The Race for the ARAS.....

[AZOffaly]

Sean T O'Ceallaigh used to wear a top hat all the time to make him look taller.

It was also most useful for storing the bottles of whiskey.

As for my Offaly pal the actual quote is (and I googled it)

Joseph Donnelly: You're a corker, Shannon. What a corker you are

Jaysus. I stand corrected so. What a shite line that is, even more shite than what I remembered. Who said 'corker' back in the 1800s?

[AQMP]

If you told anyone in 2007 that Enda Kenny would be Taoiseach, Michael Noonan - Minister for Finance, Fianna Fáil almost extinct, Gerry Adams a T.D., Ming in Dáil Éireann, Bertie an national pariah, A black president of the United States of America, Dublin All-Ireland Champions, 4 Irish provinces in the Heineken Cup they would have had you committed.

Maybe it will be bible Bunreacht na hÉireann bashing Dana for the suprise win 

Dana is the one thats begining to annoy me the most now (not because she is from the North    ). She will have that book in tatters she waves it around so much.

Born in London...nathin' to do with us!!

Not only is she not from the North...she's not even Irish!!

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2011/1007/1224305390909.html

COLM KEENA, Public Affairs Correspondent

DANA ROSEMARY Scallon became a US citizen prior to putting her name forward for the 1997 presidential election but a decision was taken not to inform the electorate, her sister told a court in Iowa in 2008.

Ms Scallon, who is again a candidate for the presidency, confirmed yesterday that she was a US citizen but said she certainly had not tried to keep the fact secret. "I don't see it as any problem at all," she said.

Her sister Susan Stein gave evidence in 2008 that she discussed her sister's citizenship with Dana's husband, Damien Scallon, and Dana's brother and adviser in her current presidential campaign, John Brown, during the presidential contest in 1997.

"When she ran for the presidential election in Ireland, John and Damien and I had a meeting," Ms Stein told the US court. "She had just acquired her American citizenship, at the same time she was running for president of a foreign country, and the decision was made that it wouldn't look very good if the people of Ireland knew she was an American citizen."

Ms Scallon said yesterday her husband and her brother could not remember the conversation. She had not sought to keep her US citizenship secret. "Why would I? Wasn't de Valera ?"

She said that when going through the citizenship process she had been assured she could retain her Irish citizenship and that she wouldn't have become a US citizen otherwise. "I don't vote there. I only vote here."

People becoming naturalised US citizens take an oath renouncing their allegiance to all other states. Ms Scallon said she could not recall taking the oath. She said that being a US citizen did not bar her from becoming president of Ireland.

Ms Stein, who lives in Iowa but came to Ireland for her sister's 1997 election campaign, made her comments during a bitter row over the ownership of some of Dana's religious recordings.

Ms Scallon said her sister's comments were made in the context of a family dispute in which each side put forward its case. The sides reached an agreement in 2009 and it was a condition that they would not comment further, she said.

In his ruling in the dispute, Iowa judge Charles Wolle found that none of the witnesses in the case, who included Dana, spoke "only the truth" when giving their sworn testimony. He said both Dana and her sister had "convenient memories to some extent". Ms Scallon said yesterday the judge had made comments about everyone and "that's a judge's prerogative".

[Billys Boots]

Sean T O'Ceallaigh used to wear a top hat all the time to make him look taller.

It was also most useful for storing the bottles of whiskey.

As for my Offaly pal the actual quote is (and I googled it)

Joseph Donnelly: You're a corker, Shannon. What a corker you are

Jaysus. I stand corrected so. What a shite line that is, even more shite than what I remembered. Who said 'corker' back in the 1800s?

Maybe it was a precursor of 'Langer'?

[muppet]

Not only is she not from the North...she's not even Irish!!

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2011/1007/1224305390909.html

COLM KEENA, Public Affairs Correspondent


People becoming naturalised US citizens take an oath renouncing their allegiance to all other states. Ms Scallon said she could not recall taking the oath. She said that being a US citizen did not bar her from becoming president of Ireland.

Ms Stein, who lives in Iowa but came to Ireland for her sister's 1997 election campaign, made her comments during a bitter row over the ownership of some of Dana's religious recordings.

Ms Scallon said her sister's comments were made in the context of a family dispute in which each side put forward its case. The sides reached an agreement in 2009 and it was a condition that they would not comment further, she said.

In his ruling in the dispute, Iowa judge Charles Wolle found that none of the witnesses in the case, who included Dana, spoke "only the truth" when giving their sworn testimony. He said both Dana and her sister had "convenient memories to some extent". Ms Scallon said yesterday the judge had made comments about everyone and "that's a judge's prerogative".

All kinds of everything selectively remind me of you

[Main Street]

Sean T O'Ceallaigh used to wear a top hat all the time to make him look taller.

It was also most useful for storing the bottles of whiskey.

As for my Offaly pal the actual quote is (and I googled it)

Joseph Donnelly: You're a corker, Shannon. What a corker you are

Jaysus. I stand corrected so. What a shite line that is, even more shite than what I remembered. Who said 'corker' back in the 1800s?

Maybe it was a precursor of 'Langer'?

If it sounds credible to a Canadian and the rest of the world that an Irishman would say that in the 1880's,  then who're we to cry 'corker'?

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Durt on Dana, who'd have thought it!

Seriously though, does the fact that she has recanted her Irish citizenship not bar her from standing for the Presidency?

[muppet]

Durt on Dana, who'd have thought it!

Seriously though, does the fact that she has recanted her Irish citizenship not bar her from standing for the Presidency?

If Mitchell or McGuinness had done this they would be fried in the media.

Her comparison with Dev is bizzarre. He was born in the States and thus a US citizen. She wasn't born in the States and actively sought out citizenship, renouncing any other citizenship of her own free will. Her ego seems to be uncontainable. Sadly Ireland is full of head-bangers willing to follow spoofers like herself and Mary Qango-Queen  Davis. Dana won the Eurovision, big deal. So did Johnny Logan, should we make him President on the back of it?

[Main Street]

Durt on Dana, who'd have thought it!

Seriously though, does the fact that she has recanted her Irish citizenship not bar her from standing for the Presidency?

Did she recant her Irish citizenship? I doubt it.

When becoming a US citizen, she took an oath renouncing her allegiance to all other states, we won't mention mental reservation here
Unless she actually did - renounced Irish citizenship - she still remained a valid Irish citizen, according to the irish constitution. Not even the great USA can dictate the Irish constitution. The Irish constitution allows her to be a dual citizen.

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Durt on Dana, who'd have thought it!

Seriously though, does the fact that she has recanted her Irish citizenship not bar her from standing for the Presidency?

Did she recant her Irish citizenship? I doubt it.

When becoming a US citizen, she took an oath renouncing her allegiance to all other states, we won't mention mental reservation here
Unless she actually did - renounced Irish citizenship - she still remained a valid Irish citizen, according to the irish constitution. Not even the great USA can dictate the Irish constitution. The Irish constitution allows her to be a dual citizen.

You may be right, just spoke to an American friend there and he reckons that you are allowed to hold one other citizenship as well as the US one.

[muppet]

"I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God"

[AQMP]

You're right there Main Street she does have the right to hold both nationalities.  She is still (I think) an Irish citizen and therfore entitled to stand for President.

But to use FG words is she an "appropriate" candidate given she took this oath?

I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.

Whatever about Marty being Commander in Chief of the Defence Forces, should we have a Commander in Chief who would be required to bear arms on behalf of the USA??

Edit:  Bate me to it there muppet, I'm getting slow in my old age

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Don't really think it will make much difference to the hardcore Dana voters, they are more for her on social/religious grounds.
She'll loss some of the floaters she's attracted though.

Who's next Gallagher or Tiny Tim/Dobbie?

[AQMP]

Don't really think it will make much difference to the hardcore Dana voters, they are more for her on social/religious grounds.
She'll loss some of the floaters she's attracted though.

Who's next Gallagher or Tiny Tim/Dobbie?

Odds-on Gallagher!  He's on the up...he'll have to be cut down!

[AZOffaly]

why would anyone bother releasing dirt about Dana? It's like kicking the three legged donkey in the Grand National.

[Hound]

At the moment Gallagher is way ahead in terms of getting my number 1 vote. I've never seen him on TV before, but he's impressed me as someone who I'd be confident would do and say the right things when meeting with any foreign dignataries and he could potentially be an asset for Ireland.

Norris is getting no.7 for me, because of his views on the age of consent and "grooming".

Struggling with 2 to 6.

I would have been very anti-Sinn Fein, but I'm coming round, and I do admire McGuinness. Would be worried about him being president and some nasty incident coming out of the closet. Have any Unionist politicians made any comments about his running for president?

I think Mitchell and Higgins are both terrible candidates and a sad reflection on FG and Labour.

I initially liked Mary Davis. But finding out she's on €150k from Special Olympics and still has time to get €40k+ per annum for sitting on quangos makes me resent her. Or maybe its just envy. But it means I don't want to give her a low number.

I can't see myself giving Dana a low number either, but the fact that she might even be in contention for my number 2 or 3 is very worrying.