26 county gaaboard exit/entrance poll

[ONeill]

"I voted for leftwing independents," said Róisín Beirne, 24, a sculptor who lives in working-class-but-gentrifying Phibsborough. In 2007, when Fianna Fáil's Bertie Ahern unexpectedly beat Kenny just before the Celtic Tiger boom exploded, Beirne included Greens and Fine Gael candidates in the mix. No longer. "Voting for Fine Gael or Labour isn't change, it's the same. I'm not sure I have any faith in their ability to run the economy."

Older people were more likely to stick with old loyalties. "I've always voted Fianna Fáil and I did again. I don't like Enda Kenny, he's not honest, and they're all to blame. Someone should have told the banks to stop lending," said Kathleen Duignan, 82 outside All Saints Presbyterian church polling station.

In Glasniven, 83-year-old Ann Watters says much the same, except she's a life-long Fine Gael voter. "The banks and the politicians were hand in hand."

[ONeill]

A NUMBER of problems have been reported at polling stations, including voters discovering they are not on the register, are only registered to vote in local elections or, in one case, have a vote at seven years of age

Trinity College's Student Union president Nikolai Trigoub-Rotnem said last night they had received "quite worrying reports" from over a dozen students, mainly in the Dublin City Council area, that they were not on the register.

They were among more than 2,000 students who registered through a union initiative.

A spokesman for Dublin City Council said applications received by the cut-off date of Tuesday, February 8th, were processed and dealt with.

The seven-year-old voter, Dublin South East resident Jack O'Toole of Pearse House on Pearse Street, has been getting voting cards since he was three years of age.

His father, Kevin O'Toole, said yesterday that as well as the polling cards his son has also been receiving estate agents' letters for apartments and circulars from a few TDs.

"I haven't a clue why he's on the register," he said. "I never thought about it at first. We just threw them out. But then I thought somebody was frauding his name."

He decided to check it out, and brought his son to St Andrew's resource centre polling station and showed the card, which was then torn up.

Mr O'Toole is none the wiser about why his son was on the register as no other adult member of the family was or is called Jack. His two other children, Gavin (12) and Lucy (seven months), have never received polling cards.

In Dublin West it has been the opposite experience for a number of Bosnian immigrants who are Irish citizens.

Six Bosnians were not permitted to vote when they went to their polling stations at Ladyswell national school in Mulhuddart and St Ciaran's national school in Hartstown despite being registered as citizens with their local authority, according to Valerie Hughes.

Ms Hughes, who works with members of the Bosnian community in Ireland, said she had spent two days helping members of the community to register, ensuring all documentation was correctly filled out and proof of citizenship provided.

A number did not receive polling cards, and when they went to vote were told they were not registered as citizens and only allowed to vote in local and European elections.

"Voting is an important and fundamental right, and the people who are supposed to compile the register should do so correctly," she said.

Suljo Zukanovic, a bus driver living in Hartstown, has been in Ireland 12 years and an Irish citizen for eight years.

He has voted in every election since 2004. "In 2009 I got two voting cards," he said yesterday.

Mr Zukanovic said his wife Ilona's name was on the register but he was excluded.

A spokeswoman for Fingal County Council said "there has been a continuous campaign for the last number of months to encourage people to check that they are on the register". Amendments and additions could have been made to the supplementary register. The spokeswoman said it was up to the individual voter to check they were on the electoral register correctly, which they could do at checktheregister.ie

The council said Mr Zukanovic had been registered in 2004, but only to vote in local elections and no amendments had been notified since.

In Meath West, the ballot paper logo for Christian Solidarity Party candidate Manus MacMeanmain displayed a black and white picture of acorns and oak leaves while the party's logo is actually a yellow Celtic cross with green edging.

Mr MacMeanmain said it put him at a disadvantage as there was a certain proportion of the electorate who would recognise the logo and it featured prominently on his promotional literature.

He added that none of the major parties would be happy if such a mistake had been made.

Emigrants have also complained about the failure to allow them to vote.

One emigrant, Evan Cleary, said he was "not able to vote because I live abroad and can't afford to fly home just to vote. There really should be a system to allow people to vote from abroad, like so many other countries' electoral systems allow."

[ross4life]

Hardstation i'm not the biggest fine gael fan myself but your Fcuk the.... is a bit OTT?  just out of interest if you had one word to describe Michael Collins what would it be?

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

"I voted for leftwing independents," said Róisín Beirne, 24, a sculptor who lives in working-class-but-gentrifying Phibsborough. In 2007, when Fianna Fáil's Bertie Ahern unexpectedly beat Kenny just before the Celtic Tiger boom exploded, Beirne included Greens and Fine Gael candidates in the mix. No longer. "Voting for Fine Gael or Labour isn't change, it's the same. I'm not sure I have any faith in their ability to run the economy."

Older people were more likely to stick with old loyalties. "I've always voted Fianna Fáil and I did again. I don't like Enda Kenny, he's not honest, and they're all to blame. Someone should have told the banks to stop lending," said Kathleen Duignan, 82 outside All Saints Presbyterian church polling station.

In Glasniven, 83-year-old Ann Watters says much the same, except she's a life-long Fine Gael voter. "The banks and the politicians were hand in hand."

So was every hoor in the free state......Jaysus..........

O the Great Sein Fein is here to save us all  Its called IRELAND by the way.

You keep kidding yourself. That money really is yours, you earned it........

Tick, tick, tick........

Northern Bank, Northern Bank, Northern Bank

Jazus that clock still ticking, must look under my car.

[ONeill]

Translated from French newspaper.

Le Fianna Fail, victime attendue des législatives irlandaises

The Irishmen started to vote Friday to renew their Parliament and to drive out capacity Fianna Fail, first political victim of the crisis of the debt in Europe.

This legislative ballot is occasion for voters traumatized by economic collapse of the " tiger celte" and the prospect years austerity to sanction the great party which has held the orders of the country for 14 years and l' directed during 61 the 79 last years. Gael Fine, party of centre right, are at the head surveys even it is not certain; it will obtain the majority of the 166 seats of the Parliament, which would be without precedent since its creation there is nearly 80 years. The last investigations opinion credit Gael Fine with 38% of the voices and approximately 80 elected officials and predict a memorable slap for its historical rival of Fianna Fail with a score elected officials against 78 in the outgoing parliament.

The majority of the commentators estimate that Gael Fine will need the support d' independent elected members or wait this it forms a coalition government with the members of the Labour Party, credited d' approximately 20% of the votes. In spite of stormy debates due to electoral campaign, Fine Gael and Labour already controlled together and both plead for a renegotiation of the terms of the loan of 85 billion euros granted by European Union and the Funds international currency to save the country of the bankruptcy. bursting of the real estate bubble and the rescue of the banks have constrained the Irish government to claim  last year this help in exchange of drastic measurements of rigour. Much Irishmen saw an intolerable loss of sovereignty there. A LIMITED ROOM FOR MANEUVER Enda Kenny, chief of Gael Fine that one waits to see becoming next the Prime Minister, is already returned to Brussels and Berlin.

Even if it obtains an easing of its conditions of loan, within the framework of the installation a more total European mechanism,  Ireland  has; a limited room for maneuver and will have to always reduce its budget deficit of almost 12% of the gross domestic product this year to less than 3% d' here 2015. If the growth is not with go, the new government could be constrained to take measures; austerity additional, with the risk to very quickly lose its popularity near the voters. Even if the country again knows a massive emigration and an unemployment rate with 10%, Ireland was not confronted with protest movements extended as in Greece, another large victim of the crisis of the debt in the euro area.

The left parties, whose nationalists of Sinn Fein, saw their dimension climbing by promising to cancel rescue plan UE/FMI, but one  waits this they remain largely minority at the Parliament, the Irish voters preferring to support the parties which preach a low level imposition. The polling stations opened with 07:00 GMT and will close with 22:00 GMT. The first surveys of exit of the ballot boxes are awaited in the night. The counting of the voice, complex because of the way of voting proportional, should be prolonged at Sunday. Jean-Stephan Brushes for the French service

[SLIGONIAN]

I voted 1 SF Colreavy, 2 LAB O Keefe, 3 IND Clarke, 4 LAB Cawley, 5 Bree

Anybody but fine gael or fianna fail is my motto.. i voted based on the canvassers intelligence, media coverage, policies and also gave labour no2 as i dont want a fine gael only govt.

[SLIGONIAN]

I voted 1 SF Colreavy, 2 LAB O Keefe, 3 IND Clarke, 4 LAB Cawley, 5 Bree

Anybody but fine gael or fianna fail is my motto.. i voted based on the canvassers intelligence, media coverage, policies and also gave labour no2 as i dont want a fine gael only govt.

Fair play.

Between himself and Farrendeelin (who are, imo, the young lads inda wesht), they have thrown a serious vote.

Farrendeelin still voted ff 2 and 4 which if i was a dictator in this country id be getting the white coats after him, same goes for anyone who voted fg.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Voted 1 FG (first time ever)

I've seen a few of these; are they the equivalent of: Lord forgive me, for I know not what I do!

We've all been there lads.

[Gaaboardmod3]

Some of the rubbish on this thread that I've just had to trawl through beggars belief. If ye can't behave yerselves ye'll get the road. Cop on and don't be children. Hardstation, MayoGHU, ye two in particular.

[SLIGONIAN]

Its quite shocking that 48% of previous FF voters changed to FG, only 10% changed to SF.

[stephenite]

How the f**k is that shocking, why would people who normally vote for a centre right party change to a left wing party when there is an alternative centre right option?

[Maguire01]

How the f**k is that shocking, why would people who normally vote for a centre right party change to a left wing party when there is an alternative centre right option?

My thoughts exactly - moving from FF to FG is by far the most logical.

[Bogball XV]

Fine Gael  17 (14.2%) 21%
Labour  4 (3.3%) 5%
Fianna Fáil  12 (10%) 15%
Sinn Féin  22 (18.3%) 27%
United Left Allianz  3 (2.5%) 4%
The Green Party  5 (4.2%) 6%
New Vision  3 (2.5%) 3%
Independant  10 (8.3%) 12%
Christian Solidarity Party  1 (0.8%) 1%
South Kerry Independent Alliance  2 (1.7%) 2.5%
I spoiled/intend to spoil my vote 2.5%


Stripping out the northern vote we're left with the bold figures (give or take a rounding here and there).  Not exactly capturing the mood of the country on here.  The old saying about the GAA being FF at play certainly stands up well.