Thomas Byrne of Fianna Fáil is one of the few TDs in this election campaign to have exploited the blog medium. Byrne is a 29 year- old solicitor who is running for the first-time in this commuter-belt constituency.

Unusually for a political dilettante, he pulls NO punches when analysing his rivals’ policies, or occasionally the coverage afforded to him in newspapers. Highlights include his calling

However, to label his website as a rant would be misguided. Byrne regularly updates his prospective constituents on local matters of interest, such as decsions to upgrade local infrastucutere, and a recent visit of De Nortsoide Taoiseach to Drogheda. Byrne’s campaign video features  below.

Byrne’s blog is also updated regularly.

On the opposition front, Labour’s Cllr. Dominic Hannigan is one of the few election candidates to delve into the blogging sphere. Cllr. Hannigan is also a rarity in this election campaign, as he is one of only four candidates who is openly gay. However, it must be stressed that none of these candidates are seeking to represnt constituenceis rather than indulge in activism.

Cllr. Hannigan’s blog (http://dominichannigan.blogspot.com/) has a much more ‘party-political’ feel to it then that of Thomas Byrne’s. Whereas Byrne seems to strive to portray the individual, Hannigan is swaddled in the collective. There are links to the websites of many individual Labour candidates, and there is even a link to further Labour blogs, via their party website, which is accessible here http://www.labour.ie/.

On the policy front, there’s the usual parish pump stuff, new footpaths, bus services etc. However, Hannigan seems to have broader policy objectives, particularly regarding the environment. This makes for an interesting, if somewhat worrying read, particularly when Hannigan cites a visit to a factory in the process of asbestos.

The mooting of a €2 bus fare for commuters to Dublin is also interesting, although it’s difficult to see if it would work. Hannigan is also passionate about healthcare, as his mooting of free medical cards for under 5′s would suggest. See his speech at the Labour Ard-Fhéis below:

]]> http://electiononline1.wordpress.com/2007/05/02/election-2007-ireland-flips-a-coin/feed/ 0 The Opposition http://electiononline1.wordpress.com/2007/05/02/party-leadership-strangling-blogging/ http://electiononline1.wordpress.com/2007/05/02/party-leadership-strangling-blogging/#comments Wed, 02 May 2007 10:55:38 +0000 The Opposition http://electiononline1.wordpress.com/2007/05/02/party-leadership-strangling-blogging/ ]]> Having got the local issues out of the way (only two candidates had blogs-something of a drawback) now seems the time to focus on party blogging across the board.

In general, the opposition parties have failed to grasp the mettle when it comes to blogging. It seems that the central leaderships have overlooked what could be a very usual promotional tool during this general election.

Instead, it has been left to individual candidates to start and maintain their own bulletin-boards. Younger or first-time candidates seem to have took this up rather than more senior politicians.

Honourable mention in this regard goes to the Labour Party, who seem to have a clear policy in this area. On every Labour blog, there is a sidebar containing hyperlinks to blogs of other Labour runners. Indeed, the Labour site (www.labour.ie) could said to be one large blog, or at least is presented in blog-style.

Labour need no excuse to court the Internet voter, and their homepage is peppered with videos of their Ard-Fhéis speeches, their advertising campaign, candidates on the campaign trail etc.

Surprisingly, Sinn Féin seems to offer very little in the way of candidate blogs. This contrasts with their website (http://www.sinnfein.ie/), which is quite modern, containing podcasts, audio and video footage, RSS feeds etc.

You would think that a party which appeals mostly to the young voters would capitalise on the medium most beloved by contemporary youth, but alas tis’ not the case. Their lack of enterprise leaves me with no choice but to exhibit this classic footage from comic Steve Coogan:

Resemble any senior SF politician?

The Socialists have been similarly slack net-wise. Long searches for a Joe Higgins’ blog proved long and fruitless. This is a shame, for Higgins is known to be one of the most entertaining orators in the Oireachtas, particularly when baiting Bertie.

Although their website http://www.socialistparty.net/ provides plenty of information on Socialist councillors, not one has had the initiative to strike out on their own.

Some, however, have campaigned by proxy. Brian Greene is working on Cllr. Clare Daly’s campaign in Dublin North, and he has produced a bitingly-sharp site here http://www.briangreene.com/bhg/category/election/ .

Alas Brian Greene seems to be carrying The Socialist Party on the web-front. This is deeply disappointing from a self-styled ‘Revolutionary Party’.

It’s a worrying sign that few of our TDs, or prospective TDs, have the gumption to use their initiative in this way.

If most display this lack of innovation in a general election campaign, what can we expect when we reach office?

For that reason, I’m going to cheat a little and broaden this blog’s raison d’etre to other political web sources. For many years, politics.ie has been the politico’s choice, but other fine sites are out there.

Some enterprising soul has catalogued Labour matters on the site http://labourandthegeneralelection.wordpress.com . Although a little spartan, this site has provided excellent coverage of Labour’s campaign thus far, including a possible schism within the party.

A superb account of this election campaign is also provided at the imaginatively- titled http://www.irishelection.com/ .

As I’ve mentioned previously, Labour have probably made the greatest impact on the blogging sphere during this election, at least among the opposition parties. Their party website (www.labour.ie) is a blog in all but name, and therin are links to several of the party’s election hopefuls.

Eric Byrne is Labour’s election candidate in Dublin South Central. He is also a member of Dublin City Council, and his profile is available here http://www.labour.ie/ericbyrne/ .

Byrne talks straight from the shoulder on many issues, and is particularly strident in taking the media to task. Byrne has criticised both the Sunday Independent and The Irish Examiner in recent postings, the former for glamourising drug abuse and the latter for an article on the disabled.

However, he also has a wry sense of humour, as the photo below shows well :

I certainly think it’s the first time a website has ever run for Dáil Éireann.

Cllr. Aidan Culhane (http://www.aidanculhane.com/index.php) is Labour’s election hopeful in Dublin South. He is currently a councillor for the Dundrum electoral area in South Dublin, representing Balally, Ballinteer, Churchtown, Clonskeagh, Dundrum, Goatstown, Marley and Windy Arbour.

Culhane’s policy proposals are interesting enough, and he has spoken stridently on special needs education and of Ireland’s position on Romanian and Bulgarian immigrants.

He also seems to have a welcome rebellious streak, criticising Pat the Rabbitte’s pact with Inda Kinny as being disasterous for Labour. In an age when most TDs ride the party wave, it’s refreshing to see a mere councillor speaking out.

However, the reason I highlight Culhane’s blog is probably his stance on stamp duty. I nearly fell off my chair to see a Labour candidate supporting the Mad Mullah himself, Michael McDowell! Will wonders never cease?

Liz McManus has been a stalwart of the Labour front bench for years, and its pleasing to see her energy hasn’t diminished over time. The Wicklow TD (http://lizmcmanus.blogspot.com/) is known for walking on the left side of the street, even for Labour, and so her stance proves.

On her blog,McManus champions the Civil Unions Bill for homosexual couples, and also tackles the Government on class sizes, rural infrastructure and health. She also has a wry swipe at Minister Dick Roche, who she notes ‘has a head shorn like a freshly cut lawn.’ Splendid.

Moving into the rarefied confines of An Seanad, Senator Joanna Tuffy for is running for the Dáil in Dublin West ( http://www.tuffylabour.ie/wordpress/?m=200701) . Tuffy’s site is very much a work in progress; a ramshackle affair devoid of the spit and polish of so many other candidates.

An interesting aside is that Tuffy is pictured mounting the first Heuston-Lucan train since 1947! Parish pump politics, but just the sort of thing that may get you elected.

Writing this post has made me realise just how Dublin-centric the Labour Party has become. It remains the challenge for Labour to win seats outside the Pale if they are to help form the next government.

This is her Ard-fhéis address this year:

Parties that are formed in parliament tend to lack cohesion. Fine Gael, whose forerunner was founded within the 3rd Dáil in 1922, expemplify this.

Traditionally, Fine Gael has relied on its notable candidates to win votes, as it has lacked the organisation and singular vision that is Fianna Fáil’s greatest strength. Even today, this lack of synergy manifests itself on the blogging sphere.

Whereas Labour candidates flag each others’ blogs, Fine Gael candidates hardly acknowledge each other. Has the party stolen Sinn Féin’s clothes, ‘Oursleves Alone?’

Moreover, few Fine Gael TDs have bothered. As I noted in my first post, I expected younger TDs to be to the fore in this regard. However, prominent young politicians such as Simon Coveney and Olwyn Enright have foregone the blog, which is quite surprising.

To be fair to Coveney, though, he does make an appeal to younger voters. A lone voice in the darkness, nonetheless:

Lucinda Creighton is running for the party in Dublin South-East. Creighton is notably more aggressive in her campaigning than any of the Labour candidates, if her blog is anything to go by. An example of this is her haranguing of the Tánaiste on crime, available here http://www.lucindacreighton.ie/crime.html .

It’s also obvious that Creighton cares little for the hob-nobbing of an election campaign. Aside from a small pictures gallery, her site is devoted to policy, e.g. http://www.lucindacreighton.ie/crime1.html .

In contrast, Cllr.Eugene Regan is all about the parish pump. Regan http://www.eugeneregan.ie/?m=200704 knows the issues, Blackrock Park seemingly being one them. His site does what it says on the tin, although to call it spartan would be an understatement.

Local issues, such as clamping, the environment and traffic concerns are common in South Dublin. Regan makes a decent effort to incorporate new technology into his site, though, the most interesting being his Bloomsday interview http://www.video4web.net/bloomsday2_lge_format.html (Quick player required).

South Kildare Councillor Richard Daly is low profile. Very low profile. So camera shy is Richard that there are no pictures on his website, not to mention video footage. Only in Ireland would a politician bother setting up a site that doesn’t publicise who he is!

Here’s his URL http://richarddaly.blogspot.com/2006_01_01_archive.html, though I hardly feel it’s worth your while accessing it.

John O’Mahony has a lot on his plate at the moment. Not only is he running for Fine Gael in Mayo, a very large constituency, but he is also training the Mayo county footballers, a position that brings about quite a bit of pressure in itself. John’s campaign video is available here:

Hence, time is at a premium for Johnno. However, he still makes more of an effort than some FG runners to show himself. Content is sparse, but photos of the bold John out and about in smart-casual are plentiful here http://johnomahony.finegael.ie/Representatives/common/index.cfm.

Remember when I said that Eugene Regan was constituency-oriented? Well come back Eugene, all is forgiven. Senator Joe McHugh doesn’t even bother to reference himself in his blog’s URL, “Donegal Matters” (http://www.donegalmatters.com/ ).

Obviously Sen. McHugh feels that news to the Hills carries slow, for the site doesn’t make a pretence of discussing national politics. Instead, he says that he “..feels it’s vital that Dublin hears what matters to Donegal and its people.” You tell ‘em, Joe. Here’s the bold Joe out and about:

]]> http://electiononline1.wordpress.com/2007/05/02/fine-gael/feed/ 0 The Opposition fg.jpg http://electiononline1.wordpress.com/2007/05/02/the-greens/ http://electiononline1.wordpress.com/2007/05/02/the-greens/#comments Wed, 02 May 2007 10:54:52 +0000 The Opposition http://electiononline1.wordpress.com/2007/05/02/the-greens/ ]]>

The Greens are a modern party and a very recent success story, having won 5 seats in the last General election. To that end, one would expect them to be quite vigorous in cyberspace, and they are.

John Gormley ( http://www.johngormley.com/wp/category/blog/) is one of the founding fathers of the Greens, and is sitting TD for Dublin-South East. As such, environmental issues crop up on his blog more often than most, with the Ringsend incinerator and water flouridation under discussion lately. Here’s John’s view on the Greens’ chances:

Like all of the party leaders, Trevor Sargeant has taken a rain-check on the blog medium, being content with a page on the main Green Party site. His biography is accessible here http://www.greenparty.ie/en/trevor_sargent .

The Greens are not known for having All-Ireland policies, so the following footage was an eye-opener for me:

The Greens are very much a Dublin-based party, all of their sitting TDs having been elected within the Pale, bar Dan Boyle. Ironic enough that an environmental party’s power base is located within the urban heartland. It remains a challenge for them to expand their borders into Ruffian Country, if they wish to partake of government.

One gets a flavour of their collective mindset on Eamonn Ryan’s site http://eamonryan.wordpress.com/. You know you’re entering Dortland when a TD uses any excuse to drop being a UCD alumnus into the text. After all. the UN and the Belfield campus are very similar, both having a ‘u’ in their names.

Aside from the odd Ross O’Carroll-Kelly style gaffe, Ryan gives the impression of a smooth operator. Ryan seems to have hob-nobbed in many worldwide climatic conferences, the main subject of this one being one in Nairobi, Kenya.

Ciarán Cuffe is the most web-savvy Green TD going, if one to judge by his site. The Dublin South TD has blitzed www.youtube.com to post videos on a variety of issues, including transport matters, the future of the Public Baths in Dún Laoghaire, and the Green Party Convention. Click here http://www.youtube.com/CiaranCuffe to access his gallery.

Cuffe has a self-deprecating sense of humour that is often lacking in Dáil Éireann, especially with the Mad Mullah around. Pick of the bunch has to be his encounter with a Dublin ‘Character’, who told him :”The Green Party- ah, yiz are all lentils and smoking dope, sure you’d ruin the country.”

Cuffe’s blog is accessible here http://www.cuffestreet.blogspot.com/. He also has a website, i.e. http://www.ciarancuffe.com/ .

Dan Boyle is the only non-Dublin TD in the Green Party, and wouldn’t you know he’d be a boyo from Cork. You know the Corkonians have it bad when they elect a Green to emulate dem hoors from Dublin.

Dan’s homepage and blog are located here http://www.danboyle.ie/index.php?pageID=1 .

Sinn Féin have devised their own website specially for this election, distinguishable from their newsroom site. This is accessible here, http://www.sinnfeingeneralelection.com/ , whence one can access individual candidate’s blogs.

The party lives up to its name in its blogging strategy, as none of the candidates have blogs as such. Instead, candidates make do with what’s termed a ‘blog’, but what is in reality a page on the elction site of SF.

Mary Lou McDonald is an iconic figure to Sinn Féin, worth her weight in PR gold . Previously the preserve of the working-classes, Mary Lou’s European election victory in 2004 showed that Sinn Féin can penetrate the middle classes. A Trinity, UL and DCU alumnus, she has the credentials to appeal to the petit bourgeois.

Mary is running in the Taoiseach’s constituency, a bold move if ever there was one, considering Eh Bertie’s popularity. However, Mary would want to get her act together on the blog front, as she has only posted a MP4 video and a brief biography.

Her meagre effort is available here http://www.sinnfeingeneralelection.com/en/election-blog/entry/129 .

To give her her due-and it kills me to do it- she has campaigned heartily in other ways, such as this video:

Pearse Doherty has the look of cat that’s licked the cream. Evidently he must feel he’s a great chance of taking one of the seats in Donegal South-West, for he doesn’t mention the area too much, except to reference emigration and a lack of broadband facilities.

A strong showing in the European elections of 2004 should set him up for a strong tilt at this seat, particularly as the bulk of his preferences in that election came from Donegal. Pearse’s page is here http://www.sinnfeingeneralelection.com/en/topic/4 .

Gerry Murray is running for the Shinners in Mayo. Mayo is hardly traditional SF territory, the electorate having leaned slightly towards Fine Gael for much of the history of the state. However, the Corrib gas fiasco could cost the larger parties dearly this time around, with Sinn Féin pole-vaulting the bandwagon in the Erris region.

Murray was previously a long-serving Fianna Fáil councillor, his defection being a propoganda scoop for SF. His page is available here http://www.sinnfeingeneralelection.com/en/topic/11 .

Dessie Ellis is a native of Finglas and is running in Dublin North- West. He spent quite some time in prisons in Britain and the United States due to his republican militancy.

Top of Ellis’s priorities for the forthcoming election is the extension of the Metro line to Finglas, which has been omitted under Transport 21. He also raises the issue of hospital treatment in the Finglas area, where he says many people go to the Mater or Beaumont hospitals, as the waiting lists are ‘ridiculous’.

Dessie sounds off here http://www.sinnfeingeneralelection.com/en/topic/6 .

Ann-Marie Carroll is leading the SF charge in Galway West. I would class any opposition TD that doesn’t prioritise the water issue there as an idiot, so she makes plenty of noise on that one.

There is quite an emphasis on lifestyle and leisure activities in the SF interview with Ann-Marie, that I didn’t see in any of the interviews with male candidates. This entailed a few questions on her favourite TV programmes, music, relaxation activities etc. Dare I suggest that SF are a teensy-weeny bit sexist in this case? Perish the thought.

To be fair to the Shinners, since the completion of this site major, nay historic events have unfolded in the Grim North. Therefore, I think it only right to show these groundbreraking events here…

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Tháinig ár lá, do chuile dhuine.

Our day came, for everybody.