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Dublins EU Hopefuls

23/5/2019

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The final constituency is Dublin, the county with all the money, all the jobs, and all the benefits of the bail out. There's an argument to be made that all the MEP seats should be held in the capital and the country folk could come to the city for the day to vote. They'd have a great time shopping and using WiFi and they'd be putting a bit of money back into the economy that supports them all year round.

Mark Mullan declares on his website that he wants to break the culture of MEP`s spending five years in Brussels without anyone knowing what they're actually doing. Ironically not many people know what Mark's been up to for the last 25 years but that's no fault of his own as he's spent that time working on various humanitarian projects. Mark Mullan has an impressive CV and he also has the kind of principles you'd expect from a politician representing you in Europe. On paper he's one of the strongest candidates in the race and his election prospects are all down to how well his campaign goes.

Any left leaning individual should offer their full support to Lynn Boylan. Based on her track record in Europe she's the ideal candidate to represent Dublin. Lynn was heavily involved with the Repeal the 8th campaign, supports Catalonia and Palestine, and has been extremely critical of the Irish government watering down our neutrality through its support for PESCO. As a result of her work on the Right2Water report, Lynn has travelled to Greece, Italy, London and Catalonia to speak on the topic of the human right to water and the EU‘s privatisation agenda.

Gillian Brien & Rita Harrold are both on the campaign for Solidarity/People Before Profit which would make you wonder if the party are more interested in winning seats or raising candidate profiles. In a heavily contested constituency the liberal vote is already divided out amongst several left wing candidates and this kind of campaigning suggests that either Solidarity/PbP are incredibly ambitious or that they're putting party ahead of politics. That said both candidates are equally admirable, Rita is well known for being a Repeal activist and Gillian has over 18 years experience working within the Human Rights field, dealing with LGBT+ Young People, Travellers, Asylum & Refugees issues. She has also worked in the Youth and Community, Drugs and Homeless Sector.

​Alice Mary Higgins is a daughter of Michael D Higgins and has been endorsed by Hotpress magazine as a candidate who understands the importance of culture, theatre, literature, music and art. Alice has also been a vocal critic of the "free market" politics of Fine Gael and supports the RaiseTheRoof movement.


Gary Gannon is a true blue and has been campaigning for his own emoji. Probably the strongest candidate for the social democrats this could be the kind of victory for them that set the wheels in motion for establishing a stable left wing party in Ireland. However there's a lot of work to do and more doors need to be knocked on before the SD become a household favourite.

Clare Daly is an iconic figure in Irish politics who spends her time in the Dail fighting for a secular state, one that offers everyone equal opportunity. Best known for the Shannon protest and her involvement in the Repeal campaign she already has a particular fanbase. Clare has used this election to fight for the more centre and left of centre vote that might just help get her elected MEP.

Eílis Ryan is a councillor for The Worker’s Party and a bit of a hidden gem. Eílis has worked for a range of human rights and community development organisations in Ireland, Asia and Latin America. However she remains another candidate who needs to raise her profile before gathering enough votes to win Europe and I wish her the best of luck for the future.
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Ireland South

22/5/2019

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The South used to be a breeding ground for discontent, a safe house for Irish Culture, and the birthplace of political leaders that fought for equality, humanity, and justice. Now the South does what it's told, it's children are born to immigrate, and it's become a plantation of Dublin with little mind of its own.

However there are some candidates who say "No" to Dublin rulling the South. None more so than Diarmuid O’Flynn. This man would be a national hero if he lived in Iceland, one of the few people to speak out in opposition to the banking bail out and he actively organised protest against it. He also has plenty of political experience acting as parliamentary assistant for MEP Luke Ming Flanagan's. Diarmuid has also stood before the Oireachtas Finance Committee looking to establish a cross party committee to campaign against the bank debt taken on by Irish State following the ECB-IMF bailout. This fight isn't over in the eyes of those still suffering from austerity and if you want to continue looking for a better deal Diarmuid O'Flynn is the right candidate to support.

Mick Wallace could be described as an anti imperialist and it will be interesting to see how he fairs with the suits in Europe if he's elected. Still shrouded in the controversy of having an outstanding tax bill from the Celtic tiger years, he's more secretive about his dealings with the revenue than Donald Trump. However he's proven his worth in the Dail speaking up for whistleblowers, condemning military flights from Shannon, and being a strong critic of NAMA. Mick Wallace is a fighter and if he was born in the 19th century he'd be leading the pikemen of the East in a stand against the bureaucrats of the pale.

'Fight the Pipe' revolutionary Liam Minehan wants to decentralise Dublin and empower the country with the sense of fairness that's missing from the domestic arena. A pinup farmer from Tipperary he's likely to take a scalp off of the FG vote, and if he can get the IFA vote he could very well be first past the post.

Liadh Ní Riadh could have been president if she had advanced notice of being nominated as the SF candidate. A poorly run campaign resulted in a distant second place. Her love of the Irish language, her experience, and her strong connection with rural Ireland should see her having a more prosperous MEP election.

Grace O’Sullivan is a sitting senator for the green party. I hope all of Waterford get behind her because she has a great track record of fighting for and protecting the environment. In 1985 Grace joined the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior, to prevent nuclear tests in the Pacific. She speaks fluent Dutch and Spanish, basically a ready made MEP waiting for your vote.

Adrienne Wallace represents Solidarity/People Before Profit and has also adopted a two front strategy by running for local council as well. Based on the overwhelming support for repeal in the South she could swing a vote but she has a lot of work to do to swing the masses. A young voice with a fresh attitude, at 28 she is one of the youngest political candidates in Ireland and it's easy to see her representing a disenfranchised generation who feel locked out of the housing market, the job market, and the political sphere.

​Breda Gardner is an interesting candidate, based on her manifesto she's pro culchie and wants to put housing, health and the environment back on the agenda. She also prefers books to bombs and thinks 5G is one g too many.
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Midlands North West

21/5/2019

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The media have described some runners in the European elections as alternative candidates, mostly not warranting air time or press coverage. These candidates are not alternatives, as the media impose, they are legitimate options who are representative of the desire for change in this country. Over the next three days I'm going to post some quick reviews of the European candidates who could make a difference.

Presently the state is run and controlled by two parties, both of whom have caused the Irish people endless grief for decades. Generation after generation our people have suffered, afraid to hope for something better in case we're branded traitors or radicals.

Of course we also have the vanquished Labour party who supported the austerity government. They lost the support of the people after party elites compromised the parties core principles by supporting a capitalist regime that only benefits the wealthy.

For this reason I'm not covering candidates from three parties who already have established roots and friends in the media. I also won't be covering pro life lefties who are anti immigration or confused Irexit wannabes who forget which country they live in, and for some what planet they live on.

So I begin with the Midlands North West constituency:
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Luke Flanagan smashed onto the Irish political scene standing up for farmers, a job the establishment was meant to do as part of bread and butter politics. Luke has been branded Ming Flanagan for his caricature likeness to Ming the Merciless. Potentially one of the hippiest candidates in Europe, Luke topped the poll last time out in one of the most western and conservative outposts in Europe. In most countries this would be a landmark victory, reason for celebration, and courted by the press, but not in Ireland. Luke Flanagan has for most part engaged with the people he represents in person or through social media. He has reintroduced many to politics and European politics and has done so through his own channels.

Saoirse McHugh is running for the Green Party and has potential to be Ireland's AOC representing a younger generation who want to get serious about climate action. SMH is a feisty Achill Island native with all the passion and desire to represent a generation who demand real change. If you want something totally different you got to vote for someone totally new and theirs no one more on brand for change than Saoirse.

Matt Carthy currently sits as a Sinn Féin MEP but can't make up his mind about whether he's in this race or if he'll stand as a candidate for the Dail in the next election. I wish him the best of luck as a TD, perhaps that's what his party demands, but just as in sports mistakes get punished, and at the very top level they deserve to be punished. If Matt can't commit to the term he shouldn't be in the race, his presence divides the vote and reduces the opportunity to deliver a revolution in Irish politics. However the Sinn Fein faithful are likely to vote him through and he's worthy of a number two vote on the ballot paper.

Cyril Brennan might yet become the voice of the left in the West, although you might not have seen him on TV as he represents Solidarity/People Before Profit. That said there isn't a single issue Cyril isn't outspoken on and he'd liven up any old RTE debate should they care to leave the left speak. Cyril is also running in the local elections for Donegal County Council where he's more likely to cut the mustard and build a stronger profile.

Olive O’Connor is a woman on a mission, driven by personal circumstances she has become a health care advocate who wants to bring greater attention to the failings of the Irish health system, with the hope of getting enough support to fix those issues. It's worth your time listening out for Olive, whether this becomes a platform to the political arena for her or an opportunity to rally support for her cause, she's fighting for all of us.
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