A matter of geography

During the week a Fine Gael canvasser at my door – the first I had seen in this election campaign – suggested to me that it was difficult to get people enthusiastic about this election.

And part of the reason, he suggested, is the fact that Raphoe – where I live and where he was canvassing – is now part of Donegal South West and were it not for the fact that Labour’s Frank McBrearty is based here – we’d be even further on the fringes of the constituency and even less enthusiastic about an election.

In fairness, Raphoe was transferred to Donegal South-West before the last General Election in 2007, but that does not mean that the transfer sits easily with the people here.

And if that is the case in and around Raphoe then what of the people in St. Johnston who have been moved this time and who this Friday will cast their votes in Donegal South West.

Located in the most easterly part of Donegal, one local from St. Johnston told me recently that “the only place we’re south-west of is Derry!”

In all, four electoral divisons within the Stranorlar Electoral area have been transferred to Donegal South-West this time as part of the changes, increasing the population in the constituency by over 2,300.

And it is population – not geography – that has led to the boundary revisions.

If emigration continues as it has been recently from Donegal – further population reductions could lead to a single constituency in Donegal and a reduction in the number of TDs as well.

In total twenty-four constituency changes have been made across the country since the 2007 elections and could prove significant in some battles for seats next Friday. While national campaigns should be based on national issues – as the old saying goes all politics is local.

On that note it was interesting to see a poster from Labour’s Jimmy Harte in Letterkenny this week with the words “vote local” on the bottom.

With many suggesting he is in the running for a seat in Donegal North East, the Labour man is trying to make the most of the fact that he is the best known and most experienced candidate from Letterkenny in the field now – even if he no longer is the only one.

Of course he knows only too well the consequences of boundary changes, having stood as an independent candidate in 2007 when a large swathe of potential votes around his home town of Raphoe and nearby Lifford, were transferred to the South West.

As it turns out his Labour Party running mate, Frank McBrearty, is certain to sweep up the majority of the votes in that area and through much of the Finn Valley now. Incidentally, some of his posters declare that he is ‘standing up for the Finn Valley.’

But the importance of geography is not just confined to the South West as the jockeying to have candidates on the ballot from Inishowen and then from Letterkenny would indicate in Donegal North-East.

The reasoning of course is the fact that in huge constituencies like we have in Donegal geography is important. While the population may not be huge, all candidates are aware that a handful of votes can often make a big difference.

It’s a long way from Convoy to Carrick in Donegal South-West, just indeed as it is a long trek from Malin Head to Milford in the North-East – but should the geography matter that much?

Probably not in all fairness, and were constituency boundaries be drawn on that basis, we would end up with constituencies more akin to those in the local elections than our current Dáil constituencies and we’d have Inishowen, Stranorlar, Letterkenny, Glenties and Milford all with their own candidates and sure everybody would be happy.

This might not be needed though if radical reform of local authorities took place, giving local government more authority and more money to deal with local issues.

Perhaps then those running for the Dáil would be able to base their campaigns on national issues not local ones and candidates might not have to face questions on the same issues (potholes for instance) that local election candidates were answering two years ago.

And perhaps then people would not be as concerned about where a candidate is from and more focused on their policies, proposals and what they stand for.

But for now, expect geography to play its part and the tally figures when they come on Saturday to reinforce once again that old saying about all politics being local.

(For details on the boundary changes see - http://www.constituency-commission.ie/docs/con2007.pdf)

Donegal candidates prefer Facebook to Twitter

This month’s election is being hailed as the first in Ireland where social media is playing a huge and important role but it would not appear to be that high up on the agenda for most candidates in Donegal

And it would seem that when the candidates in Donegal (in both constituencies) do embrace social media, they much prefer Facebook to Twitter.

Indeed, of the Donegal candidates who are listed as being on Twitter, few actually tweet on a regular basis.

Donegal North East candidate Betty Holmes – a relative newcomer to both Facebook and Twitter was active on both social media outlets over the weekend, but perhaps the most active candidate on the social media front in either Donegal constituency is Labour’s Jimmy Harte.

The Letterkenny-based councillor not only includes regular updates on his Facebook page and more recently on Twitter, he also has his own blog page that is updated with the latest news from his campaign.

It is perhaps not too surprising that Inishowen-based candidate Ryan Stewart is also active online since he came to prominence through a Facebook campaign opposed to Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT).

Like Jimmy Harte, he too has his own blog page with updates on his campaign, but it seems hasn’t yet embraced the world of Twitter.

In Donegal South West Tánaiste Mary Coughlan hasn’t a presence on either Facebook or Twitter, but it is interesting to note that he running mate Senator Brian O’Domhnaill has recently begun tweeting updates on his campaign.

Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty is among the country’s top politicians in terms of the number of friends he has on Facebook. He is also on Twitter but tweets infrequently. His colleague in Donegal North-East, Padraig MacLochlainn is well ahead of the rest of the candidates in that constituency in terms of Facebook friends but has no Twitter presence.

What does any of this translate to however? For instance the number of Facebook friends a person has is no barometer for the number of votes they might get.

So why do they bother?

Well for one, the use of social media is an effective method of getting up to date news and information out – almost instantaneously.

Perhaps more than anything this is why the media has become fascinated with Twitter in particular and in the run up to the election, the heave in the Fianna Fáil party and the political events that followed were reported widely and almost instantly on Twitter.

In Donegal the news that Niall Blaney had decided not to stand again in Donegal North East flew around Twitter like wildfire before the doors had barely closed at the party convention.

So with Twitter candidates can get news out quickly (if they can keep their message short) while  candidates can update their status on Facebook with latest news from their canvas - but it is interesting to note that different approaches are being taken.

Some candidates have set up fan pages, while others have established personal pages, which usually means, you must send a friend request to them before you can view their page. Whether this would put off casual potential floating voters seeking information on a candidate remains to be seen.

Aside from the candidates of course, the media’s fascination with new social media has meant that Twitter and Facebook are being mentioned more than ever - and for this election Twitter certainly has stolen a march.

Indeed many of current affairs programmes discussing events in the run up to the election either now show tweets on screen from viewers or in the case of some tv and radio shows - have a section to discuss the tweets.

Much of the weekend’s Twitter focus was on the Valentine’s Day e.card spamming that emanated from Fine Gael’s headquarters, not the first time that Fine Gael have been blasted for their online activity in the run up to this election.

In that respect, perhaps Dinny McGinley, Joe McHugh and John Ryan, have been right all along to stay pretty quiet online…

(For analysis of the election in Social media terms, check out www.candidate.ie)

Inishowen key battleground in Donegal North East

Having long described itself as the forgotten part of the forgotten county, the Inishowen peninsula will step into the spotlight on February 26 when votes for the Donegal North East constituency are counted.

And that’s because the votes cast in the peninsula are set to have a huge bearing on which of the 11 candidates in Donegal NE will finally take the three seats.

Five of the eleven candidates are based in the Inishowen electoral area – Charlie McConalogue (FF), Padraig MacLochlainn (SF), John Ryan (FG), Ryan Stewart (Ind) and Betty Holmes (Ind) and with their boxes the first to be opened on count day, they will give the earliest indications of how things are going in the constituency.

With so many candidates in the field from the peninsula, it will be extremely interesting to watch the voting patterns and determine how they might affect the final outcome.

There can be no doubt that the people of Inishowen feel they should have a TD with none of the three outgoing TDs coming from the peninsula.

After all that’s why Fianna Fáil members in Inishowen had held an ‘unofficial’ convention to select Charlie McConalogue as their candidate. Even they could not have predicted the events that followed in relation to Niall Blaney’s withdrawal, but the upshot of it all has seen Cllr McConalogue as Fianna Fáil’s sole candidate.

But the Fine Gael members in the peninsula wanted their man in the field too. So they pressed to have John Ryan added to the ticket after Joe McHugh had initially been selected as the sole candidate.

Of the five Inishowen candidates it is widely-believed that Padraig MacLochlainn of Sinn Féin and Charlie McConalogue are the two most likely to be in the shake-up when it comes to filling the seats – but that’s not to say the other candidates won’t have a bearing.

John Ryan’s arrival in the field for instance could be hugely significant for Joe McHugh the only sitting TD in the constituency who is seeking re-election. McHugh swept to victory and topped the poll in 2007 – but that was as the sole Fine Gael candidate – and the votes garnered by Councillor Ryan this time will certainly shake things up for Fine Gael.

For many Sinn Féin’s Padraig MacLochlainn is favourite to win a seat and he is sure to poll very strongly in Inishowen. But he did so last time out and despite battling to the bitter end he was finally pipped at the post by Niall Blaney of Fianna Fáil for the last seat. Whether Dara Blaney’s late entry to the field will have any impact on Padraig MacLochlainn’s showing outside Inishowen remains to be seen.

Charlie McConalogue’s campaign got off the ground amidst uncertainty and disillusionment from within the Fianna Fáil ranks in Donegal North East – and that’s before he started knocking on doors with a public hugely angry with the outgoing government. Popular in Inishowen, people will watch with interest to see if he can secure enough first preferences there to help haul him over the line.

Ryan Stewart’s first foray into politics may well not be his last and even if he does not succeed in winning a Dáil seat don't be surprised to see his name again when the next local elections roll around.

His votes and those of fellow independent Betty Holmes will play their part in deciding where the three seats finally go – and a future blog post will focus on the importance of transfers in both constituencies.

But before the transfers even begin there can be no doubt that the battlefield of Inishowen will play a vital role in deciding who will fill the seats for Donegal North East – the question up there will be... can the peninsula get a TD – or perhaps even two this time!

Let’s get ready to rumble – candidates get set for Donegal debates

Candidates in both constituencies in Donegal will get an opportunity next week to hear the concerns of the county’s young people and at the same time go head to head to outline and debate their respective policies.

Donegal Youth Council has organised the debates in both electoral constituencies to engage youth councillors and other young people from across the county in the political process.

Freelance journalist and blogger Paddy Duffy who will chair the debates, said he is excited about the prospect of hearing the issues the young people will raise and what the candidates say in response.

Paddy Duffy who will chair the debates

“I've not only been encouraged by the reaction of the candidates to what we're doing but the enthusiasm the youth councillors have shown towards the event as well. These young people can't even vote in this election but their interest in and grasp of the issues are truly amazing,” he said.

The debates will kick off on Tuesday night (February 15th) in the Public Services Centre in Letterkenny for Donegal North East, with the debate for the South West pencilled in for the following night (Wednesday 16th) in the Public Services Centre in Donegal Town.

All declared candidates in both constituencies have been invited to take part and most have agreed.

It is understood however that the Donegal NE Green Party candidate Humphrey Murphy declined the invitation to take part in the debate.

The format of the event will see the candidates questioned on their policies and other issues by youth councillors and other young people in the audience.

“This promises to be a genuinely informative and illuminating debate. Which makes a change,” Paddy Duffy concluded. 

Confirmed - Larkin won't run as an independent

Letterkenny-based politician Dessie Larkin has tonight confirmed that he will not contest the election ending rumours that he would stand as an independent candidate.

There had been speculation that councillor Larkin would stand as an independent in Donegal North East after he failed to be added to the Fianna Fáil ticket following Niall Blaney's shock decision not to contest the election.

However, speaking on Highland Radio tonight, councillor Larkin says there is no doubt that his party requires a review and "a lift from the grass roots up," but said he hopes to be able to do that from within the party.

Fianna Fáil will be hoping that their members get fully behind the campaign of their single candidate Charlie McConalogue now, but many have tipped Labour's Jimmy Harte to gain significantly from the fact that councillor Larkin is not running.

The entry into the field of independent candidate Dessie Shiels - a Letterkenny-based solicitor - may however mean that he could now take some of the vote that may well have gone to councillor Larkin.

Candidates have until 12 noon tomorrow (Thursday) to hand in their nomination papers.

More Independent candidates announced in Donegal

Many were waiting anxiously yesterday for news of whether Fianna Fáil’s Dessie Larkin would cut ties with the party and decide to run as an independent, and while that didn’t happen three new independent candidates did announce their intention to run.

On the last day for voters to register to vote, Highland Radio news this morning confirmed that two new candidates have emerged in Donegal North East – Letterkenny-based solicitor Dessie Shiels and Ramelton-based independent councillor, Ian McGarvey.

Councillor McGarvey who contested the 1982 general election for Fianna Fáil has also ran as an independent in the 2007 General Elections and has urged people to vote for him - even as a protest vote.

It will be the first foray into politics for 34 year old Mr. Shiels who will launch his campaign tomorrow night in Letterkenny.

Meanwhile as the fall-out of job-losses from Gallagher’s Bakery continues in the South West this week, it has emerged that the Chairman of Ardara Town Traders, Stephen McCahill, will also run as an independent candidate in Donegal South West.

Candidates have until 12 noon tomorrow to declare their intentions and hand in their nomination papers and while there has been no official comment as yet, today’s Donegaldaily.com is reporting that Dessie Larkin will not stand as an independent candidate in Donegal North East.

It will however, be tomorrow, before the final list of candidates in both constituencies will be known and even if a nomination paper is handed in tomorrow candidates may still withdraw their nominations up until 12 noon on Thursday.

Meanwhile anyone not on the register of electors is urged to make sure they do so today. To download an application form for the supplementary voting register, go to Donegal County Council Website http://www.donegalcoco.ie/council/electoralregister/ 

Posters, signs and other election stuff

Before the election had even been properly called, Green Party leader John Gormley was getting a dig in about posters and as the campaign kicked off across the country – posters were making the news everywhere. (Just goes to show you how dull the campaign has been so far!)

In Donegal it seemed as if many candidates were slow at getting their posters up – but perhaps that was to their advantage as gales ripped through the county on Thursday and Friday and many posters that had been placed on poles before then found their way into hedges and fields across the length and breadth of Donegal.

In both constituencies today (Saturday) postering teams were spotted out and about for different candidates who will be no doubt hoping there is no repeat of the storms we had at over the past few days until after polling day on 25^th February.

The Donegal People’s Press reported last week on a Lifford woman who had put up a sign in her house warning canvassers to stay away. During the week stories emerged of similar signs – some very funny ones too – appearing all over the country.

The photo that appeared on the front page of the Cork Independent last week is certainly one of the most famous at this stage – but there have been others.

Meanwhile we can expect more posters across the county in the next week, more statements in the local papers and more politics on the tv and radio. You won't be able to avoid it - so you might as well dive in and follow what's going on as well as you can.

You never know, we might even get a chance to spot this poster/flyer from Independent Candidate Ann Sweeney from Donegal SW, which I happened to spot on the Irish Election Literature blog (you’ll get a link on the page ‘interesting election sites’)

Harte to benefit as FF go for one?

Letterkenny has only one declared candidate for the forthcoming election following the decision by Fianna Fáil to run Charlie McConalogue as their sole candidate in the constituency.

Charlie McConalogue (FF)

Labour's Jimmy Harte is now Letterkenny's sole candidate and will be hoping for a positive bounce from the fact that local Fianna Fáil councillor Dessie Larkin has not been given the nod to run in Donegal North East.

Jimmy Harte (Labour)

Dessie Larkin (FF)

The former Fine Gael councillor left the party following their decision to run just one candidate in the last General Election and ran as an independent. He switched to the Labour Party last year and has been canvassing strongly in the Cathedral Town and in other areas of Donegal North-East since before Christmas.

McConalogue ahead in NE Poll

Inishowen based Fianna Fail candidate was leading the way in an online poll on the Inishowennews.com website this morning - but that was at the very early stages  (around 9.30 am) and as word spreads about the poll it will be interesting to see if he can sustain that early lead.

The poll was only posted on the site today and Linda McGrory from Inishowennews.com has confirmed this morning that it will stay on the news site until election day on February 25th.

With so many Inishowen candidates in the field in Donegal North East, there is sure to be a big interest in the election in the peninsula this time around and while they will not want to read too much into online poll results, it is likely the candidates will still try to keep tabs on the results.

Indeed, Labour Party Candidate, Jimmy Harte, has already through his Facebook page urged supporters to go online and vote for him.