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Updated at 17:30
INDEPENDENT PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL David Norris was dealt a blow this evening as he failed to secure the support of South Dublin County Council.
Norris had earlier secured the backing of Laois County Council, added to his nomination by Fingal County Council last week and was expected to gain the support of South Dublin County Council this evening but failed to do so.
The motion to nominate Norris, which was the only item on the agenda, failed by one vote – 12-11 against – with three abstentions.
It leaves Norris with two county council nominations so far. A candidate needs four in order to be on the ballot for the 27 October election.
Meanwhile, fellow independent candidate Dana Rosemary Scallon has secured the formal support of two local authorities today, meaning she needs two more.
Carlow County Council was the first to give her its backing this morning with Roscommon County Council also voting to back Dana this afternoon.
RTÉ Radio One reports that Carlow initially voted on a proposal to support Norris, but was tied on the motion. The deciding vote cast by the council chairperson was against backing Norris. The council then voted on the proposal to support Dana and approved the motion.
Roscommon followed suit this afternoon as had been expected.
This morning, Laois gave its backing to Norris whose mother was from that county. He had been widely expected to secure the backing of South Dublin County Council but failed to do so this evening.
Norris had also sought to get on the ballot through the backing of 20 Oireachtas members, but that effort came to an end last night after Independent TD Mattie McGrath announced he would not sign Norris’ nomination papers.
McGrath held a meeting last night with his Tipperary constituents and staff and said the majority voted against his backing Norris.
There are not enough Oireachtas members left who have not already assigned their support or ruled themselves out of the nomination process for Norris to get a nomination through that route.
In total, around a dozen councils are meeting early this week to decide on their potential nominations. Tomorrow, seven local authorities are set to meet.
Donegal County Council will meet at 10am to debate a Fianna Fail-proposed motion to nominate Scallon. Cork County Council will meet at 11am to consider a motion to nominate Norris.
At lunchtime, Waterford City Council is to meet to debate motions to nominate either Norris or Scallon.
Longford County Council is to meet at 4pm to debate a motion to nominate Scallon. Westmeath County Council will also meet on Tuesday to debate a motion to nominate Scallon.
On Tuesday evening, Dublin City Council will meet just before 7pm to discuss a motion to nominate Norris while at 7pm Cavan County Council will debate a Fianna Fáil-proposed motion to nominate Scallon.
Finally, on Wednesday morning, Kilkenny County Council is to meet at 8.30am to debate motions to nominate either Norris or Scallon.
The deadline for nominations to be delivered to the returning officer is 12 noon that day.
- additional reporting from Hugh O’Connell
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That’s not a rifle image that’s a shotgun.
Do you really think the people in journal .ie would know what a rifel looks like ………..
Rifle
I think I will send a picture of a tank to the journal.ie ……… Tomorrow’s headlines ….. YELLOW SUBMARINE found in ireland …… Beatles no one suspects
hahahahah while it was the first thing i thought when i seen the picture i just know someone would say it !! still cant decide though are you just being pedantic or are you right to say it
yes but it’s an ASSAULT shotgun.
Well the way D.O.J and the gardai want to reform the gun laws you might be right!!!!
Haha that’s a shotgun lads, change it. Gun laws in this country are so stupid. Let the man have his rifle ffs.
Well it depends on the rifle. A sporting rifle can be legally held but nobody needs an AK47!
The problem is it wasn’t his riffle. This guy is part of a gang that was targeting elderly people living on their own, breaking into their homes and robbing them. The gun that was recovered belonged to a 77 year old man whom they tied up and beat. They stole the firearm from his home along with a sum of money.
From Donegal Daily
BREAKING NEWS: A MAN has been arrested and a firearm seized during a Garda operation this evening.
A Garda spokesman confirmed to Donegal Daily that the man arrested was detained after a search of a house in Ballyshannon.
The suspect is in his 40s.
A rifle was recovered during the search which came just days after a weapon was taken during an incident in Glenties where a 77-year-old man was battered and robbed by a vicious gang of burglars.
“A male aged in his 40s was arrested at the scene. He is currently detained under Section 30 of the Offences against the State Act, 1939, at Ballyshannon Garda Station,” said a spokesman.
James,
If this turns out to be true, it’s great news! That gang have been praying on elderly and vulnerable people in the north west for too long. I wonder was it anything with the €10,000 offered for information. Either way, lets hope these animals get sentences fitting their crimes!
Dr Rory used to shoot with the gentry
So he should have used it on them
Who says an AK47 can’t be a sporting rifle?
@Massimo The €10,000 might have something to do with it.
The above incident happened in Glenties, it used to be a Garda District Headquarters with a station that was manned 24/7
Shatter has since dissolved the district (Which was the largest in Co. Donegal) and split the policing of it between Ballyshannon and Milford. Both of which are nearly an hour away from Glenties.
It goes to show how crime levels will rise when cuts are implemented in Policing.
Tomorrows news: gardai to give back shotgun mistaken for rifle
Mistaken identity again
Shoot him with it.. Maybe he’ll think twice about having a gun in the first place!
I’d be getting my rifle images from another website if I were you.
Why didn’t we give that hellhole to the Brits when we were have that social clear out years ago. Donegal is a waste of space
“Youknowimright”, is your surname “Offmyfeckingtrolly” ?????
@youknowinright You have just shown how intellectually inferior you are to everyone else, probably on this planet.
That is the most ignorant, uninformed comment I have ever seen.
Everyone here is now a bit dumber for reading it.
Now go collect your dole and pick up your cans of Dutch Gold you waster.
have your say