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Replying To Tirchonaill1:  "I don't remember who it was who said/wrote this after the GFA in 1998, they said that
'the unionists were too stupid to see that they had won and the nationalists were too smart to admit they had lost'
I would love to see our country reunited,
hard to see it happening though in reality, the catholic/nationalists seem happy enough if Stormont is working for them and they are getting their share of the British pie.
SF got a taught a lesson in the local/european election, they are not listening to their core voters,
I'd say we are heading for a general election in October after the budget."
A very poor election for them. It doesn't matter what your position on any issue is supposed to be, but if you try to pretend that you have 2 or 3 mutually contradictory ones you will be found out.


I would not be surprised if some of the newer arrivals into SF, including some elected reps, now leave if the party attempts to change tack to recover lost support among more nationalist voters.

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 2835 - 15/06/2024 07:47:28    2551536

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Kevin Campbell has passed away RIP. He's a player I'd always think of as a 90s player but was surprised to see he actually only retired in 2007. He was still a Premier league player in 2006.

oneoff (UK) - Posts: 1416 - 15/06/2024 11:11:26    2551560

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Replying To BarneyGrant:  "A very poor election for them. It doesn't matter what your position on any issue is supposed to be, but if you try to pretend that you have 2 or 3 mutually contradictory ones you will be found out.


I would not be surprised if some of the newer arrivals into SF, including some elected reps, now leave if the party attempts to change tack to recover lost support among more nationalist voters."
Went from 1 MEP to 2.
Increased their no of Councillirs.

Seanfanbocht (Roscommon) - Posts: 1615 - 15/06/2024 13:54:25    2551597

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Replying To Seanfanbocht:  "Went from 1 MEP to 2.
Increased their no of Councillirs."
They had 50 more councillors in 2014 than they have now. Their vote share is close to a third of what they were on in polls a few months ago. They have no chance of being the main government party after next election and on last week could lose over half their TDS.

Labour have an MEP too. They are similarly marginal. I

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 2835 - 15/06/2024 14:02:55    2551598

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Replying To Seanfanbocht:  "Went from 1 MEP to 2.
Increased their no of Councillirs."
They are a machine and you can bet your life they will be putting a huge effort into understanding where it went wrong and how to turn it around for the general election. Now it might be they've missed the boat and don't fully recover but I'd imagine it's better to get a beating and kick in the arse in the league and be ready to peak in championship. Their big problem has been flip flopping and Harris coming in gave FG a wave of optimisim and freshness even if it was just a load of cheesey slogans. Every government is doing fine until and unexpected scandal comes around the corner.

MachaireConnacht (Roscommon) - Posts: 909 - 15/06/2024 14:16:00    2551602

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Replying To MachaireConnacht:  "They are a machine and you can bet your life they will be putting a huge effort into understanding where it went wrong and how to turn it around for the general election. Now it might be they've missed the boat and don't fully recover but I'd imagine it's better to get a beating and kick in the arse in the league and be ready to peak in championship. Their big problem has been flip flopping and Harris coming in gave FG a wave of optimisim and freshness even if it was just a load of cheesey slogans. Every government is doing fine until and unexpected scandal comes around the corner."
I'm afraid its Emperor's New Clothes as regards the "machine." They barely leafletted some of their strongholds as no longer have the numbers.

And when it comes to "cheesy slogans" endlessly repeating the word "change" is infantile nonsense. Like something out of Maoist creche. People are not entirely stupid, although I would tend to agree with you that same chessiness and lack of substance kept FG and FF's heads above the bowline, this time.

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 2835 - 15/06/2024 15:56:57    2551621

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The country is simply in too good a place for a change of government to come about.

You wouldn't think it reading social media, or listening to Mary Lou, but it is.

As the saying goes; "Empty vessels make the most noise!"

cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5067 - 15/06/2024 19:37:00    2551682

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Replying To cavanman47:  "The country is simply in too good a place for a change of government to come about.

You wouldn't think it reading social media, or listening to Mary Lou, but it is.

As the saying goes; "Empty vessels make the most noise!""
Well since the last local elections SF gained seats while all the government parties lost loads of seats so people must not be overly happy with what's in charge…. FF / FG celebrating loosing a clatter of seats was laughable

ForeverBlue2 (Cavan) - Posts: 2158 - 16/06/2024 05:45:24    2551763

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Replying To ForeverBlue2:  "Well since the last local elections SF gained seats while all the government parties lost loads of seats so people must not be overly happy with what's in charge…. FF / FG celebrating loosing a clatter of seats was laughable"
When I said change of government, I meant national government.

Didn't think that would need clarifying.

cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5067 - 16/06/2024 09:26:23    2551777

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Replying To ForeverBlue2:  "Well since the last local elections SF gained seats while all the government parties lost loads of seats so people must not be overly happy with what's in charge…. FF / FG celebrating loosing a clatter of seats was laughable"
All of that is to distract that candidates who they were all describing as "far right", "racist" etc, etc, took over 20% of the vote in the Europeans and a bit more than that if you collate all of the local election candidates who stood on similar policies.

That is a huge shift, and one that is obscured by the extreme fracturing of that vote which meant it was not translated into same kind of seat gains.

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 2835 - 16/06/2024 09:35:42    2551780

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We can be agitated and angered by various government failures be they in housing, health, immigration etc

But racism & intolerance cannot be condoned. That young lady who represented Ireland so well recently at the European Chamionships has apparently been on the end of some awful online abuse.

Talk about the worst kind of miserable, ignorant losers who would go out of their way to do something like that. I would urge everyone to call racism out, especially even the "casual" sort that may appear in your family & social circles. Needs to be nipped in the bud big time.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9261 - 16/06/2024 09:47:29    2551783

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Replying To cavanman47:  "When I said change of government, I meant national government.

Didn't think that would need clarifying."
I know what you meant….. but when the election comes around you will see a different type of voter.. No young people went out in the locals but will in the general election… Greens will be wiped out and rightfully so…. Harris has definitely gave FG a bit of a lift after the disaster that was Varadker but his honeymoon period is drawing to a close so they wouldn't want to get complacent… That's why I couldn't understand their joy at loosing so many local election seats… I have a feeling the next government will be a very fractured group if SF are still in opposition….!!

ForeverBlue2 (Cavan) - Posts: 2158 - 16/06/2024 12:38:28    2551822

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Replying To BarneyGrant:  "I'm afraid its Emperor's New Clothes as regards the "machine." They barely leafletted some of their strongholds as no longer have the numbers.

And when it comes to "cheesy slogans" endlessly repeating the word "change" is infantile nonsense. Like something out of Maoist creche. People are not entirely stupid, although I would tend to agree with you that same chessiness and lack of substance kept FG and FF's heads above the bowline, this time."
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they will turn it around but if any party has the resources and is used to the long game, it is them. Very surprising their lack of boots on the ground, think they thought they could get elected using social media alone. Losing the seat in MNW should be a massive kick in the rear, for the sitting MEP not to have even polled well in his local area is woeful.

MachaireConnacht (Roscommon) - Posts: 909 - 16/06/2024 12:47:48    2551825

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Replying To Lockjaw:  "We can be agitated and angered by various government failures be they in housing, health, immigration etc

But racism & intolerance cannot be condoned. That young lady who represented Ireland so well recently at the European Chamionships has apparently been on the end of some awful online abuse.

Talk about the worst kind of miserable, ignorant losers who would go out of their way to do something like that. I would urge everyone to call racism out, especially even the "casual" sort that may appear in your family & social circles. Needs to be nipped in the bud big time."
Disgutsing low lifes which says more about their miserable existence than that lady who represented her country brilliantly.

MachaireConnacht (Roscommon) - Posts: 909 - 16/06/2024 12:49:00    2551826

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Replying To Lockjaw:  "We can be agitated and angered by various government failures be they in housing, health, immigration etc

But racism & intolerance cannot be condoned. That young lady who represented Ireland so well recently at the European Chamionships has apparently been on the end of some awful online abuse.

Talk about the worst kind of miserable, ignorant losers who would go out of their way to do something like that. I would urge everyone to call racism out, especially even the "casual" sort that may appear in your family & social circles. Needs to be nipped in the bud big time."
Well said. The dregs of our society using the tried and trusted playbook of racists all over the world. Aim for the people angry with their own lives and tell them its someone else's fault. Their only "achievement" in life is being born here. Never contribute anything positive to society. If you tell a lie often enough these fools will believe it. Now it's seeped into conversation amongst so called "decent" people. They're falling for it as well. It's a slippery slope and it should have been stamped out a long time ago. Have the courage to call it out. No excuses.

ThePowerhouse (Leitrim) - Posts: 116 - 16/06/2024 13:04:33    2551833

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Replying To MachaireConnacht:  "Disgutsing low lifes which says more about their miserable existence than that lady who represented her country brilliantly."
Well said.

ThePowerhouse (Leitrim) - Posts: 116 - 16/06/2024 13:05:07    2551835

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Replying To BarneyGrant:  "All of that is to distract that candidates who they were all describing as "far right", "racist" etc, etc, took over 20% of the vote in the Europeans and a bit more than that if you collate all of the local election candidates who stood on similar policies.

That is a huge shift, and one that is obscured by the extreme fracturing of that vote which meant it was not translated into same kind of seat gains."
No fracturing down here. 1 NP candidate. Didn't get anywhere.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 12799 - 16/06/2024 17:05:51    2551947

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Replying To Lockjaw:  "We can be agitated and angered by various government failures be they in housing, health, immigration etc

But racism & intolerance cannot be condoned. That young lady who represented Ireland so well recently at the European Chamionships has apparently been on the end of some awful online abuse.

Talk about the worst kind of miserable, ignorant losers who would go out of their way to do something like that. I would urge everyone to call racism out, especially even the "casual" sort that may appear in your family & social circles. Needs to be nipped in the bud big time."
Spot on Lockjaw. ####### animals on that Internet. Scumbags.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 12799 - 16/06/2024 17:08:26    2551949

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Replying To MachaireConnacht:  "Disgutsing low lifes which says more about their miserable existence than that lady who represented her country brilliantly."
Brilliantly put

Gaaforlife2023 (Longford) - Posts: 241 - 16/06/2024 17:14:26    2551953

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Replying To MachaireConnacht:  "Disgutsing low lifes which says more about their miserable existence than that lady who represented her country brilliantly."
Worryingly, their narrative and language is reminiscent of sentiment which brought national socialism to power in 1920/30s Germany. If we fail to learn from history we are bound to repeat it. That is the scary part of all this racist commentary. I too am proud of our latest Irish athletes - all of them regardless of creed or colour.

Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 1065 - 16/06/2024 17:34:34    2551959

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