The line up for neither FF nor FG has yet been decided.

FF

Michael Costello is not standing and has informed headquarters that he will not be changing his mind. So at this point FF have three who have put their names forward.

Sitting Councillor R Cribben, Willie Murphy (Port) and Pascal McEvoy actually living in Stradbally for past ten years. Many in FF outside of Port would like to see former Councillor
Teresa Mulhare, The Heath stand again but this seems doubtful.

FG

Councillor J Deegan, talk of Councillor Paul Mitchell standing on the FG ticket, and as Paul has himself said previously that he will go with who ever offers him the most including SF.
I can't see FF looking for him or him them with the way things are at present and I doubt if he would seriously consider SF as they would be at the opposite end of the spectrum to his base. Tom Mulhall (farmer) from Emo who left FG for the PDs when Parlon agreed to stand for the PDs IN 2002 and rejoined after the collapse of the PDs in the GE of 07 is also looking for the nomination.

Real King see's FG taking 2 seats and in the fight for the final seat. If the take two out of the first three they will not be in the fight for the last seat. You must factor in that you need one of two things in an area, a) at least two stong candidates and /or, b) a good organisation on the ground. FG apart form J Deegan are not as focused in the Emo electoral area as this strong traditional FG area should be(O' Higgians family / Stradbally).

While the should easily take two seats here I see them fighting it out to make the final seat but if the gods are not on their side the might just end up with the one.

SF

I have just got a text to say that Aiden Mullins is standing for SF. Portarlington based I don't see him in the final shake up but his preference votes could have a bearing on which of the Portarlington candidates make it into the Council.

Labour

Margaret G Lalor. Traditionally Labour had a seat in Port ( The Late Ned Kelly) and Stradbally had a Labour TD in the 1965 election (Har Byrne, previously a Trade Union Official if I remember correctly) and in the Spring Tide of 1992 the tallies showed Pat Gallagher Labour candidate who won a seat in that election picking up a good number of votes right across this electoral area. All that been said, unless Eamonn Gilmore is able to create a semi spring tide I cannot see Margaret making the final cut.

Independents:

Francis Emerson. While she may be personally unknown to many votes at this point, however with her family background in sport and politics and her own involvement in community activities I would see her with a fighting chance for a seat. However she will need to be able to pick up transfers otherwise she might end up getting a good first preference vote and coming in well on the first count only to see her chances of a seat fall apart should she not garner enough transfers as happended to Michael Costello in 2004. He was fourth on the first count with very little between him and those above him but by the final count he lost out to The Late Michael Turley who while quite a distance behind took him on the last count with a solid transfer in the eliminations.



Tom Cushen From Stradbally (farming background) stood with Paul Mitchell for the PDs in 2004.He beat Tom Mulhall (above) for the second PD nomination and the talk is of him standing as an Independent.

I still see it as FF FG and Indep taking the first three seats. With the last seat up for grabs

Michael Moloney MCC (I) Laois CC

Very informative Mr Moloney from the Hybrid FF party (Your posts are v good)does Willie Murphy Have a good chance?
The battleground seems to be in Port with many high profile canidates going but you must remember although the EMO area is split by the Motorway each side returns Two Councillors
With the absentism of the Turley camp who will benifit the Most
I reckon Cllr Deegan will have that side of the fence to himself, Pascel is from Timahoe but Stradbally people like to vote for there own
Cllr Moloney I know you made the point Paschel has been living in Strad but he is still from Timahoe as you, yourself are associated with and from Mountmellick....
Mr Cushen is from Park and he is losing a large area of votes he got the last time The Rathenskia Box which is now gone to Luggacurren and Paschel would have done well in this box also because of its proximty to Timahoe but it is not the case for 09. You need a good core vote to be in with a chance.
The two town boxes will do well for Deegan and he will pick up votes in the Vicarstown, Rath and Heath Boxes. He has a serious team behind him and the are amazing at getting out the votes.
I would image he will return home first as he has in the last two elections.
You mention Tommy Mullhall for FG he is based at EMO village unlikely to make an impact vitually unknown hard to see him picking up Turley vote
But the Stomping ground is in port
As I said my predition is

FG Deegan in first on 3/4 Count
FF Cribben
FG Mitchell
Last seat hard call Toss up between Murphy or Emerson cant see anyone else nearer maybe Mulhall

Emo 2FG/1FF/1Ind
Borris 3FG/3FF
Mountmellick 2FF/2FG
Portlaoise 3FG/2FF/1SF/2Ind
Luggacurran 2FG/2FF


Overall 12FG looks like holding the balance of power along with Some Indies

Any views please

Pat Bowe Mountmellick Independent town Councillor announced on Midlands Radio 3 that he has joined the Labour party and would be their candidate for the Mountmellick Area in the County Council election 2009. He will also be defending his seat on the Town Council.

Michael Moloney MCC (I) Laois CC

as ever michael some great contributions from yourself. can i be so bold as to ask will you be defending your own seat in mountmellick or have you other plans?....ps if fg won 3 in emo i would be gobsmacked....i think you would agree.

None of the Political Parties are seriously organised in the Emo electoral area. FG are still operating as a semi professional party, not much different than 50 years ago. FF have organisationally become more like FG and unless it gets its act together it will not be long before you see the electoral polls reflect the opinion polls (SBP Red C Oct 26th) FF 26%.

The best that can happen FF and FG in the Emo area would be for 2 - 2. However as I do not see them with four very strong candidates I see at least one candidate outside of the big 2 taking a seat. If FG were to get 3 here you are talking about external factors creating a tusami nationwide on the political map, is this a possibility?

As regards my own intentions yes, I do intend to stand but to quote Harold Wilson a week is a long time in politics and as there are twenty five weeks to go on this Council, I intend to keep my counsel for the time being. That been said I would like to stress that the site here is excellent and I intend to be as fair and frank about all matters relating to the up and coming election in Laois and Offaly, sticking to facts as much as possible.

So on that note I will say I have not and do not intend to make a decision on wheither I will stand in the Mountmellick Area or elsewhere in 2009.

Michael Moloney MCC (I) Laois CC

Article on Francis Emerson (Emo Electoral Area - Independent Candidate 2009)

Laois Nationalist. Thursday, October 30, 2008

Former council worker to run in next election

NEXT summer’s local elections area took an interesting twist this week with Francis Emerson announcing her decision to run as an independent candidate in the Emo electoral area.

Ms Emerson, who worked in the planning department of Laois County Council for three years, said she was forced to run as she had grown increasingly disillusioned with how Portlarington has been zoned by local public representatives.

“The straw that broke the camel’s back for me was the way our existing local representatives allowed excessive amounts of lands to be zoned in Portarlington and Killenard,” she said. “They also allowed the zoning of lands on the flood plains in Portarlington when all the experts were against the zoning.” “I was administrator in the drafting of the county development plan and the local area plans. It disturbed me to see what our local elected representatives from Fianna Fáil, Labour, the PDs and Fine Gael did to our town.

“Portarlington has been decimated by the amount of zoning and planning decisions which have been taking place in recent years. We need to open our eyes to what has happened and correct the problems,” she said Ms Emerson said she was determined to make positive change in her area.
“I have given this matter some serious consideration over the last number of months. I am committed to contesting the next local election. Real change takes courage to lead and I am motivated to make a real contribution,” she said. She was reared in a home steeped in politics. Her mother, Bridget Emerson, served nine years on Offaly County Council as a PD councillor. Ms Emerson will also be campaigning for community care for the elderly, more youth services and a 24-hour garda station in Portarlington.

Ms Emerson is married to Mark Butler and has a five-year-old son, Daniel. Born and reared in Portarlington, she has worked in the public and private sector. She left her council job in March of this year to take up the post as administrator in Na Páistí Community Crèche in Portarlington.


© The Nationalist & Leinster Times Limited, Hillcrest, Hanover, Carlow. Registered in Ireland: 10363..

Nice to be back.
I decided I needed to get stuck in a throw in my tuppance worth on the way I see it stacking up at the moment despite the fact not one single party has officially declared it's full list of candidates to contest the June locals.
After reading the thread I'd call it in the present political climate as:

Emo: Cribbin (FF), Deegan (FG), Emerson (Ind), Mullen (SF).

Luggacurren: Moran (FG), Daly (FG), Miller (FF), Fleming (FF).

Portlaoise: Aird (FG), Stanley (SF), Jacob (Ind), Lodge (FF), Sweeney (FG), Fitzgerald (FF), O'Brien (FG).

Borris-in-Ossory: Fennelly (FF), Bonham (FG), Phelan (FG), Lalor (FG), Phelan (FF), Kirwan (FF).

Mountmellick: Bracken (FF), McDonald (FG), Goodwin (FG), Digan (FF).

The Labour party has announced three candidates. They have, on record, said they are contesting all electoral areas including town council areas. So their line up is not yet complete.
The Green Party announced one candidate David Delaney (Portlaoise) with a possibility of a second contesting in Emo.

Other names being brandished about in other areas around the county include: Bobby Delaney, Rosemary Whelan, John King, Grace Halford, Paddy Buggy, Gerry Quinn, Stephen Lynch, Michael Gormley, Talitia Horan, Pascal McEvoy, Willie Murphy, Jack Nolan, Joe McCormack, Stephen O’Leary.

What's the reaction to my predictions?

I see the shinners have just announced some of their candidates.
Mullen in Emo
Lynch and Haughton in Mountmellick
Stanley in Portlaoise
Johnson in Luggacurren
Door left open for AN other in Portlaoise and also in Borris-in-Ossory

I'd imagine SF will run two in Portlaoise, given that B. Stanley should easily have more than a quota there next time around.
Labour's selection of Bowe in Mountmellick does seem to suggest that they may run Jim O'Brien in Portlaoise. If so, he can't do worse that the party's embarrassing run of results in previous LEs in "The Town" - I would suspect that he could pick up votes from amongst the new residents and also based on the landfill issue (given that Kyleteleasha is located within this LEA).
Emo definitely is one to watch. A decent turnout in Portarlington and it could get very, very interesting...but if the Portarlington turnout is poor, the fourth seat is likely to go to a candidate from the Heath/Emo or Vicarstown areas, and may well do so anyway even with a respectable Port turnout. The FF and FG strategists will no doubt be aware of this!

There was article in the Leinster yesterday about the various canidates in the EMO area
The question on everyones lips is will Mitchell go with the Blueshirts
Although the Soliders of Destiny will run Cribbin Willie and Saddlehead. I reckon that Mitchell if he goes with FG he will cruise in.
I see a name or a person nobody knows Grace Halford who is this lady?
Does any know her? I dont!
I have being around the EMO district for a long time.
If anyone has any info please let this forom know.
If the major parties put up credible canidates they have a good chance.
I think Frances Emerson will be a major threat to the final seat

Like i said and i will say it again
Deegan FG
Cribbin FF
Mitchell FG
Emerson Ind/Murphy FF