Top Issue 1-2024

11 June 2009 Edition

Election Count RDS

11 June 2009

CLOUDY with sporadic bursts of sunshine describes the atmosphere in Dubin's RDS last Sunday as Sinn Féin activists rallied to the count centre to await the outcome of the EU elections. The Shinners' mood was a little bleak as the capital had lost four of its councillors and was preparing for a possible additional loss as Cabra's Seamus McGrattan was awaiting the result of a recount. Of course, the big prize - a possible EU seat for Mary Lou - was the story of the day, and it was a long day for both Seamus and Mary Lou with their results coming in from close to midnight to the early hours of the morning. Free article

An historic victory for positive politics

11 June 2009

SINN FÉIN'S Bairbre de Brún delivered an historic victory for her party when she became the first republican to top the poll in the Six Counties in a European election. De Brún said she viewed the vote she received as "an endorsement of positive politics" and pledged her focus would be "delivering a better future for everyone". Sinn Féin pointed out that, despite a significant vote for anti-Agreement unionism in the shape of Jim Allister's Traditional Unionist Voice, the vast majority of voters had backed parties in favour of the Peace Process and the power-sharing Assembly. Free article

The Mary Nelis Column

11 June 2009

THERE was something pathetic about the 'dolly mixture' line up of unionists singing God save the Queen in the Kings Hall last Monday, all of them claiming to be the 'traditionalist unionist voice'. What was missing was the traditional rendering of God our help in ages Past led by the man who had topped the poll in the 30-year life of European elections. The traditional and unmistaken voice of Paisley has been replaced by the demented Jim Allister, leader of the TUV, another fragmented rump of UUP's, PUP's DUP's, UDA's and UVF and all manner of fundamentalist alphabet men, who have littered or lettered the pages of Six County politics, during the course of the past 50 years. Free article

Another View by Eoin Ó Broin

11 June 2009

Dublin city has voted Left. That is the clear message from last Friday's election. The people of the city have delivered a verdict on the failed right wing policies of both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Labour, Sinn Féin, People Before Profit and a number of progressive independents have a clear majority on the Council. Free article

Cúlchaint LE EOGHAN Mac CORMAIC

11 June 2009

Mar thuismitheoir is minic a bhíonn ionadh orm faoi cé chomh cruthaíoch a's a bhíonn páistí, agus go deimhin ní amháin cruthaíoch ach samhlaíoch comh maith. Go minic bronntar leabhrán orm ag duine acu, le scéal fantasaíoch nua-scríofa faoi damhan-alla nó péileadóir nó girseach éigin atá ar tí an domhan a shabhail tríd cumhachtaí iontacha rúnda. Ach mar thuismitheoir comh maith, tuigim go dtránn an tobar cruthaíoch mura gcothaítear é, mura bhfuil spreagadh agus moladh ag dul leis, agus mura bhfuil an tathchuid is tábhachtaí ag dul dó: léitheoirí atá sásta an saothar a léamh. Free article

More than a game BY MATT TREACY

11 June 2009

IN IDLE MOMENTS during the Dublin-Meath match on Sunday I used my perch in the Cusack Stand to study some of the characters who were wandering about beneath Hill 16. First of all, contrary to urban legend, the Hill denizens were no less punctual than those in any other part of the ground although several dozen did amble in well after 4 o'clock. What was even more bizarre however was that quite a number of people didn't bother climbing the steps to watch the game at all. Some of them, it is true, found what is not actually a bad spot below the terrace at a wall where you can see probably everything reasonably well. And eat your hot dog and sip your plastic glass of beer without danger of being jostled in the sweaty throng. Free article


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