Who will replace Avril Doyle?

[corkscribe]

I'm not sure I buy the opinion (stated elsewhere on this thread) that Ivan Yates is not interested.. The man is almost certainly 'up to something' of late. He has been building a huge media profile for himself in the last eight months.. turning up everywhere commenting on the economy, not to mention covering for Hook on Newstalk. He was central to a major package re. cost cutting on Prime Time last night. Publicly at least, he has placed himself back at the political coalface.. even a dyed in the wool lifelong FF supporter said to me recently .." Christ I never thought I'd hear myself say that a Blueshirt is talking sense, but he does !!.. ".. Georaphically, Yates is perfectly placed to contest Avril Doyles seat, being an Enniscorthy native. When I bounced my theory off an FG contact or two in the past few days, I got the kind of 'hmmm.. I'll ring you back" reply that tells me I'm not a million miles out..

Something gives... I'm certain of it..

[krayZpaving]

It's looking like Liam Toomey is the only viable candidate for them. JP Phelan is interested too, but it's hardly worth running him in Aylward's back yard.
Childers looking more and more likely to take the third seat.

[sandar]

I'm not sure I buy the opinion (stated elsewhere on this thread) that Ivan Yates is not interested.. The man is almost certainly 'up to something' of late. He has been building a huge media profile for himself in the last eight months.. turning up everywhere commenting on the economy, not to mention covering for Hook on Newstalk. He was central to a major package re. cost cutting on Prime Time last night. Publicly at least, he has placed himself back at the political coalface.. even a dyed in the wool lifelong FF supporter said to me recently .." Christ I never thought I'd hear myself say that a Blueshirt is talking sense, but he does !!.. ".. Georaphically, Yates is perfectly placed to contest Avril Doyles seat, being an Enniscorthy native. When I bounced my theory off an FG contact or two in the past few days, I got the kind of 'hmmm.. I'll ring you back" reply that tells me I'm not a million miles out..

Something gives... I'm certain of it..

I thought Ivan had his eye on the Park myself

[CookieMonster]

How could anybody replace the precious flower that is our Avril.

She's priceless. Or is that worthless...?

[Allez les blues]

Liam Twomey
Nicky Brennan
Padraig Walsh
JP Phelan
Bernard Durkan
Alan Dukes
Ivan Yates

Yates and Dukes would be the best candidates -- either would top the poll, ahead of McGuinness and Aylward. Neither will run.

Bernard Durkan and Liam Twomey would both run. Neither would get elected.

John Paul Phelan won't run.

Nicky Brennan, outgoing GAA President, would probably run. Would possibly struggle to get elected though.

Padraig Walsh, outgoing IFA President, would possibly run. I know that he considered running as an FG candidate for Laois County Council in the 1999 local elections. Don't think he would be a very strong candidate -- he has marginalised the IFA

[zeleneye]

How could anybody replace the precious flower that is our Avril.

She's priceless. Or is that worthless...?

I am not an FG fan but she has probably done more legislative work than any Irish MEP ever. It is a shame for Ireland and for the EP that she is leaving.

Presume we will get the same useless lazy shower of FF MEPs who will scurry back to their homophobic and xenophobic friends in the UEN group.

[Casualbets]

Well you can't accuse Fine Gael of this. Last time out FG put forward some of its brightest talent and Cabinet material for the European Elections - Gay Mitchell, Simon Coveney and Mairead McGuinness. And in times past, Fine Gael MEPs began their careers in the European Parliament, and were not former TDs going into retirement (Alan Gillis, John Cushnahan etc.)

Yes. Fine Gael do things the other way round. They let their defeated MEPs rest under six feet of soil for the best part of a decade, before creeping into the graveyard of a moonlit night, politically resurrect them using arcane voodoo rituals performed by a sinister figure in a black beret and blue shirt, dust them off and then stand them in a constituency where they don't live and patiently wait for a grateful electorate to return them...