roy K. Biv.
Obviously.
On the publication of his, erm, autobiography. His second one. It is once again published by Rainbow Rehash and in a series of colour coded books (the first was Red, this one is Orange) and the next five will follow the pattern as follows: Yellow, Khaki, Blue, Indigo and Violet the publishers are confident they will cover all the regurgitations of Roy.
Early morning shepherds who are regular readers of this blog will spot an unusual sequence of letters here: K instead of the normal G. There is a reason for this, a good Rainbow Rehash reason. K stands for khaki-coloured Keano while G has been sidelined stage right. G for Gold as in, crock of.
In literary terms this latest book is to, erm, autobiography what that revival of the Paddy the Englishman joke team of J. Charlton was to, erm, Ireland.
Seemingly, Roy’s first Boswell did not prove quite satisfactory; so Dunphy was duly Dumped. Thus, Roddy D was appointed to be his Bosbetter, as it were. It was no surprise when this jobber of the jotter got the gig.
Jobviously.
Roddy D – the D stands for Dub as in uberDub – was given the usual hole-hovering hagiographical interview by the dependably unctuous P. Kenny. The DOB-funded Kenny framed one of his questions (probing, fearless) thus: ‘As a Dub, what was it like working with this Cork footballer’. (another DOB-funded fellow, DOB as in Denis O’Brien).
Nobviously.
The note which jars in this one sentence is as follows: the two words ‘Dub’ and ‘footballer’ are as uneasy bedmates here as Anthony and Cleo Laine, even in a bed without a jar. Both interviewer and interviewee, PK and RD grew up with the word ‘soccer’ in their vocabulary. Both grew up in Dublin. There is no such thing as a Dublin FC. Football in Dublin is a G Double A word. Blue is the colour of the Dublin GAA gansey. Blue is also the colour of Chelsea FC. jersey. Roddy D wears this jersey with no little pride. This is London and Lesser London territory.
Knobviously.
The meejitia gave blanket coverage to the wit and wisdom of the Bah part of the Bainisteoir Duo of Bah and Humbug: ‘Fail to prepare, prepare to fail’. Which was either culled from the locker room graffiti of Fortune Cooky FC or the top line of the Wizard pages (assuming Roy got past Roy of the Rovers).
Robviously.
Tripe, it transpires, was a staple diet of the young Leesider. It figures, boy. The Super Irishman or the Uber Dub have no desire to be mistaken for ‘foreigners’, like. Among the venues planned for the book tour are, erm, the Lancashire County Cricket Club and the Royal British Institute of Architects (eh?). The Humbug part of the Bah and Humbug duo, M. O Neill, OBE, from Kilrea, County Londonderry would surely approve.
Snobviously.
One incident which did not get an airing in the Eireland coverage was the keenly-felt kick directed by Royden K in Lansdowne Road at the prone figure of a Russian player.
Yobviously.
(Question to Irish Daily Mail readers in the Row called Sandy re the Free Southern Stateen: what’s not to like about this place, any time soon?)
Oh Perkie my heart’s devotion, please don’t sink back in the ocean….Too good. So many pearls flying past our dull ears…
The temptation to loiter, Esteemed Blogmeister, five fathoms deep on the floor of the ocean is indeed a not unattractive notion. Not least when one’s eyes are of coral made and the underwater world is one’s oyster..
Bu though the spirit is willing there are times when even this fish is weak and the counterattraction of swimming to the surface just proves too irresistible. Like yesterday when the bait du jour of the Sourfaces was ….SMAC. .
RTE presenters are addicted to SMAC. It comes in two forms: as a white powder or a black, sticky goo. It can be mixed in water or injected with a needle.It can also be smoked or snorted up the nose. SMAC can cause a rush of good feelings just after been taken. It can cause the addict to stoop but fail to conquer.
So addicted did one generation of RTE presenters become that the addiction has now been inherited by the next generation.
SMAC is an acronym for ‘Seamas Mallon Austin Currie’.
It is unclear after all these years (when William Whitefish, aka, Oyster Eyes, was capo di tutti capi) which of this pear-shaped pair is the white powder or the black, sticky goo. Or indeed, which of them is addicted to self-inflicted love bites or which to the patting of one’s self on one’s own back.
Yesterday, with Sunday morning coming down, Austin Currie was afforded the freedom of the Free Southern Stateen’s airwaves to indulge in his trademark aria of ‘If only’ from the tragic folk opera ‘Des Res of the Prez’.
The piscatorial Perkie was so touched he burst out in his typical outpouring of ocean floor emotion:
While Sunningdale’s very near to Surrey
It’s nearer, dearer to the heart of A. Curry
Who’s known to squat
And to trot an awful lot
In the Vindaloo to ventilate his verbal slurry.
You seemed to be remarkedly restrained this morning when reviewing the papers on Sunday Sequence.Having drawn attention the Irish Mails headline, surely this was an opportunity to expose the shallow thinking behind it.Maybe there’s a tight deadline on this section of the programme but it’s unlike you to miss a penalty kick such as this!!
Ah Argenta. Welcome again. Nice to know at least one person was listening. I just report what they say – most people with even a quarter brain know what ‘Daily Mail’ means – right-wing, Middle England, funny/nasty furriners, etc. Sticking IRISH at the top changes the skin, not the substance. Sometimes it’s best to let people condemn themselves from their own mouth. Besides, the BBC would issue a fatwah on me if I started to issue condemnations of ANY paper. They’re very litigious-aware….
sinn fein was not altogether convincing about its opposition to water charges (we’ll repeal them if we get into government, if we’re in a coalition we may not be able to repeal them). all very honest of course, but not chiming with current feelings , particularly as, unless i am mistaken, Gerry Adams said he would pay his.
There seems to be a groundswell refusal to pay water charges – they’re just one tax too many and in a country with a climate like ireland’s, paying for water is beyond ridiculous.
Maybe sinn fein should listen more to what the people say
“Politically reformist, socially liberal and economically pro-enterprise” – where has Michael been for the past few years? The rise of Sinn Fein has been on the basis that it is the only politically reformist, socially liberal party on the horizon. As for “pro-enterprise”, it’s time the banks and the corporations took care of themselves.
Against all my middle-of-the road instincts I started voting Shinner some years ago when German banks were allowed to sink Ireland. I’ll go on voting Sinn Fein in the belief that they are the only party committed to bringing our corrupt politics tumbling down.
A salutary lesson for any of us who thought advancing electorally in the south was now easy after the Euro and local government results. Far from a disaster though. Concentrates minds on what must be done from here on. We will emerge all the stronger for it.
Sinn Fein failed to fully gauge the feelings of the free state electorate. They tried to ride a couple of horses by not clearly showing leadership and telling the electorate we will support you in your refusal to pay the water tax. They need to sxxxx or get off the pot. In its efforts to become a ‘respectable’ party and not being seen as agitating civil disobedience, it missed an open goal in our capitals by-election.
Theres a very strong whiff that if they ever become part of a govt in dublin that nothing will change. I hope i am wrong.
Just on another footnote, what is mcguinness trying to achieve with his recent utterances concerning sweaty betty windsor? The list is endless whats not to like about this criminal family and yet he can see no wrong in her?
I hope he doesnt think he is trying to fool the unionist brethren by pretending he is a fan and thus seeking their gratitude? I am sure the royalists would appreciate honesty rather than sycophancy.
If he isnt doing the above perhaps hes trying to condition republicans to like royalty? If so, why would a republican encourage such a thing? Could you imagine sweaty betty extolling the virtues of republican Bobby Sands?
Mcguinness knows what alternative republicans allege of him and these wee spakes certainly add credibility to their theories…..if it walks like a duck,sounds like a duck then it probably is a duck, Agus ni maith liom duck ; )
wolfy
It is possible to like someone on a personal level while profoundly disagreeing with their politics or other beliefs.
It is a good job McGuinness is not so bitter as you seem to be. Though I despise the actions of the provos I see him as someone genuine in trying to find a peaceful way forward.
Let go of your hatred wolfy. Find your inner buddhist.
Giordanobruno-‘let go of your hatred wolfy’. Do you mean I must sound more like a British citizen extolling the virtues of a discriminate system? If I dislike and despise the royal cabal is that abnormal? Is it permitted that I can dislike these people?
When sweaty Betty and her policy makers are heard praising irish republicanism then I might believe they want us all to move on rather than move in with them.
The subtle and blatant undermining and demonisation of irish republicanism by the likes of John Bruton’s and various other mouthpieces via the media continues, and the keepers of the faith like mcguinness can only whisper sweet nothings for Betty battenberg. Absolutely pathetic. The harm that the IRA done compared to what she and what she represents did and do must not be heard.
The narrative it seems is for unionism to stubbornly refuse to compromise and with the help of mcguinness they know eventually republicans will water down their principles. And before they know it they will walk like a royal,talk like a royal and wanna be a member of the royal club.
I hope the letsgetalongerists will soon be extolling the virtues of irish republicanism and urging others to ‘move on’ etc? Or does it only work one way?
These by elections for Sinn Fein certainly were not disasters. OK they were favourites to win DSW but they came a very respectable 2nd place only short of 500 votes and they got more votes than FF/FG/LB combined. Not to mention in Roscommon they tripled their vote.
Theres still plenty of time before the general election in 2016, Sinn Fein should learn lessons from these by elections and make sure any mistakes done now are not repeated in 2016. I can almost certainly still see Sinn Fein being in coalition government in 2016 but I’m sure the southern media and its main political parties will do all in their power to try and stop that.