Catholics make up 78% of free state population.👍👍👍

[Rossfan]

With 2,000,000,000 believers around the globe.
Why do the non believers always have to throw in the gratuitous insult.
Why not simply say I don't believe in God, Bible, Koran, Buddha whatever...

[Milltown Row2]

With 2,000,000,000 believers around the globe.
Why do the non believers always have to throw in the gratuitous insult.
Why not simply say I don't believe in God, Bible, Koran, Buddha whatever...
[/quote/]

They do, it's called being an  atheist

[Rois]

Tony wins again.  Ye never learn lads.

This.

[Lar Naparka]

If they feel bothered to designate then they retain at least some degree of Catholicism.It is encouraging,and many will return more actively to the fold when they see the meaninglessness of a life spent pursuing pleasures of this world only

Tony, I was in a pub with Dessie Ellis and a few of his SF supporters just before a GE some time ago. Some of the younger heads were ecstatic at the reception they had been getting on the doorstep. Dessie was going to top the poll without a doubt. They were too young to realise that SF got a tremendous reception all over Finglas West but most of their supporters wouldn't get out of bed to go and cast a vote. All talk on the doorstep, no show at the polling booths.
One veteran canvasser asked for silence and then pronounced, "Look lads,if everyone who promised a vote to all who came looking for it, did vote then 275% of the f**king population will have voted!

[Eamonnca1]

Why would you do that.It would be like me describing myself as a non practicing atheist

Ugh. There's no such thing as a "non-practicing atheist." Atheism is a religion in the same way that "not collecting stamps" is a hobby. With atheism there's nothing to "practice."

[T Fearon]

Practising or non practising,78% of the population still actively designated as catholic,thus endorsing Catholicism as the official state religion.That is stunning given all the controversy.

[vallankumous]

Tony, I was in a pub with Dessie Ellis and a few of his SF supporters just before a GE some time ago. Some of the younger heads were ecstatic at the reception they had been getting on the doorstep. Dessie was going to top the poll without a doubt. They were too young to realise that SF got a tremendous reception all over Finglas West but most of their supporters wouldn't get out of bed to go and cast a vote. All talk on the doorstep, no show at the polling booths.
One veteran canvasser asked for silence and then pronounced, "Look lads,if everyone who promised a vote to all who came looking for it, did vote then 275% of the f**king population will have voted!

That's some blueshirt thinking right there.

[tonto1888]

There has been a corresponding reduction of "Catholics" in the North as young people re designate as non religious.Still it is good news that nevertheless 78% of the population of the 26 counties,in spite of relentless negative publicity and outrageous propaganda,still declare themselves as Catholic.

Why?

[Avondhu star]

Tony, I was in a pub with Dessie Ellis and a few of his SF supporters just before a GE some time ago. Some of the younger heads were ecstatic at the reception they had been getting on the doorstep. Dessie was going to top the poll without a doubt. They were too young to realise that SF got a tremendous reception all over Finglas West but most of their supporters wouldn't get out of bed to go and cast a vote. All talk on the doorstep, no show at the polling booths.
One veteran canvasser asked for silence and then pronounced, "Look lads,if everyone who promised a vote to all who came looking for it, did vote then 275% of the f**king population will have voted!

That's some blueshirt thinking right there.

That doesn't mean he isnt telling the truth.
Check the electoral register against the percentages of voters from individual boxes will tell you who did or did not vote.

[vallankumous]

That doesn't mean he isnt telling the truth.
Check the electoral register against the percentages of voters from individual boxes will tell you who did or did not vote.

I'm aware of that. I'm pretty sure SF in Finglas West are aware of that too.
To suggest the people of Finglas West would not get out of bed to vote is demeaning to the good people in Finglas West who get out of bed to go to work or feed their children or the many other daily reasons someone would get out of bed. This is what I mean by blueshirt thinking. The reason there is a low turnout is nothing to do with the implied laziness. It's the education, disengagement, constant disappointment and the utter failure of politics (or success if you're so inclined) to attract many in Finglas West to the voting booth.
I do not think he is not telling what he believes to be the truth. I've no doubt he believes it. I'm am saying he is wrong.

Fair play to anyone that works and promotes voting in any low turnout area.

[Hardy]

That doesn't mean he isnt telling the truth.
Check the electoral register against the percentages of voters from individual boxes will tell you who did or did not vote.

To suggest the people of Finglas West would not get out of bed to vote is demeaning to the good people in Finglas West who get out of bed to go to work or feed their children or the many other daily reasons someone would get out of bed. This is what I mean by blueshirt thinking. The reason there is a low turnout is nothing to do with the implied laziness. It's the education, disengagement, constant disappointment and the utter failure of politics (or success if you're so inclined) to attract many in Finglas West to the voting booth.
I do not think he is not telling what he believes to be the truth. I've no doubt he believes it. I'm am saying he is wrong.

Fair play to anyone that works and promotes voting in any low turnout area.

I think you're being annoyed on behalf of the wrong people. Lar wasn't talking about the people of Finglas West. He was talking about the people of Finglas West who promised to vote for Sinn Féin.

[Hardy]

Practising or non practising,78% of the population still actively designated as catholic,thus endorsing Catholicism as the official state religion.That is stunning given all the controversy.

This is the sort of stuff you hear from KAT loyalists. I'd say you're being brainwashed by your compadres on the imaginary march to an independent NI. If I thought there was a brain to wash.

Unlike the UK, or your Northern Ireland nirvana, there is no state religion here.

[Lar Naparka]

That doesn't mean he isnt telling the truth.
Check the electoral register against the percentages of voters from individual boxes will tell you who did or did not vote.

To suggest the people of Finglas West would not get out of bed to vote is demeaning to the good people in Finglas West who get out of bed to go to work or feed their children or the many other daily reasons someone would get out of bed. This is what I mean by blueshirt thinking. The reason there is a low turnout is nothing to do with the implied laziness. It's the education, disengagement, constant disappointment and the utter failure of politics (or success if you're so inclined) to attract many in Finglas West to the voting booth.
I do not think he is not telling what he believes to be the truth. I've no doubt he believes it. I'm am saying he is wrong.

Fair play to anyone that works and promotes voting in any low turnout area.

I think you're being annoyed on behalf of the wrong people. Lar wasn't talking about the people of Finglas West. He was talking about the people of Finglas West who promised to vote for Sinn Féin.

You are dead right, I'd have thought that that was so obvious that I needn't stress it.
Of course I wasn't referring to the people of Finglas West as a body. "They were too young to realise that SF got a tremendous reception all over Finglas West but most of their supporters wouldn't get out of bed to go and cast a vote," is what I said and iis what I meant to say. I worked iin Finglas for over three decades and I think I don't need a lecture from anyone  on the moral attributes of the people who live there. During most of that tie, the Shinners  worked really hard try to promote their cause. At election times, the party always had more door to door canvassers, poster hangers and God knows what else than the combined total of all the opposition but everyone knew that those who promised to vote SF were the ones least likely to turn out to vote.
Like Avondhu said, a check of the electoral register is all it takes to find out if I am right or wrong - no rocket science involved.
The problem for SF is even more pronounced in Finglas South as the social problems are more acute.
You can't blame education for the fact that bin collectors won't enter certain streets after 11 am as they would be attacked by some of the local heads who would be waking up around that time. Tat's from a bin man who worked there. For many years, FF was able to get two seats in that constituency by superb vote management where SF, despite the promises of support, fell short every time until FF imploded.
That's also on the record.

[vallankumous]

You are dead right, I'd have thought that that was so obvious that I needn't stress it.
Of course I wasn't referring to the people of Finglas West as a body. "They were too young to realise that SF got a tremendous reception all over Finglas West but most of their supporters wouldn't get out of bed to go and cast a vote," is what I said and iis what I meant to say. I worked iin Finglas for over three decades and I think I don't need a lecture from anyone  on the moral attributes of the people who live there. During most of that tie, the Shinners  worked really hard try to promote their cause. At election times, the party always had more door to door canvassers, poster hangers and God knows what else than the combined total of all the opposition but everyone knew that those who promised to vote SF were the ones least likely to turn out to vote.
Like Avondhu said, a check of the electoral register is all it takes to find out if I am right or wrong - no rocket science involved.
The problem for SF is even more pronounced in Finglas South as the social problems are more acute.
You can't blame education for the fact that bin collectors won't enter certain streets after 11 am as they would be attacked by some of the local heads who would be waking up around that time. Tat's from a bin man who worked there. For many years, FF was able to get two seats in that constituency by superb vote management where SF, despite the promises of support, fell short every time until FF imploded.
That's also on the record.

It was not obvious but I accept I should have taken it for granted you were isolating certain people.
I do take issue with the reason for not voting being laziness. It's too big an issue and too common a phenomenon to be that simple.
If you ask all the non voters outside of an election environment the majority by far will say 'It'll make no difference'. However, if you canvass and ask the same people at the door they will tell you they will vote for you. THis is a tactic to avoid confrontation, or to avoid a discussion of no interest in the topic.
In a working class area I live in in north Dublin FF usually get the biggest return for the least effort. This is about politics, campaign style, experience and familiarity. Not about the amount of people on the ground.
Brian Lenihan told me I was wasting my time canvassing a particular area. His approach was to go into the local every 6 months and buy a few pints. He was a massive figure in politics at the time. This approach worked. That is down to voter education only. In other areas there would be political condition to winning a vote.
WTF is with that binman story?
Post 11am leaves plenty of time to vote.

[J70]

If a political party canvas showed 78% of the population intended to vote for them the party top brass would be ecstatic.

It is a fantastic and pleasantly surprising result in the face of scandal and propaganda

There wouldn't be much ecstasy if the 78% was a point on a downward trend from a former plateau of 94% or whatever it used to be.

Its death by a thousand cuts. Won't happen overnight, but the trend is self-evident.