Kildare South - Kildare Area

[Effin Effer!!!]

It was decided two weeks before Christmas that Fianna Fail would only be running the three sitting councillors. There will be no fourth candidate added as interviews were held previous to this. Fianna Fail are not holding any conventions for the locals - nationwide! The three outgoing should do alright, and are expected to be able to hold their seats.

Stafford hasn't a snowballs chance in hell in Rathangan! Spike should hold the seat, and it will be a toss up between O'Donnell and Matt Lonergan (Ind.) from Monasterevin to see who takes the Dukes seat. That will be an interesting one as Lonergan did well last time out (only three first preferences votes behind Dukes, if memory serves me correctly) and ran Fine Gael to the wire for the seat (13th count). Both will have to rely heavily on transfers! This will be the one to watch for the dedicated tallyman out there.

[aodh_rua]

FG held their Newbridge TC convention on Wednesday and selected Michael 'Spike' Nolan and Emma Kiernan.

I think Labour have held theirs too, and selected two but I can't remember who they were.

It was decided two weeks before Christmas that Fianna Fail would only be running the three sitting councillors. There will be no fourth candidate added as interviews were held previous to this. Fianna Fail are not holding any conventions for the locals - nationwide! The three outgoing should do alright, and are expected to be able to hold their seats.

Stafford hasn't a snowballs chance in hell in Rathangan! Spike should hold the seat, and it will be a toss up between O'Donnell and Matt Lonergan (Ind.) from Monasterevin to see who takes the Dukes seat. That will be an interesting one as Lonergan did well last time out (only three first preferences votes behind Dukes, if memory serves me correctly) and ran Fine Gael to the wire for the seat (13th count). Both will have to rely heavily on transfers! This will be the one to watch for the dedicated tallyman out there.

Interesting analysis there Effin Effer. I think you underate Mark Stafford at your peril, he has a wide base and Cllr O'Loughlin won't be able to claim the title of local councillor when she has a credible opponent actually living in Rathangan. He's also getting some good media of late around the pressures on the local social welfare system.

As for Monasterevin, it'll be interesting to see if Matt Lonergan goes again. He did poll well last time, but he was the only candidate in the town and this time there will also be Hardt and maybe an independent FF run. There isn't a quota in Monasterevin, so a good first preference by an independent is unlikely to be enough when transfers are brought in. I also think it's highly unlikey that FG will drop down to 1 from 6 in the current environment.

[Effin Effer!!!]

FG held their Newbridge TC convention on Wednesday and selected Michael 'Spike' Nolan and Emma Kiernan.

I think Labour have held theirs too, and selected two but I can't remember who they were.



Interesting analysis there Effin Effer. I think you underate Mark Stafford at your peril, he has a wide base and Cllr O'Loughlin won't be able to claim the title of local councillor when she has a credible opponent actually living in Rathangan. He's also getting some good media of late around the pressures on the local social welfare system.

As for Monasterevin, it'll be interesting to see if Matt Lonergan goes again. He did poll well last time, but he was the only candidate in the town and this time there will also be Hardt and maybe an independent FF run. There isn't a quota in Monasterevin, so a good first preference by an independent is unlikely to be enough when transfers are brought in. I also think it's highly unlikey that FG will drop down to 1 from 6 in the current environment.

My father was talking to Matt a while ago and he will be running again, and will poll very well. You seem to be underrating the support he has on the ground in Monasterevin and in Kildare Town and the rural area surrounding both. O'Donnell won't have as high a first preference as Dukes did last time out being a first time candidate. He'll have to work hammer and thongs on the doorsteps to get his name out there. After all he's only been living in Kildare Town a short while now. However his activities in the local G.A.A. club have given him a good profile. But he needs to work on his image. While Fine Gael supporters think he's the bee's knee's, I've yet to meet a Fianna Failer with a good word to say about him and Lonergan would be a more natural home for Labour voters. And this seat will rely on non F.G. transfers and who can attract them!

I may have been blunt regarding Stafford. But I'm sticking to my guns on my point. He simply isn't known in Rathangan at all, he went to school and everything else outside the area, isn't involved in any community activities and has a very quite personality. Although I hear he reads at mass that'll grab the youth vote! On top of that O'Loughlin has been getting a fairly positive response on the doorstep because of her personal work for the area, despite the anger out there for Fianna Fail. The fact that she's related to practically half of Rathangan will make her a local candidate. It's an O'Loughlin stronghold.

Spike and O'Donnell should take the two seats for Fine Gael, but O'Donnell will have to fight hard for it! Kildare isn't the F.G. stronghold it once was as the last General Election result embarassingly proved.

[eirbiz]

The concept that springs to mind is DISPAIR!!!

[longshortgrass]

The concept that springs to mind is DISPAIR!!!

By dis-pair I assume you refer to the two Seans, soon to become a max of one Sean.

Nil desperandum.....Wall will be in Power, courtesy of Enda...