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Fine Gael bottled water, giant floating heads and other strange sights from Election 2014

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro…

Updated 19.45

THERE’S JUST TWO days of canvassing left before votes are cast.

From candidates’ vehicles parked in disabled spots to Ming’s evil eye, there’s already been a fair few attention grabbing sights on the trail in the past few days.

As the final countdown continues, and Brussels and council hopefuls battle for a share of the public’s attention, we’re expecting plenty more drama in the next 48 hours or so.

We’ll be updating this post all day — so if you see anything you think we should know about, drop us a mail at tips@thejournal.ie or daragh@thejournal.ie or Tweet us @thejournal_ie.

Here’s what’s been catching our eye so far… 

1. FINE GAEL’S BOTTLED WATER: Councillor Neale Richmond, who’s running to retain his seat on Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Council, was handing out these at a busy junction in Sandyford this morning…

[Jason Redmond]

Considering the issue of water charges has been so controversial recently, a slightly odd choice of promotional material maybe?

“Well it’s something I did before, five years ago,” Richmond says.

It’s a normal enough thing to do on the campaign trail. Leo Varadkar once handed out ‘Lion’ bars because of Leo the Lion; Lucinda Creighton handed out ‘Refreshers’… I didn’t want to hand out sweets so I thought water would be a good choice.

The Councillor headed to his local Aldi yesterday to stock up on the fun-size bottles. He says there was a positive feedback from drivers and pedestrians at Lambs Cross this morning…

No there was absolutely no flack. The feedback was great.

2. PEARLY WHITES: On the far side of the city, a Fine Gael candidate in Howth/Malahide chose something a little less controversial to hand to prospective voters.

He’s a dentist too — so it can’t hurt business…

Tweet by @Keith Redmond Keith Redmond / Twitter Keith Redmond / Twitter / Twitter

 

3. #GIANT FLOATING HEADS: A novel approach from the Green Party’s DLR candidate in Killiney/Shankill, Cara Augustenborg…

greens

[Green Party/Facebook]

4. MR DARCY

It’s heartening to see Direct Democracy Ireland’s Tom Darcy is sticking by his strategy to emblazon ‘as seen on Youtube’ across his election posters….

[Paul Hosford] 

Why is this noteworthy?

Because this is the Youtube clip he’s best known for…

Mark Moloney / YouTube

 

5. MUG SHOTS: Deirdre Clune’s one of two Fine Gael candidates in a battle for the fourth seat in the Ireland South Euro constituency.

Her campaign posted this video in the last few days, telling us they’d collected a mug in each of the electoral area’s ten counties.

It hardly seems worth the bother… Only the Limerick and Cork mugs have anything to do with the counties in question….

(Deirdre Clune)

The whole production puts us in mind of this scene from The Simpsons, featuring U2′s Adam Clayton and his spoon collection…

(Mattia788)

(Sorry, we could only find the clip in Spanish. It’s funnier in Spanish though, somehow)

6. GONE FISHING: Labour MEP hopeful Lorraine Higgins appears to have gone in search of floating voters (like literally*) in Carrick-on-Shannon…

[Higgins campaign]

*Not literally, obviously.

7. ONE DIRECTION: Fine Gael’s Emily Wallace, local election candidate in Kinnegad, just doesn’t specify which way.

8. WATCH THE SKIES: That’s what Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan has been telling followers on Twitter. To the best of our knowledge, there’s been no UFO-sightings in Midlands North West – rather a ‘Send Ming To Europe’ banner. At least we think that’s what it says.

That’s it so far today.

You know what to do if  you see anything weird…

- Additional reporting by Órla Ryan

Read: On The Trail: 9 odd, weird and wonderful things from Election 2014

Read: If you’re not sick of opinion polls already … here’s the ‘poll of polls’ 

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58 Comments
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    Mute Paddy Flynn
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    May 15th 2020, 7:26 PM

    No D4 accent yet, stay strong!

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    Mute Frank Cauldhame
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    May 15th 2020, 7:57 PM

    @Paddy Flynn: Roight on !

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    Mute Conor Nolan
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    May 15th 2020, 8:10 PM

    @Paddy Flynn: Or Folksrowk with it mony roindabites

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    Mute Peter Cavey
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    May 15th 2020, 11:22 PM

    @Paddy Flynn: Dalkey is 26km from D4. Not to split hairs or anything.

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    Mute Jun Stone
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    May 16th 2020, 6:59 AM

    @Paddy Flynn: that’s cos it’s not D4, it’s Co. Dublin!

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    Mute Ro-your-nan
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    May 16th 2020, 6:55 PM

    @Conor Nolan: reverse classism – fantastic. Everyone should be like you.

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    Mute Seán Ó Briain
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    May 15th 2020, 7:32 PM

    Can we just keep him?

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    Mute Trish O'Leary-Dunne
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    May 15th 2020, 8:35 PM

    @Seán Ó Briain: yeah.swap him for bono!

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    Mute Anne
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    May 15th 2020, 10:16 PM

    @Trish O’Leary-Dunne: I’m happy to have both.

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    Mute Dermot Quinn
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    May 15th 2020, 7:54 PM

    Fair play to him. He always comes across as being fairly sound. He stuck miles from home and knows he’s in a privileged position, so hes just rolling with it.

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    Mute Pauline Gallagher
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    May 15th 2020, 7:36 PM

    Ah hes a class act

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    Mute tuco
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    May 15th 2020, 7:40 PM

    He can grow spuds and get home from Mars by himself.his no chance in getting out of dublin with a supervalu bag.

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    Mute FlopFlipU
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    May 15th 2020, 7:53 PM

    @tuco: that’s very good on the ball

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    Mute Mairtin Antaine O Conaill
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    May 15th 2020, 8:07 PM

    @tuco: no he didn’t!!! Jessica Chastain had to jump out of the space ship with a rocket pack on her back to catch him while they flew past.

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    Mute Stephen O'Sullivan
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    May 16th 2020, 9:38 AM

    @tuco: hats off, actual LOL at that.

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    Mute Sean Dermody
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    May 15th 2020, 7:29 PM

    Ah isn’t he only a great guy all the same..

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    Mute Aine O Connor
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    May 15th 2020, 9:30 PM

    I remember meeting Matt Damon , Tom Hanks and Stephen Spielberg during the making of Saving Private Ryan near Taghmon Co Wexford in 1997 where some scenes were filmed. Filming was mostly in Curracloe and took two months. Matt Damon played the part of Private Ryan.They were all very friendly and allowed us to take photos with them.

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    Mute Winston Smith
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    May 15th 2020, 8:18 PM

    Honorary Irish passport…

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    Mute kevin mc cormack
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    May 15th 2020, 8:27 PM

    Fair play to him he’s making an effort and well done class of 2020 every we’re

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    Mute Sean Dermody
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    May 15th 2020, 7:30 PM

    Ah isn’t he only marvellous all the same..

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    Mute Jen Gordon
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    May 15th 2020, 8:55 PM

    @Sean Dermody: we got it the first time … still looking for attention ?

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    Mute Sean Dermody
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    May 15th 2020, 9:14 PM

    @Jen Gordon: Really sorry Mammy, thought I didn’t post the first one so I did it again. How many lines are you going to give me. I must never seek attention…

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    Mute Sean Dermody
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    May 15th 2020, 9:15 PM

    @Jen Gordon: Doesn’t let you delete posts which is strange

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    Mute Jun Stone
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    May 16th 2020, 7:02 AM

    @Sean Dermody: I think you can hide posts?

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    Mute Johnny 5
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    May 15th 2020, 8:57 PM

    Surely he’s calling himself Mattie by now, no?

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    May 16th 2020, 6:26 AM

    @Johnny 5: or Damo

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    Mute Brian Flavin
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    May 15th 2020, 9:59 PM

    Fair play to actor matt damon

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    Mute Stan Kowalskis
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    May 15th 2020, 8:58 PM

    Matt for President.get rid of the hobbit.

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    Mute Colette Kearns
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    May 15th 2020, 10:15 PM

    @Stan Kowalskis: Well he’s a lovely guy no doubt about it, but he thinks that Leo is our president & he’s gone back to being a doctor on the “ front line “ . You have to wonder where he gets his info from!!

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    Mute SkepticalHippoEyes
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    May 15th 2020, 11:49 PM

    Thinking about schoolgirls the dirty fecker

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    Mute Type17
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    May 16th 2020, 8:46 AM

    @SkepticalHippoEyes: He’s only wishing them well, it’s you who brought up (your own?) dodgy thoughts in relation to schoolgirls….

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    Mute Maurice Dodd
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    May 16th 2020, 12:05 AM

    Totes awks why he’s still here?
    Kinda why not fukd off home loike?

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    Mute Atlas' burden
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    May 16th 2020, 5:28 AM

    @Maurice Dodd: stop being a knob, they obviously can’t

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    Mute Neil Reilly
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    May 16th 2020, 4:08 PM

    @Atlas’ burden: whoosh!

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