Irish Elections 2014

IRISH ELECTIONS
PRODUCE SURPRISES: 

Counting in the Local Elections from Friday's voting is not yet completed and the European

Parliament vote will start counting only today.

Exit polls by Irish Television, RTÉ, give an indication of where the vote is going:

Results from RTÉ's exit poll results for the Local Elections:

Independents/Others: 28%

Fine Gael: 24%

Fianna Fáil: 22%

Sinn Féin: 16%

Labour: 7%

Green Party: 3% 

This is the highest vote ever for independent candidates in the history of the State and if repeated in the next General election due in 2016 will cause difficulty in forming a stable government as the independents are not ideologically coherent and cover a very broad spectrum. What was previously unthinkable, a coalition by the two conservative parties, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil is being openly discussed by media pundits.

Sinn Féin's Lynn Boylan will top the poll in the Dublin European constituency ahead of Fine Gael's Brian Hayes and the Green Party's Eamon Ryan, according to the exit poll for RTÉ.

The full exit poll results for the constituency are:

Lynn Boylan (Sinn Féin): 24%

Brian Hayes (Fine Gael): 14%

Eamon Ryan (Green Party): 14%

Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fáil): 12%

Nessa Childers (Independent): 11%

Emer Costello (Labour): 8%

Paul Murphy (Socialist Party): 7%

Brid Smith (People Before Profit Alliance): 6%

Thomas Darcy (Direct Democracy Ireland): 1%

Jim Tallon (Independent): 1%

Raymond Patrick Whitehead (Direct Democracy Ireland): 1%

Lynn Boylan's poll-topping performance has shocked the established parties as she was an unknown first-timer at the start of the campaign but she reflects the surge in the Sinn Fein vote which is not just a protest vote but a dramatic switch in political allegiances by the electorate.

Independent Luke 'Ming' Flanagan will top the Midlands North West constituency ahead of Fine Gael's Mairead McGuinness and Sinn Féin's Matt Carthy, according to the exit poll for RTÉ.

The full exit poll results for the constituency are:

Luke 'Ming' Flanagan (Ind): 20%

Mairead McGuinness (FG): 16%

Matt Carthy (SF): 13%

Pat 'The Cope' Gallagher (FF): 11%

Marian Harkin (Ind): 11%

Thomas Byrne (FF): 10%

Jim Higgins (FG): 7%

Lorraine Higgins (Lab): 4%

Rónán Mullan (Ind): 4%

Mark Dearey (GP): 2%

TJ Fay (Ind): 1%

Ben Gilroy (DDI): 1%

Mark Fitzsimons (Ind): 0%

Cordelia Níc Fhearraigh (FN): 0%

Another shock for the established parties here as 'Ming' Flanagan heads the poll even though he was a late entry in the election. But, Mr Flanagan's bravado performance in the Dail since 2011 has brought him substantial recognition factor and his allegiance to local unrest over bureaucratic interference from Brussels in rural affairs with costly environmental impact studies for repairing a fence or changing a bicycle wheel has resonated with many voters.

Fianna Fáil's Brian Crowley will top the Euro South constituency ahead of Sinn Féin's Liadh Ní Riada and Fine Gael's Seán Kelly, according to an exit poll for RTÉ.

The full exit poll results for the constituency are:

Brian Crowley (FF): 26%

Liadh Ní Riada (SF): 17%

Seán Kelly (FG): 12%

Deirdre Clune (FG): 9%

Simon Harris (FG): 7%

Kieran Hartley (FF): 5%

Diarmuid O'Flynn (Ind): 5%

Grace O'Sullivan (GP): 5%

Phil Prendergast (Lab): 5%

Richard Cahill (Ind): 3%

Peter O'Loughlin (Ind): 2%

Jillian Godsil (Ind): 1%

Theresa Heaney (CD): 1%

Dónal Ó Ríordáin (FN): 1%

Jan Van De Ven (DDI): 1%

Here, Liadh Ní Riada's strong showing has rattled the established parties and upset calculations for FF and FG hoping to snatch two seats each. Daughter of renowned Irish composer, Seán Ó Riada, who in the 1960's enhanced Irish  music with expansive orchestrations of traditional tunes which gained international recognition and was founder of the musical group which later became international stars "The Chieftains",  Liadh Ní Riada's
family's popularity ensured her a high vote in the South constituency.

What does Joe Biden mean by "Land-Grab"?

WHAT DOES JOE BIDEN
MEAN BY "LAND-GRAB"?

On his recent visit to Kiev, Ukraine, US Vice-President, Joe Biden, pointedly referred to the accession of Crimea to the Russian Federation by democratic vote of the people as a “land-grab” by Russia. Continuing the propaganda line of the West which tries to demonise Russia and ignores the total breaches of international law by the US and its allies in invading Afghanistan and Iraq; bombing Yugoslavia, Pakistan rural areas,Libya, Somalia, Yemen, Sudan, blatant subversion in Ukraine, Syria and Venezuela and dozens more brutal interventions in Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, and several Latin American and Caribbean countries over the course of a century.

Having earned a BA in history from the University of Delaware in 1965, he seems to have forgotten most of whatever he learned including his own country’s history which is a succession of “land-grabs” from the 17^th Century onwards.

 One “land-Grab” was a spectacular failure, though; the attempt to seize Upper Canada (now the province of Ontario) from Britain in 1812. With Britain heavily engaged in the Napoleonic wars in continental Europe, gung-ho politicians in Washington thought it an ideal moment to grab the sparsely populated territory to the North in what was expected to be an easy walk-in takeover. An attack across Lake Ontario on Fort York (now Toronto) in April 1813 is remembered for the burning of the Upper Canada Parliament and other buildings and after withdrawing from territory they seized in the Niagara Peninsula the Americans burned Newark (Niagara-on-the-Lake) to the ground which incensed Canadian opinion and increased resolve against the American aggressor.The invasion was resisted by the British Garrison, local Canadian Militias and a force of indigenous warriors led by Chief Tecumseh who routed the Americans on several occasions.

In I814, with ships and troops available again from Europe, the British reinforced their garrisons in Canada and, in August, 1814, landed a large force south of Washington on the Chesapeake Bay. Accompanied by Canadian Militia, they easily advanced against the poorly organised American defenders and captured Washington. The city was undefended and the Government had fled to Virginia. The British and Canadians sacked Washington and burned down the White House in revenge for Fort York.

Perhaps this will help Mr Biden remember some history: