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Alex Tsipras Thanassis Stavrakis

Greece latest: Tough new reforms passed in marathon late-night session

Relief for Alexis Tsipras – but he’s had to endure another major rebellion from his own party.

GREECE’S PARLIAMENT HAS passed legislation on a second batch of reforms needed to help unlock a huge international bailout for the country’s stricken economy.

The bill passed by a resounding 230 votes out of the 298 members of parliament present, after a marathon debate stretching into the early hours that nonetheless exposed deep divisions in the governing Syriza party.

The legislation covers changes to the civil justice system, a bank deposit protection scheme and measures to shore up the liquidity of Greece’s banks — reforms that had to pass if Athens was to move forward in bailout negotiations with its creditors.

While the new law will come as a relief to Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras — who is negotiating a new bailout worth up to €86 billion euros over three years — it saw him suffer a major rebellion amongst MPs in his leftist Syriza party for the second time in a week.

The vote was seen as a key test of Tsipras’ authority after he was forced to reshuffle his cabinet following a mutiny by nearly a fifth of his MPs in a separate vote on the first tranche of tough economic reforms demanded by Athens’ creditors.

While the prime minister trimmed the rebellion from 39 ‘no’ votes and abstentions last week to 36, in both cases he was forced to rely on opposition parties to get the legislation passed.

Government spokeswoman Olga Gerovassili admitted the government was facing a “political problem” and said “planned procedures” would be implemented to address it.

“The divide in the parliamentary majority is clear,” she told reporters after the vote.

- ‘Pain doesn’t stop here’ - 

While Tsipras is riding high in the opinion polls personally, analysts believe the deep divisions within Syriza are likely to force the government to call early elections after being voted into power at the beginning of the year.

The tough reform package sparked five hours of fiery debate last night, with weary lawmakers clashing on everything from Marxism to submarines as dawn neared, and the speaker of parliament comparing the bailout deal to “a coup”.

In a passionate speech to the chamber, Tsipras insisted the deal was the result of a “difficult compromise” with Greece’s paymasters — the European Union, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund — necessary to prevent Greece from tumbling out of the eurozone.

The premier, who blazed to power in January promising to end austerity, warned that Greece had to adapt to “the new realities” of the bailout agreement.

“The painful path does not stop here, unfortunately,” he said.

“We have been forced to make a difficult compromise under urgent conditions. We were at the limits of our economy and our banking system, and at the limits of Europe — where conservative forces, obsessed with austerity, dominate,” he added.

Greece Bailout Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos and his predecessor Yanis Varoufakis Associated Press Associated Press

Some 6,000 anti-austerity demonstrators had protested near parliament ahead of last night’s debate, lobbing a handful of petrol bombs in the direction of the police, who had thrown up a ring of steel around the building after riots during last week’s vote on austerity measures.

Katerina and George Sergidou Kokkinavis, two Syriza members in their thirties taking part in the protest, said they had come because “the government is no longer listening to the people”.

- ‘We will not be cowards’ -

Ahead of the vote, Vassiliki Georgiadis, a political science professor at Athens’ Panteion University, said it would be “difficult” for Tsipras’s Syriza-led coalition to remain in power if he is forced to rely on opposition MPs to get laws passed.

She said the split within Syriza was between hard-left MPs — “some of whom have spoken of a Greek exit from the eurozone as the only solution” — and those more sympathetic to Tsipras’s arguments.

Tsipras was forced to reshuffle his cabinet last week, having sacked three ministers for voting against the first bailout bill.

Government spokeswoman Gerovassili previously said the administration had “no intention” of calling early polls, and Tsipras told parliament that he would keep fighting for Greece’s best interests, adding he would not “voluntarily abandon” the job.

“The left’s presence in government is a bastion for the defence of the interests of the people,” he said.

“We will not be cowards. We will fight the battles we face with determination.”

Gerovassili said negotiations with Greece’s creditors would resume immediately after this morning’s vote.

The EU’s Economic Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said they were aiming to finalise the deal by mid-August.

Both sides are under huge pressure to finalise the terms of the rescue before August 20, when Greece owes the ECB a loan repayment of €3.2 billion it cannot afford.

© AFP, 2015

Read: Greek banks reopen as citizens face massive price hikes

Read: Homeless in Athens: ‘Greece never dies. But the Greeks will die.’

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69 Comments
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    Mute PF
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    Nov 7th 2020, 7:33 PM

    Wot, no social distancing or masks in Ballina. New virus hotspot on way!

    397
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    Mute Damo
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    Nov 7th 2020, 7:38 PM

    @PF: have a glass of wine or something

    102
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    Mute Damo
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    Nov 7th 2020, 8:00 PM

    @PF: ya spelt Ballina wrong mate

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    Mute PF
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    Nov 7th 2020, 9:12 PM

    @Damo: baa, baaa, baaaah. Arf!

    13
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    Mute Kerry Evans
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    Nov 7th 2020, 9:58 PM

    @Damo:
    Trumpbabycages SS
    Wannabes
    Are not good at spelling..

    3
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    Mute Tina Kelly
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    Nov 7th 2020, 11:38 PM

    @PF: There was. Photographers and camera personnel asked those getting photos taken to remove masks as they were taken.

    12
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    Mute dstaffx
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    Nov 7th 2020, 7:33 PM

    Looks like there’s no worry about pandemic in Ballina, by that photo

    281
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    Mute Mickety Dee
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    Nov 7th 2020, 7:44 PM

    @dstaffx: They are clearly drinking a vaccine

    84
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    Mute JimmyMc
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    Nov 7th 2020, 9:39 PM

    @dstaffx: guess where one of the nursing homes the HSE were called into to assist with an outbreak last week is located.

    70
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    Mute muirhill121
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    Nov 7th 2020, 8:06 PM

    Oh please can we not have another “Ronald Reagan” pub in Ballyporeen or “Barrack Obama” filling station in Offaly. It’s too embarrassing when we make a celebrity out of some fourth or fourteenth cousin of the US President. Let’s be happy he won but not turn ii into a Darby O’Gilll sequel!

    306
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    Mute Victoria
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    Nov 7th 2020, 9:49 PM

    @muirhill121: oh thank god you said it, i am cringing!

    113
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    Mute Mick Hyland
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    Nov 7th 2020, 10:56 PM

    @muirhill121: No shortage of pubs in Ballina

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    Mute Mojo
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    Nov 8th 2020, 12:03 AM

    @Victoria: why ? Would you not be proud of it,?

    1
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    Mute John Quill
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    Nov 8th 2020, 7:35 AM

    @muirhill121: it’s cringeworthy…we should be beyond that at this stage .

    16
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    Mute Mike Litterus
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    Nov 7th 2020, 7:18 PM

    Chaps a fossil

    121
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    Mute johnny onion eye
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    Nov 7th 2020, 7:28 PM

    @Mike Litterus: I’d say you couldn’t find your own name without an instruction manual. Your probably more of a Mike Hunt anyway

    80
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    Mute Michael Clinton
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    Nov 7th 2020, 7:29 PM

    @Mike Litterus:
    A mentally stable fossil.

    41
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    Mute Seosamh
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    Nov 7th 2020, 7:13 PM

    Welcome to Ireland Joe!!!

    118
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    Mute Virus-free Turkey
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    Nov 7th 2020, 9:14 PM

    Spent a while looking at a blow-up of the photo from Ballina. Very sad. Kids standing watching a grown man swigging booze out if a bottle on the street. Like something out of the 1950s

    108
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    Mute Harry Corry
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    Nov 7th 2020, 9:49 PM

    @Virus-free Turkey: quiet evening?

    22
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    Mute There is no hope for humanity!
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    Nov 7th 2020, 7:19 PM

    Lots people think it’s good news, I understand
    But just don’t forget one thing, still over two months away from the new president, in this period, that country has the strongest military, 10 aircraft fleets, near 400 military bases around the world, over 6k nukes and a unpredictable president
    If there is a big war happening… or accident war happens … what will be?
    Also Biden, tell your people stay away and keep social distance please, ive seen people packed together and celebrating your victory, ffs, the covid is not gone yet, you will need fix that problem and it’s the biggest challenge when you are in power

    76
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    Mute The Kev in Kevlar
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    Nov 7th 2020, 7:24 PM

    @There is no hope for humanity!: yup. Your name says it all. Are you ALWAYS this pessimistic?? You must be some craic at a party. You HONESTLY think that this’ll kick of ww3? Get a grip….and and stop watching YouTube.

    68
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    Mute Seosamh
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    Nov 7th 2020, 7:28 PM

    @There is no hope for humanity!: Trump does’nt pull the strings, any so called war would have to go through congress, you’ll even see Republican senators, aides etc. Distancing themselves from Trump now.

    41
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    Mute There is no hope for humanity!
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    Nov 7th 2020, 7:43 PM

    @The Kev in Kevlar: all I meant is still two months away, anything could happens, hope the best, Prepare for the worst
    The WW 3 might not, I don’t want to see they have civil war as well, that is worried me lots
    Specially trump, he is way too unpredictable, god knows what’s going to happen

    9
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    Mute John Dublin
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    Nov 7th 2020, 9:26 PM

    The Mayo Blewitts are well known. The Blewitt in 89, 96, 97, 04, 06, 12, 13, 16 and 17.

    70
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    Mute Alan Rothwell
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    Nov 7th 2020, 11:59 PM

    @John Dublin: *THEY

    2
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    Mute Darren Lambe
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    Nov 7th 2020, 7:36 PM

    Joe Blewit be living off this for the rest of his days

    65
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    Mute Billy Davies
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    Nov 7th 2020, 7:54 PM

    @Darren Lambe: Heard he’s done plenty of leaky business for the Ukrainians.

    48
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    Mute The Kev in Kevlar
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    Nov 7th 2020, 7:20 PM

    Congrats to Joe, comiserations to Donald. Irrespective of your political views,left, right, mid WHATEVER…accept it…GGs to all and hopefully everyone will be okay, and move forward.

    51
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    Mute Mick Hyland
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    Nov 7th 2020, 10:57 PM

    @The Kev in Kevlar: Tell that to Trump

    5
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    Mute larry duff
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    Nov 7th 2020, 7:37 PM

    Jumping on the bandwagon

    48
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    Mute Mark Devine
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    Nov 7th 2020, 10:04 PM

    I can see it now.. another cringey plaza only this time the Joe Biden Plaza.

    53
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    Mute Finnster
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    Nov 7th 2020, 7:58 PM

    Mayo for Uncle Sam

    43
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    Mute Alex Marquis
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    Nov 8th 2020, 2:12 AM

    @Finnster: yep. As well as the other Sam next month.

    1
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    Mute Tom kenny
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    Nov 8th 2020, 3:32 AM

    @Alex Marquis: keep dreaming

    5
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    Mute The God Of All Nerds
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    Nov 7th 2020, 7:57 PM

    They’re delighted they’re getting a motorway plaza

    36
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    Mute muirhill121
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    Nov 7th 2020, 8:06 PM

    Oh please can we not have another “Ronald Reagan” pub in Ballyporeen or “Barrack Obama” filling station in Offaly. It’s too embarrassing when we make a celebrity out of some fourth or fourteenth cousin of the US President. Let’s be happy he won but not turn ii into a Darby O’Gill sequel!

    37
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    Mute The God Of All Nerds
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    Nov 8th 2020, 2:21 AM

    @muirhill121: you call it cringe but the people living in those villages call it tourism, jobs and improved income.

    11
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    Mute Damo
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    Nov 7th 2020, 7:40 PM

    @Darren Lambe: the new Moneygall

    30
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    Mute brendan o connell
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    Nov 7th 2020, 11:23 PM

    Oh begosh and begorragh tis a great day for the oirish, tis indeed …..tis to be sure.

    30
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    Mute Rory Mackle
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    Nov 7th 2020, 8:10 PM

    Wonder where his great great great great great grandparents where from.

    21
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    Mute Em Gee
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    Nov 7th 2020, 9:18 PM

    @Rory Mackle: England

    20
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    Mute Declan Sweeney
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    Nov 8th 2020, 12:45 AM

    @Rory Mackle:

    Knockmore outside Ballina

    4
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    Mute Bert Carolan
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    Nov 8th 2020, 1:28 AM

    @Declan Sweeney: Good man Declan. Great year for Knockmore pandemic aside.

    1
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    Mute Paul Mcnevin
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    Nov 7th 2020, 8:09 PM

    Ballina Plaaaaza, sounds about right.

    17
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    Mute Michael Maher
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    Nov 7th 2020, 11:31 PM

    Bull..it of the highest order.

    15
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    Mute Bert Carolan
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    Nov 8th 2020, 12:24 AM

    Ah come on everyone. There hasn’t been a lot to be happy about in Ballina in 2020 no more than any other town in Ireland and of course it’s pure shlock but what the hell. Biden was in Ballina/Knockmore in 2017 and really seemed to enjoy himself. Just pass over the story if it bothers you so much.

    21
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    Mute Aine O Connor
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    Nov 8th 2020, 1:03 AM

    Wexford has made an industry from their connections with the President JF Kennedy. There is the 400 acre Kennedy Memorial Park, the Kennedy Homestead in Dunganstown ,, The Magnificent Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge, the Statue of JFK on Quays in New Ross ,with the Emigrant flame and the Dunbrody Famine Ship nearby. It was JFK’s Great Great Great Grandfather Patrick Kennedy who emigrated to America in 1849, he married Bridget Murphy ,a local girl from the same area who followed him to Boston. They had 5 Children. After only 10 years Patrick Kennedy died at the age of 35 so it was his wife Bridget who was left to bring up the children , it was her hard work and effort that ensured the children prospered in life. The Bridge should have been named in her honour not Rose In my opinion.

    12
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    Mute Brendan O'Donoghue
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    Nov 8th 2020, 10:44 AM

    @Aine O Connor: Joe Biden’s mother was a Finnegan, her grandfather was born in Lordship Co. Louth 1820, not GGG grandparents, grandfather, why should Ballina get all the publicity?

    4
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    Mute Aine O Connor
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    Nov 8th 2020, 11:39 AM

    @Brendan O’Donoghue:
    Exactly my point , even though Bridget Murphy was born only a few miles from Patrick’s Kennedy’s home she is hardly ever mentioned and without her there would be no Kennedy’s.
    Same goes for the Finnegans.

    1
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    Mute Owen Ball
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    Nov 7th 2020, 11:10 PM

    New service station for Ballina so

    9
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    Mute Dan McDonagh
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    Nov 7th 2020, 9:01 PM

    CUE THE BALLINA PLAZA

    10
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    Mute Sean Treacy
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    Nov 7th 2020, 11:27 PM

    Great to see Mayo finally win something

    8
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    Mute Chaunce Hayden
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    Nov 8th 2020, 2:41 PM

    I’m an American who lives in Ireland going on 3 years. I raised 500 euro for cancer while here. I’ve already done more for Ireland than Joe Biden has done in 50 years in politics.

    7
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    Mute Chaunce Hayden
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    Nov 8th 2020, 2:35 PM

    President Trump built a golf course in Ireland and provided jobs and tourist dollars. Can anyone in Ireland tell me what Joe Biden did for Mayo the past 50 years he’s been in office? Anyone?

    4
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    Mute FlopFlipU
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    Nov 7th 2020, 7:43 PM

    Blewit you are a go use your influence for the good of the old sod

    8
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    Mute Christy Mc Carthy
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    Nov 8th 2020, 12:06 AM

    Go EE s

    1
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    Mute Dan Duggan
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    Nov 7th 2020, 11:02 PM

    Not good.no distance

    1
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