Laois local elections 2009

[Effin Effer!!!]

What are Fine Gael at? I recently joined the Portarlington branch of Fine Gael because at long last they had a credible candidate ie. Grace Halford. Fine Gael, or should I say, a faction of FG. went out of their way to shaft GH. Why? Why did they fear her? I tagged in late to this amazing branch. Meetings were held in the home of the secretary, and I was stunned by the energy of this branch. They had their finger on the pulse. There was a pooling of ideas and a wonderful blend of minds. Young professionals mixed successfully with ordinary workers, unemployed, and old codgers, like me. Our motto was 'better days ahead'. We believed in this. We are now devastated. Once again, Portarlington does not have an FG candidate. At the FG Constituency AGM our secretary made the speech of the night which was acknowledged by everyone present. Her emphasis was corruption and manipulation. We agree totally, but remain devastated.

Regardless of the political party. The worst thing you can be is a young credible candidate unless the party is desparate and completely out of options. No party likes to rock the boat unless they really have to. The young, bright and especially the ambitious are kept down. While the old, reliable coddgers are kept going at all costs.

Just look at the Offaly end of Portarlington where Fianna Fail have put Tom Nolan on the ticket and disregarded a younger promising candidate Stephen Mather. I'm sorry to hear about Halford as you obviously had alot of faith in her, and things like this are always a big blow. Its like the saying goes "politics is the dirtiest game in town".

[Michael Moloney]

Emo Area.


Frances Emerson is well on her way to be the second elected in June. The indications at this stage and her projected first count numbers for the Portarlington / Killenard shows that she will suprise many.

Those who said that I gave her bad advise some months ago, were clearly not aware of a number of factors, mostly local that are working to her advantage.

How it plays out after this in Emo I can't say but take it from me Deegan and Emerson will be the only two smiling after the first count and it will be knife edge between the FF candidates on who is strong enough to benefit from eliminations.

Aiden Mullens would have been a very formiable candidate if he had been on an Independent ticket, that is the word that keeps coming through. Well liked and highly respected but the SF tag is making it easy for certain sectors in Port to pass him over.

So I cannot call seat 3 and 4 but forget about Cribben retaing his seat without difficulty. The number of candidates standing in Port, the anti FF sentiment, the anti Ray Cribben / Liam McMahon (Pine Villas etc) over shoddy developments in Portarlingon may see hardcore FF supporters move to Murphy and if Cribben looses FF/GAA votes in places like Emo / Courtwood to McEvoy well then you are talking change.

While on paper FG should romp home with two seats, this will depend on a number of factors and at this stage, no definate trend emerging indicating that it has the two seats in the bag.

The Elimination process is going to play a big role in the final seats, so candidates need two things to be in with a chance: 1. enought number one to keep away from the bottom - early elimination; and 2. ability to attract second and third preference votes from as many of the other candidates as possible.

If you have four or five candidates likely to be eliminated before seat 3 is filled (with so many candidates in this race this is possible) then the eliminations will be a major beneficitory to those candidates that can attract cross party preferences.

So: 1eegan 2:Emerson 3: FF 4: ?



Michael Moloney MCC (Indep) Laois CC

[Lottie]

Regardless of the political party. The worst thing you can be is a young credible candidate unless the party is desparate and completely out of options. No party likes to rock the boat unless they really have to. The young, bright and especially the ambitious are kept down. While the old, reliable coddgers are kept going at all costs.

Just look at the Offaly end of Portarlington where Fianna Fail have put Tom Nolan on the ticket and disregarded a younger promising candidate Stephen Mather. I'm sorry to hear about Halford as you obviously had alot of faith in her, and things like this are always a big blow. Its like the saying goes "politics is the dirtiest game in town".

There is something about Portarlington. Maybe it's because I was born and raised there, but I just love it. In the past, the best hope I had of County Councillors was that maybe they wouldn't do much harm. Generally, they were amiable gob********************es, important in their own heads, but of good to neither man nor beast. They carved out a role for themselves by playing on ignorance and insecurity. They convinced the gullible that they were crucial to everything. Realistically, if elected County Councils were scrapped, would we be worse off? I don't think so.

[Effin Effer!!!]

Emo Area.


Frances Emerson is well on her way to be the second elected in June. The indications at this stage and her projected first count numbers for the Portarlington / Killenard shows that she will suprise many.

Those who said that I gave her bad advise some months ago, were clearly not aware of a number of factors, mostly local that are working to her advantage.

How it plays out after this in Emo I can't say but take it from me Deegan and Emerson will be the only two smiling after the first count and it will be knife edge between the FF candidates on who is strong enough to benefit from eliminations.

Aiden Mullens would have been a very formiable candidate if he had been on an Independent ticket, that is the word that keeps coming through. Well liked and highly respected but the SF tag is making it easy for certain sectors in Port to pass him over.

So I cannot call seat 3 and 4 but forget about Cribben retaing his seat without difficulty. The number of candidates standing in Port, the anti FF sentiment, the anti Ray Cribben / Liam McMahon (Pine Villas etc) over shoddy developments in Portarlingon may see hardcore FF supporters move to Murphy and if Cribben looses FF/GAA votes in places like Emo / Courtwood to McEvoy well then you are talking change.

While on paper FG should romp home with two seats, this will depend on a number of factors and at this stage, no definate trend emerging indicating that it has the two seats in the bag.

The Elimination process is going to play a big role in the final seats, so candidates need two things to be in with a chance: 1. enought number one to keep away from the bottom - early elimination; and 2. ability to attract second and third preference votes from as many of the other candidates as possible.

If you have four or five candidates likely to be eliminated before seat 3 is filled (with so many candidates in this race this is possible) then the eliminations will be a major beneficitory to those candidates that can attract cross party preferences.

So: 1eegan 2:Emerson 3: FF 4: ?



Michael Moloney MCC (Indep) Laois CC

Have to say that I agree with you on the Ray Cribben / Willie Murphy part!

Alot of people around Port are getting pretty fed-up with Cribben, and I haven't met a person yet who had a bad word to say about Murphy. Personally I think Willie will do alot better in the transfer stakes than Ray and could take the seat.

[jumpingbean]

looking at youtube looks that Mr Deegan could be in trouble that boy talked a lot of truth...he actually did noting for anyone in the Stardbally area r even the emo electronal area...why would anyone actually even bother wasting a vote on him??Sure I think well nearly sure he even lives in the Portlaoise electral area does that not say it all...shudn't b even a canadate in the emo area!!!Anyways think people shud go on and watch his video on you tube heres the link: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnddC_z8Yf4]YouTube - FREEDOM OF SPEECH[/ame]

[Bystander]

Emo Area.


Frances Emerson is well on her way to be the second elected in June. The indications at this stage and her projected first count numbers for the Portarlington / Killenard shows that she will suprise many.

Those who said that I gave her bad advise some months ago, were clearly not aware of a number of factors, mostly local that are working to her advantage.

How it plays out after this in Emo I can't say but take it from me Deegan and Emerson will be the only two smiling after the first count and it will be knife edge between the FF candidates on who is strong enough to benefit from eliminations.

Aiden Mullens would have been a very formiable candidate if he had been on an Independent ticket, that is the word that keeps coming through. Well liked and highly respected but the SF tag is making it easy for certain sectors in Port to pass him over.

So I cannot call seat 3 and 4 but forget about Cribben retaing his seat without difficulty. The number of candidates standing in Port, the anti FF sentiment, the anti Ray Cribben / Liam McMahon (Pine Villas etc) over shoddy developments in Portarlingon may see hardcore FF supporters move to Murphy and if Cribben looses FF/GAA votes in places like Emo / Courtwood to McEvoy well then you are talking change.

While on paper FG should romp home with two seats, this will depend on a number of factors and at this stage, no definate trend emerging indicating that it has the two seats in the bag.

The Elimination process is going to play a big role in the final seats, so candidates need two things to be in with a chance: 1. enought number one to keep away from the bottom - early elimination; and 2. ability to attract second and third preference votes from as many of the other candidates as possible.

If you have four or five candidates likely to be eliminated before seat 3 is filled (with so many candidates in this race this is possible) then the eliminations will be a major beneficitory to those candidates that can attract cross party preferences.

So: 1eegan 2:Emerson 3: FF 4: ?



Michael Moloney MCC (Indep) Laois CC

Michael, I'm not so sure if I agree with your assessment of Frances Emersons chances. Her campaign leaflet is noteworthy in that it concentrates only on Portarlington and has nothing on past achievements in the town or membership of local committees or clubs etc. She just mentions past employers for some reason!! That is because she has no track record of any kind in the town or local area on behalf of the residents unlike some of the other candidates. She cannot rely just on the family name to get in - most people are way past that rubbish by now and more people - like Lottie! -are looking for the quality and competence of the person.
I do agree, however, with your assessment of the situation where the number of first preferences is critical in the Emo Area. With 7 Port candidates declared a few will be eliminated early on and so it's crucial to have accrued a large 1st preference and then get the transfers.

[Michael Moloney]

I'm not so sure if I agree with your assessment of Frances Emersons chances. Her campaign leaflet is noteworthy in that it concentrates only on Portarlington and has nothing on past achievements in the town or membership of local committees or clubs etc. She just mentions past employers for some reason!! That is because she has no track record of any kind in the town or local area on behalf of the residents unlike some of the other candidates. She cannot rely just on the family name to get in

I'm only given my own assessment on the feed back that I know she is getting and from the number of people in Port who have lined themselves up with Frances for her campaign.

Bystander, you will appricate that I've seen a good many election campaigns and while I not saying why people are going to vote for her, I do know that she has got off to a good start in Port with her inital drop (not a canvess) and the response to this by text and on the street is very positive for her.

Beyond Port and Killenard, I don't know but my assessment on her getting a seat is that the good first preference vote that she will get in the Port boxes will leave her ahead of most of the other Port based candidates and she will pick up a good proportion of preferences as the weaker Port candidates are eliminated and as you know eliminations are fully trasferrable votes and I see her getting enough of these to get her over the line.




Michael Moloney MCC (Indep) Laois CC

[Swinging Door]

Hey lads Laois is just not about the Portarlington LEA area.
Bowe seems to have upped his game in the Mountmellick LEA.
Came out with what I thought was a good proposal last week to track housing applicants on the waiting list by supplying them with pin numbers.
He is now doing a leaflet drop informing the elecotate of his past political history and garnering votes left right and centre, or so my people in the Mountmellick area are telling me.
Anyone care to call the Mountmellick LEA council area?

[Swinging Door]

Has anyone heard if Adebari will contest in the Portlaoise LEA area yet?

[Swinging Door]

Checked out this youtube site. Very funny. Still a bit stunned regarding the sheer dirtiness of local Politics. The Deegan camp have, with the co-operation of FG, seen off any credible opposition. Full support for incredibly weak candidates. They may be safe for the moment, but I reckon there is dirt down the line. The rezoning of Laois villages, which was scuppered by Dick Roache, might yet come back to haunt. As I said, dirty business.

Funny. You call that video funny? It's exactly as that kimble fella calls it. FG, your party, has done flucking absoutely nothing for the Stradbally area. Prey vtell why not?