Sinn Féin in the lead! FF & FG surprised?! What do you think? Exciting or scary times?!

[Housiemousie]

I have always been a Fine Gael voter. I'm from a long line of FG voters, many active in the party, who would be horrified by how much I want Mary Lou to succeed.

I really want to like Leo. He looks the part but he's not speaking to me. I am self employed in rural Ireland and neither FF or FG have sounded like they know I or any of my family or friends exist in the 20 years I have lived here (having worked abroad for a decade post uni). I even have a soft spot for Micheál Martin (who can resist a Cork accent) But I am not a farmer so he's not representing me either.

So why is Mary Lou so appealing? I couldn't even listen to Gerry Adams. Is it the fact that because she's not northern I'm not thinking IRA? Or because we really have moved past that , or is it that we are so, so sick of the entrenched fat cats of FF and FG that anything (well, almost, you can keep Aontu) will be better?

I'd love to hear I'm not alone in finding this upcoming election more exciting than previous ones.

Well hopefully this election will be the one that shakes Fine Fail and Fine Gael right out of their comfort zones. We need politicians who are not afraid to upset the status quo. Who don't care about the loss of Brown envelopes and are capable of facing up to the very necessary conversations about politicians salaries and pensions. THEY are a big elephant in the room and I've yet to hear any politician even broach the topic.

I've also yet to meet a noble, moral politician... Come to that, I've yet to meet an actual politician! I have never had one call to my door. I assumed that I am too rural (7 minutes walk from my nearest Super Valu only) but my neighbour (closer to town, very obvious, busy house) has had no one call to them either. Galway west candidates running scared? I have lived here 12 years. The dog warden and tv licence inspector managed to find us funnily enough. I pay property tax....I think I can assume they know I am here.

to Waterford Whispers apileofballyhoo, where would we be without the real journalists of WWN?!

So I am from the North. I honestly am totally and utterly appalled at the short memories people have. How anyone could even think of joining never mind leading that party is beyond me. When I was six years old a little boy in my class was blown to bits alongside his parents, orphaning his older siblings. It was the provos and a case of mistaken identity. To this day- that party have not said this was wrong. To this day they twitter on about a ‘war’. To this day they think they were fighting for their country. Yet the took the life of an innocent wee boy. I get that the loyalists and the army and the RUC did awful things to- but I equally wouldn’t vote for any of them either. Anyone even considering backing this party of terrorists needs to take a long hard look at themselves.

Another one that won't be voting SF. I work in a senior position in a Gov Department and my current FG minister has really impressed me. He really took the lead and drove the policy. I don't know much about the FG candidates in my constituency but think I will give one of them my vote.

FG and FF have brought the prospect of SF in government on themselves. FF wrecked the ciountry, the 'big' boys got off scot free, the government kowtowed to the European banks with the Irish citizens suffering hugely - remember the unsecured bond holders and FG got in,saying they'd change things but they didn't. Instead we got the same old, same old.
Homelessness, high rents, an awful health service, spin over substance Leo. Nothing changed. Putting Simon Harris in charge of Health. Such an important ministry and we get SH
I was talking to a Sinn Fein voter the other day and they said the controversy over the murder of Paul Quinn wasn't going to change her mind on voting for SF because that happened years ago and things have changed and Mary Lou wasn't involved. FG and FF have done nothing for her. That's her thinking. She's a hard working woman in a low paid job, living in a council flat, rearing her family.
I really don't know who to vote for.

Watching from the UK. Really interested to read views on this. My late Mum fluctuated between FG and FF. Mostly FG. She would generally have been a Never SF. But ....

According to reports the surge in SF support is coming from 18-24 year olds for whom the troubles in the north must seem as historical as WW2. However I do know people in their 50's who are supporting SF and think it's "time we put the past behind us" wrt the IRA connection.

I would imagine some of the leaning towards SF is anti FF and FG rather than pro SF. I just hope the outcome of today's votes will make FF & FG pull up their socks, get rid of all that dead wood and start leading their whole country, not just their own interests.

Off to vote now, there will not be one tick for any of the three main parties on my ballot sheet.

Putting Simon Harris in charge of Health. Such an important ministry and we get SH

DH and I were talking about this last night. It was such a dumbarse, tone deaf move and I still can’t get over it.

I like Leo in some ways. He’s been great on Brexit. But there have been many occasions where he’s totally oblivious to people’s priorities and how his actions come across. There’s a significant politician skill set he’s missing altogether.

I'd imagine some of the SF vote is coming from former FF voters.

We only had 2 lots of canvassers. Both doorbell ringers rather than just dropping leaflets in the letter box. SF (2 well dressed, well spoken people in their 50-60s, 1 M, 1 F) and FG (candidate's brother on his own). We didn't get so much as a leaflet from any other candidate or party, not even the ones the postman usually brings. Is this a new thing?

For the euros/locals we had one TD with the local candidate (SF), a FF canvasser and leaflets from the others.

You'd think they don't want our votes this time round.

Incidentally, DH got a personalised letter looking for a no 1 vote from one candidate who is a sitting TD. In a Dáil Éireann envelope on Dáil Éireann paper. I would have thought that this was against the rules, or should be if it isn't.

Rules? For politicians?! What a quaint idea apile. Bless them, aren't they above such plebeian trifles?! From Charles Haugheys "we must tighten our belts" to Bertie Aherns suggestion that people who moaned and complained about the economy should commit suicide (they did Bertie, they did), politicians have long held the view that rules are not for those who purport to lead the country. After all, a pay freeze for civil servants should have included them and it takes brass necks across the board for that point to be ignored.

Simon Harris does look like he is in need of good health services, I read somewhere that he dropped out of college and became an office help in the dáil .....and then minister for health. Proof that actual learning and experience is necessary for some jobs.

I think the whole news cycle on Sunday will be about how the polls got it so wrong. Time after time the polls have been shown to be a useless read of the situation.

I just cannot bring myself to vote SF no matter what the other parties are up to. I just can't forget.

"I was talking to a Sinn Fein voter the other day and they said the controversy over the murder of Paul Quinn wasn't going to change her mind on voting for SF because that happened years ago and things have changed and Mary Lou wasn't involved"

He or she is deluded. Mary Lou and Michelle O'Neill are just PR people. Deliberately chosen because they are female. The real power in that party lies with men who have close knowledge of terrorism offences.

I agree the surge in SF support won’t materialise to the degree suggested by the polls.

There’s a bit of bravado to it. Easy to say now, but when they’re in the voting booth, it starts feeling real.

Plus a reasonable proportion of those saying they’ll vote for SF won’t actually vote at all.

However, I believe they will make gains.

The real power in that party lies with men who have close knowledge of terrorism offences

I think you might be right there fella, on the other hand they are in tune enough to know that having a non northern accent and a woman will help rather than hinder. I'm not sure the other parties have copped on to those sort of tactics yet. 'Show up and they'll vote for us' isn't cutting it anymore.

Anyway, I have cast my vote. We can but hope for positive changes. 🤞🤞🤞

If you've ever seen Michelle O'Neill giving a speech you'll see Adams standing right behind her. She's the puppet and he's pulling the strings.

Vote Mary Lou get Gerry. And Gerry's friends who are just as bad. Gerry Kelly is a senior member of Sinn Fein and he's a convicted murderer.

There seem to be a lot of young people (teens/early 20s) talking about voting SF (whether they do, or do vote at all is yet to be seen). I can't work out if they're too young to know/understand the roots of SF and who they, or if they're so naive that they think SF can actually deliver on their promises. Or maybe it is both.

Interesting days ahead.

Well, this morning a car drove along our residential street playing "Co out ye Blacks and Tans" .

Which tells me everything I need to know about Sinn Fein and confirms that they wont even get my no 9 or 10 or 15th vote on the ballot.

Whatever about forgiving and forgetting, that they would be so triumphalist or ignorant as to allow their supporters to play an IRA song down here, appalls me.

I will be voting anyone-but-SF

Oh God - just noticed typo.
Should have said "Come out ye Black and Tans"...

@TheTroutOfNoCraic

I think you may well be wide of the mark. I see no hunger for a united Ireland (except amongst the predictables). As another poster has said, the north is seen as an economic burden. I didn't really know what you were referring to when you said perhaps the South see the potential economic benefits of reunification. I've never seen any reference to economic benefits by anyone.

There are also (well-founded I think) concerns that a border poll could re-trigger violence.

And there has been no discussion of any sort about the timeline or complexities involved even about things like integrating things like education and health. NI might think the NHS is bad but until you've lived the health system here you have no idea how bad it is. The educational systems are very different ... compulsory Irish anyone? 7 subjects for your LC? And then there's the integration of tax systems, pensions, social welfare, policing, legislation and so on. Even if there was 100% agreement (and I think 50%plus1 is a really really dangerous idea) the actual practicalities make this a (multi?) decade long process. If you consider the reaction within the north to the Irish language bill it maybe gives a flavour of the step by step challenges that would be involved. And that's before you get to how NI moves to functioning as an economy rather than a beneficiary of financial support.

Until there are real conversations about what a unified Ireland means I don't think you can even consider whether there is a hunger or interest in it. Currently it is too ephemeral, maybe romantic or ideological, rather than considered.

And I suspect the challenges being faced with the crises in housing, healthcare, education, childcare, transport, quality of life for all the above reasons - these all take uppermost positions on people's lists of concerns.

Interesting Times. Read an article which suggested after 3 weeks of negotiations, the emerging government will be a mish-mash of FF, Labour, the smaller parties, and a select few Independents.

I''ll be sad to see Leo go as Taoiseach as he represents us well on the international stage. However, FG have always been the party of the rich and as I'm not rich, I have never voted FG.

I can't stand Micheal Martin. He's like a sniping slithery snake, constantly attacking other people rather than talking about his own policies. He's really bitchy in debates. It would sicken me hole to have him as our Taoiseach.

In the UK so have no vote.

In one of the debates I thought Richard Boyd Barrett came out strongest. But I don't even know what party he belongs to lol. It was the one with about 7 or 8 leaders debating.

My policies would probably be closely aligned to a combination of SF and FF.

Just been and voted, a huge turn out, my ballot had to be pushed into the box with a ruler 🙈

I agree with PP who say many see the North as economic burden, I think people like the idea of it in an ideal world but the republic isn't in a place financially to take it on, and I'm not sure the north is ready socially for it either.

I voted! Let’s say FG and FF were far down the list. But no vote for the shinners.

Shit loads of independents in my constituency. I’d barely heard of any of them.

If SF form part of the next government, we need to be prepared for a United Ireland to be much more prominent on the political agenda. I hope people are prepared for the consequences of their protest vote.

I'm wondering if the high turnout is due to people going out early to vote because of the dark and bad weather.

I'm wondering if the high turnout is due to people going out early to vote because of the dark and bad weather

That and matches that were on this afternoon.