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'It was like being hit by a truck at 100 miles per hour' - Former TDs on the devastation of losing their seats

High-profile casualties of the election have opened up about the pain of not being reelected.

THERE WERE WINNERS and losers after the dust had settled and the final election results were read out last week.

Some of the greatest losses were no doubt felt by those TDs who failed to get reelected – having lost not only the backing of their constituents but also their jobs.

Speaking this morning on RTÉ’s Sunday With Miriam show, four former sitting TDs and one senator talked about the stress of being a politician, the low points of the campaign and what the future would hold for them.

They were:

  • Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (former drugs and equality minister and Labour TD eliminated on the final count in Dublin Bay North).
  • Averil Power (Independent Senator also eliminated in Dublin Bay North)
  • Michael McNamara (former Labour TD eliminated in Clare)
  • Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Former Sinn Féin TD who failed to get reelected in Donegal).
  • Jerry Buttimer (former Fine Gael TD eliminated on the final count in Cork South Central).

The guests talked at length about their individual campaigns and the support they received from family and friends – as well as their plans for the future.

Mac Lochlainn, Buttimer and McNamara expressed their interest to run in the Seanad elections while Ó Ríordáin said that he was also considering a run. Power said that she wanted to stay as senator and would be ‘throwing her hat in’ with the Trinity College nominations.

Bad wishes

The former Dáil hopefuls also talked about the good points and bad points of political life.

Michael McNamara said that he was at Killaloe Court last Tuesday following the election when a man up on theft charges said that he recognised him:

So then he turned to the lady beside him and said – ‘you’d want to watch your handbag with him, I think he’s a politician’.

However, McNamara said that it didn’t bother him too much as anyone in politics has to have a tough skin.

“You wouldn’t be there if you didn’t have some degree of resilience,” he said.

mich Michael McNamara RollingNews.ie RollingNews.ie

Resilience and perseverance was a common theme of the discussion, as was the appreciation each former candidate expressed towards their backroom team and canvassers.

“While we’re the public face of the campaign, there’s hundreds of people putting their heart and soul into it in all kinds of weather,” said Pádraig Mac Lochlainn.

Mac Lochlainn said that when he realised the tallies weren’t going his way during the race, he had to leave the count centre to re-steady himself.

“You’ve got to go away and get your thoughts together,” he said.

You can’t be sitting in the counts feeling sorry for yourself, you’ve got to be strong and you’ve got to show leadership.
And be mindful that it’s not about you, it’s about the hundreds of people who worked night and day.

Mac Lochlainn said that the expansion of Donegal into a full 5-seater constituency (as opposed to the two 3-seaters that it had previously been) meant that he didn’t secure as many votes as he thought he might.

RollingNews.ie RollingNews.ie

Sinn Féin ran three candidates in Donegal – a move many have said was a big mistake by the party. While Mac Lochlainn didn’t quite condemn the move, he did say that if there was another election things would be different.

“Whenever people vote, the landscape is absolutely clear, before that you can only guess,” he said.

If we had an election in six weeks time we would be able to balance out the votes properly and take that second seat.

“You have to keep going”

Jerry Buttimer said that finding out from opinion polls on the run up to polling day that he was likely to lose his seat was “like being hit by a truck at 100 miles per hour”.

I’ll never forget, my brother John walked into me and I actually thought my father was dead. That’s what I thought… I said ‘Oh Jesus, what’s after happening here?… and he said ‘I have the opinion poll’.

jerry RollingNews.ie RollingNews.ie

After the shock, Buttimer said that he just had to keep going – canvassing and trying to turn the tide of the election.

Averil Power said that at one point during the marathon count at the RDS she thought that she was going to be elected.

“Before [Social Democrats candidate Cian O'Callaghan] went out I thought it wasn’t going to happen… and then they started distributing Cian’s votes and my team were tallying them,” she said.

90410798 Averil Power watching the counts in the RDS last week RollingNews.ie RollingNews.ie

She was told that she was ahead of AAA-PBP candidate John Lyons by just six votes and that he would be next elected. However, a mistake was made with the count, and she was actually off by 100 votes.

That just shows how crazy it was, it all came down to a few dozen votes.

“All gone”

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin confessed on the show that he was so consumed with the campaign that he had forgotten his wife’s birthday, and that while he was in politics everything else took a second position.

“That’s what happens, you just get wrapped up in what’s going on,” he said.

I’ll freely admit… I haven’t been much of a son or a brother or a husband for the past number of years… I really haven’t, everything is put to second place for politics.”

20160301_124258 Ó Ríordáin with supporters at the RDS ahead of the last count last week Cianan Brennan Cianan Brennan

Ó Ríordáin also spoke of the pain of last Saturday, of watching “good friends” lose their seat and seeing his party decimated.

Good friends of mine that I’ve been working with for the past five years, who I’ve been campaigning with and socialising with and gone through the horrible times with… and they’re gone as well… all gone.

The guests spoke extensively of their backgrounds and their families and the appreciation that they felt for those who had supported them.

The mood was very different from the fierce campaigning and battling of previous weeks, with policies and debates taking a back-seat to a discussion of the former candidates’ personal lives and aftermath of the election.

Read: Getting more women in the Dáil can’t be a once off thing, such progress must continue

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96 Comments
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    Mute Timber Planks
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    Mar 6th 2016, 3:34 PM

    Averil power didn’t loose a seat. She never had one. Why is the media so obsessed with this woman. Oh yeah, married to the right people.

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    Mute Moderate Michael
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    Mar 6th 2016, 3:50 PM

    Cuz she’s a hip female liberal with a snazzy haircut. Leftist journalists get wet at the thought of her

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    Mute watersedge
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    Mar 6th 2016, 3:51 PM

    Ever notice she has the same hairstyle as Mrs Underwood from House of Cards. Great notions about herself alright.

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    Mute Daisy Chainsaw
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    Mar 6th 2016, 4:21 PM

    Is it a co-incidence that the Fianna Fail leaks to the Indo stopped when she left?

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    Mute prop joe
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    Mar 6th 2016, 5:53 PM

    In fairness to Averil she was seen as someone with potential. which has all but evaporated. The ff version of Ivana B. A senator nothing more.

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    Mute Liam Kelly
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    Mar 6th 2016, 6:53 PM

    Leftist journalists? Where? Who?

    43
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    Mute Ann Reddin
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    Mar 6th 2016, 8:43 PM

    Not to worry Daisy – there’ll be plenty of leaks from FF now that a certain blonde RTE journalist has just seen her bro eleclted.

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    Mute Padraic Courtney
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    Mar 7th 2016, 12:00 AM

    There’s loads of them working for the Indo……..

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    Mute Patrick Murphy
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    Mar 6th 2016, 4:13 PM

    Someone needs to point out that Power did not lose a seat in the election – she has never been elected to anything to lose it!

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    Mute Byyys
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    Mar 6th 2016, 7:47 PM

    It’s also worth pointing out that former TD’s who lost their seats are planning to run for Seanad Éireann in next month’s elections, they dont want to leave the gravy train just yet! (http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/ireland/article1675561.ece?CMP=OTH-gnws-standard-2016_03_05)

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    Mute Carm(Little Vampire)
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    Mar 6th 2016, 8:48 PM

    Exactly Patrick. Power was a Senator.

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    Mute lavbeer
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    Mar 6th 2016, 9:47 PM

    On the industrial and commercial panel. Like Ms Cahill. Does she bring any I&C experience to the table? But she was elected albeit by a smaller community.

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    Mute Rusty Balls
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    Mar 7th 2016, 12:11 AM

    In all fairness most, like Michael McNamara seem to take the jibes on the chin when they didn’t get elected, whereas the Healy-Rae’s, who did get elected want to be immune to the same jibes???

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    Mute Iúrach
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    Mar 6th 2016, 3:41 PM

    Imagine how devastating it is losing your house.

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    Mute Ted Murray
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    Mar 6th 2016, 5:06 PM

    These ones are only devastated at losing Leinster House.

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    Mute Mark Kernan
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    Mar 6th 2016, 6:17 PM

    Brilliant. Succint comment. Blows away all the venal and self-serving pity of many of those ‘fallen’ polticians and points to the real tragedies in Ireland. Tragedies brought on and compounded by many of the above.

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    Mute Stephen Brady
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    Mar 6th 2016, 7:00 PM

    Or a loved one.

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    Mute Cormac
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    Mar 6th 2016, 3:33 PM

    If you were hit by a truck at 100 miles an hour, you wouldn’t be giving statements.

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    Mute Mjhint
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    Mar 6th 2016, 4:14 PM

    And it would be totally painless because it would mean instant death.

    114
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    Mute Cupid Stunt
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    Mar 6th 2016, 3:32 PM

    Are their job losses more important than the mother of three kids who looses her job in a nondescript factory, ordinary people don’t get the cushions of money and pensions when they’re let go. It’s called not being allowed to interfere with the free market. So tds expect us to have a whiparound for them or something.

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    Mute Armin Tamzarian
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    Mar 6th 2016, 4:02 PM

    In a brown envelope preferably…

    87
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    Mute John Strahan
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    Mar 6th 2016, 5:15 PM

    Yes they are. They are more important because they say they are. They are more important because we, the electorate, are so weak, that we allow the “public servants”, tell us that they are.

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    Mute Beano
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    Mar 6th 2016, 3:34 PM

    They’re only disappointed because the gravy train has left the station and they’re not on it. Has nothing to do with a love of politics or trying to make Ireland a better place

    239
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    Mute Paul MacNulty
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    Mar 6th 2016, 3:38 PM

    Sick and tired of these people bemoaning the loss of their fellow politicians who did not get re-elected. They are not exactly leaving with empty pockets and doubt if we will see any of them on the dole queue. They did not get re-elected for a reason but they are probaly too dumbass to work out the reason.

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    Mute Mary Murphy
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    Mar 6th 2016, 8:42 PM

    If they were any good in their constituencies they would have been re-elected. If they wish to get elected again maybe they could start by looking after the people who have the power, like the voters.

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    Mute BERTIE
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    Mar 6th 2016, 3:34 PM

    FG and Labour TD’s “devastated” give me a break, what about the devastation they imposed on the vulnerable. They are so self centred and removed from reality.

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    Mute Al Ca
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    Mar 6th 2016, 3:34 PM

    …….and they still don’t get it!

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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Mar 6th 2016, 4:01 PM

    They think the electorate got it wrong!!! Seriously???

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    Mute Ruairi
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    Mar 6th 2016, 4:19 PM

    The Electorate did get it wrong. They voted in the people who caused the mess in the first place, alongside protesters who have no intention of stepping up and actually protesting. They’ve replaced one gov they disliked with a combination of the same and nothing.

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    Mute Cllr Malachy Quinn
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    Mar 6th 2016, 4:20 PM

    Averil Power was never elected but was gifted a senator ship because of her loyalty to bail out Bertie – as proved last weekend – unelectable & is now attempting to get into the Senate – a failed politician

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    Mute Ufc Dublin
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    Mar 6th 2016, 6:17 PM

    Avril power is everything but loyal if you ask me , basically she had all the junior volenteers in fianna fael run around like slaves after her handing out leaflets in fact flooding Nrth Co Dublin with her face then left the Party a week later … Loyal ?? I dont think so ….

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    Mute Retired Fireman
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    Mar 6th 2016, 3:55 PM

    Dear Cormac Firzgerald
    Please follow up this article by publishing how much each of them eraned since election along with tax free unvouched expenses and what they are entitled to as parachute payments for losing their seats .
    I doubt any of them will be relying on jobseekers allowance to feed the family !

    147
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    Mute cormac o connell
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    Mar 6th 2016, 3:38 PM

    Buttimer canvassed in 2011 outside UCC here in Cork with a megaphone and his target that day was FF for putting up the Reg Fee for 3rd level by 250 euros.His 5 years in gov have resulted in it going from 1500 euros to 3000 euros. What do they expect in all fairness. P mc loughlin should head to Egypt for his troubles and help hi buddy Halawa get out of jail.

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    Mute Paul Garvey
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    Mar 6th 2016, 3:48 PM

    Still 7 too many Labour td’s

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    Mute Ben Connolly
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    Mar 6th 2016, 4:03 PM

    Why is Avril Power even in this article is it because she’s Fionann Sheehan a mot

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    Mute Daisy Chainsaw
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    Mar 6th 2016, 4:39 PM

    A couple of months signing on and they’ll qualify for Jobbbridge and be able to upskill. I’ve even found a few jobs near them.

    Eurospar in Ballyshannon, Co Donegal are looking for a sangwich maker
    A place in Skerries, Co Dublin is looking for a Barista.
    A business in Ballinteer, Co Dublin is looking for a security guard.
    A creche in Clare needs a cleaner (may need Garda vetting for that one.)
    A school in Cork needs a maintenance person.

    If it’s good enough for the rest of us…

    123
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    Mute Mary King
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    Mar 6th 2016, 4:15 PM

    Interesting to realise that several of those who campaigned for the abolition of the Seanad, particularly FG and SF people who have lost their seats are now, shamelessly seeking to restart their political careers by seeking election to that body.

    122
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    Mute Daisy Chainsaw
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    Mar 6th 2016, 4:45 PM

    Don’t you see that TDs losing their jobs is far worse than the rest of us plebs. Poor things will find it difficult to adjust to real life without a daily sign in allowance to collect just for showing up and all those expenses they won’t be able to claim anymore.

    It’s a national tragedy. It really is.

    106
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    Mute John Mac
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    Mar 6th 2016, 7:42 PM

    Brilliantly spotted Mary

    Personally delighted that MacLochlainn,Riordain and Power got shafted at GE 16. Obnoxious politicians with Napoleonic notions of grandeur.

    Have more respect for Buttimer and McNamara .

    Rank to think other serial losers like Bacik and Lorraine Higgins want the senator seats again – logs that just wont flush away…..

    Having said that , we f**ked up by not abolishing the Senate when we’d the chance – a missed open goal…

    43
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    Mute Malcolm Lackey
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    Mar 6th 2016, 3:46 PM

    Now they know what it was like for the thousands of people that lost their jobs during the recession that most them caused or just sat back and watched it happen, it’s actually called the Karma bus.

    106
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    Mute Kieran OKeeffe
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    Mar 6th 2016, 4:12 PM

    Out of the five..four are interested in the seanad..and one wants to stay in the seanad..About time former deputies were barred from seeking election to the Seanad for at least a full term..maybe even two..and vice versa for sitting senators..How are we supposed to get new politics with the same faces in the trough?

    102
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    Mute Matt Donovan
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    Mar 6th 2016, 4:09 PM

    Oh boo fukking hoo! My heart bleeds for them all. Generous lump sums & multiple pensions & handy numbers should soften the blow for the poor hard done bys.

    89
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    Mute Adrian
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    Mar 6th 2016, 4:19 PM

    I don’t think anybody should be sympathetic towards this bunch. Being a TD is a very financially rewarding job, they get supports that most people in other jobs don’t get when they leave. If they think thats brutal, they’re wildly deluded.
    They’re missing the 89K salary plus 20-30K more in various committee fees, the 100k-250k yearly expense claims and the lottery level politicanl pensions they could be getting. I think our politicians get paid away too much currently anyway. They’re definitely not worth the money they’re paying themselves.

    86
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    Mute Matt Connolly
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    Mar 6th 2016, 4:32 PM

    They’re completely out of touch – how about losing your job or business – and despite working all your life, having to beg and plead with social protection for scraps. Then when you can’t find employment and try to better yourself, have back-to-education slashed – but you press on. Then on top of that, additional stealth taxes are tagged on – property tax & water charges. If after all that, if any of them can feed a family of 5 on €90 per week for the next 3 years AND pay their transport costs 5 days a week, THEN I might listen.

    78
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    Mute Brian Farrell
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    Mar 6th 2016, 3:27 PM

    Good.

    84
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    Mute Ufc Dublin
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    Mar 6th 2016, 4:00 PM

    It is for the best they have nothing to bring to the table .. Avril power targetet the wrong people trying to get votes from the rich in sutton and Howtg instead of helping the real working class !!

    79
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    Mute Ufc Dublin
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    Mar 6th 2016, 4:15 PM

    For the Record : I seen power on more than one occasion standing like a mug outside supervalue sutton were the rich ignored her . Not once was she seen in Northside shopping center coolock where the decent people might have actually gave her a min .

    76
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    Mute Paddy Banks
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    Mar 6th 2016, 3:53 PM

    Euro 63,000 a head, not bad some people work all there lives and get nothing. now they Q for the other jobs within. left people devastated, did not give a crap about those they left out in the cold so to speak. corrupt shower of FF FG Lab.

    74
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    Mute Dave Byrne
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    Mar 6th 2016, 4:07 PM

    I have never heard of a TD losing their home are living on the breadline,These boyos get rewarded handsomely while in power. Mileage expenses that are not accounted for ala Mr Perry. Never mind the money they get paid off with and more than likely end up in the Senate.

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    Mute Ted Murray
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    Mar 6th 2016, 3:38 PM

    It’s not the winning, it’s the taking part :p

    71
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    Mute Rashers Tierney
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    Mar 6th 2016, 4:28 PM

    Again I have to say What Were People Thinking when they voted to retain the Seanad?? The proof is there – all the little piggies crying wee wee wee and running to the seanad as fast as their trotters will carry them. Oh to be pressed firmly against the public teat ;-)

    58
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    Mute Damien Buckley
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    Mar 6th 2016, 5:45 PM

    They forced cuts on the rest of us while they were well paid for doing so. No sympathy for them.

    56
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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Mar 6th 2016, 3:57 PM

    Will it improve their hearing?

    52
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    Mute Irish Red
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    Mar 6th 2016, 6:16 PM

    Doubt it

    14
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    Mute Charles Coughlan
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    Mar 6th 2016, 5:15 PM

    I am sure that the promise of a fine TD’s pension, a position in The Seanad or a seat on a quango with a fat cat wage will ease the pain for many of these people.

    46
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    Mute Martin Sinnott
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    Mar 6th 2016, 4:21 PM

    Can’t they walk & talk ! If they hit by a truck @ 100mph they wold be dead or disabled. They need to get a life.

    44
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    Mute John Walker
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    Mar 6th 2016, 4:48 PM

    I’d like to see them make a statement like that to someone affected by road death. Idiots.

    43
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    Mute Daisy Chainsaw
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    Mar 6th 2016, 4:58 PM

    That’s politicians for you. Clueless dolts.

    41
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    Mute Marg murphy
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    Mar 6th 2016, 5:19 PM

    So glad that open borders ,Marxist Aodhan o riordan lost his seat.

    42
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    Mute Stephen Duffy
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    Mar 6th 2016, 3:45 PM

    Life as a TD is not the gravy train people making it out to be. Despite what many claim the pay is not great. Society seems to begrudge paying TDs just under €90k yet we have an education system that pays 1200 employees over €100k… TDs are the legislators and should be well rewarded.. One thing is for sure I wouldn’t give up my job to become a TD for €90k if I was only certain of getting 5 years..

    38
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    Mute Tom Newell
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    Mar 6th 2016, 4:17 PM

    Some people don’t even have a 6 month job security but ud not take this job of a TD cos it’s only a 5 year life span guaranteed….. Hahahahaha that’s hilarious Jesus u shud say that to people on jobridge schemes and CE schemes and least the education system can’t destroy peoples lively hoods because unlike TD’s armed with a vote a lecturer doesn’t have the power to make people homeless or take money from peoples wages to pay poxy taxes….. But ya poor things it’s an awful life really

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    Mute Sean Keating
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    Mar 6th 2016, 4:41 PM

    Certain of getting 5 years ? Are you actually for real. They get a massive pension from the minute they lose their seat.

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    Mute Charles Coughlan
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    Mar 6th 2016, 5:54 PM

    On the same note if TD’s had to start off with 4 times the salary of a newly qualified nurses and midwives (the minimum wage, only increased from €6.49/hr the day before the election) you wouldn’t have many TD’s looking for positions either.
    Who deserves better the working conditions, answer me that please Stephen

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    Mute lavbeer
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    Mar 6th 2016, 9:44 PM

    Stephen thought I bet you pay to get yourself to work. Almost k a month into the hand for a Dulin TD just to show up. A huge pension contribution paid on their behalf. And a kitty to hire cronies\family members. The 450k salary over 5 years is the tip of the iceberg.

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    Mute whitecross
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    Mar 6th 2016, 7:24 PM

    No sympathy for them My sympathy is all used up for the people who lost husbands / partners/fathers/sons /brothers through suicide hounded by banks looking for money not willing to settle for a little less each month from people who lost their jobs suffered pay cuts ,My sympathy for the 3 families that i stood with facing evictions ,My sympathy is with sons /daughters scattered all over the world trying to make a better life for themselves ,My sympathy for the grandmothers /grandfathers who will never hold their grandchildren , No my sympathy is all used up ,not for whining parasites ,

    38
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    Mute Johnny Downes
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    Mar 6th 2016, 4:25 PM

    How does Buttymer know what it’s like to be hit by a truck at 100mph? If he was, at least he survived that! As for Averil Powerless- tough!

    37
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    Mute Conor Browne
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    Mar 6th 2016, 4:34 PM

    An RTÉ spokesman confirmed they needed to have an “independent” viewpoint on the show and that’s why Averil made an appearance…

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    Mute Brian Deane
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    Mar 6th 2016, 5:22 PM

    Oh dear….sounds like that ‘Marriage Equality’ vote came unstuck.

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    Mute Daisy Chainsaw
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    Mar 6th 2016, 6:00 PM

    And yet a lot of TDs who supported marriage equality were returned. On the other hand, Catholiban Renua were wiped out

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    Mute Maria Hickey-Fagan
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    Mar 6th 2016, 6:25 PM

    Welcome to Planet Politician. Using words like devastation at losing their seat just goes to prove that the last government and indeed, the future government, are so far removed from the people it’s not funny.

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    Mute @mdmak33
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    Mar 6th 2016, 6:34 PM

    Enda,Kelly and Burton cost these people their seats,and they kept theirs,and not speaking out about corruption, cronyism, siteserv, nama,ibrc,fennelly, Moriarty.

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    Mute mart_n
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    Mar 6th 2016, 5:52 PM

    Feel bad for Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, he seemed like a genuinely decent sort of guy and was quite a hard working TD on a national level (rather than local), which might explain why he lost his seat.

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    Mute Danny McLaughlin
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    Mar 7th 2016, 7:36 AM

    He only won his seat in 2011 because for 5 years before that he was a full time county Councillor.

    He was on the phone to Highland radio every day and getting his face in the local papers at the opening of an envelope.
    Being a Councillor and getting in the media was his full time job.

    He canvassed me in 2007 and I asked him how would he manage in a full time job in the Dail when it takes all his energy working in a full time basis in a part time job on the council.

    Low and behold, once he got elected, he didn’t have time to be on Highland everyday, or go to the opening of an envelop and the people started to see through him.

    He went from getting 9,000 firsts in Inishowen to under 3,500.
    That was why he lost out, actually nothing to do with vote management.

    He got found out.

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    Mute Stephen Grehan
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    Mar 6th 2016, 6:33 PM

    I see the losers of the gravy train voted for the water charge and eviction bill. This is what happens when you do not listen to the voters from your ivory towers. Good riddance to the lot of you.

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    Mute next
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    Mar 6th 2016, 6:37 PM

    They only lost a job what about the thousand of children on the street thanks to their corrupt government!

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    Mute Ufc Dublin
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    Mar 6th 2016, 6:22 PM

    Im thrilled for Tommy broughan a gent who is loyal and very active with the area never sits around .. Power demanded a recount when heard Tommy pulled ahead …

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    Mute Miriam Kane
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    Mar 6th 2016, 7:43 PM

    Did it not sink in at the start that they were only guaranteed a fixed term contract of four years no matter how they performed. Welcome to the world of work. Maybe now they’ll understand the reality of people round th country who r redundant with a lot less of a golden handshake then these tds get.

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    Mute mammysdinners
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    Mar 6th 2016, 6:29 PM

    The ex TD who mentioned not being a good family member while in office has hit the nail on the head re Irish politics. It’s all a game with little crossover to reality. Most

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    Mute Colmsherlock
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    Mar 6th 2016, 9:50 PM

    Ah jasus just finished mopping up the tears……of laughter…at these poor unfortunates

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    Mute Neuville-Kepler62F
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    Mar 6th 2016, 9:21 PM

    Life could be very good for all these politicians … if they brought their brains to work every day and voted for the interests of the electorate not their “whip” parties. Very simple – vote for principles like “progressive taxes” not regressive taxes like LPT, Water tax, Car Tax, IT … economic justice, social justice …

    Political Parties are just private clubs, financial predators who max your tax like landlords max your rent and bankers max your debt. Out Out Out

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    Mute Neuville-Kepler62F
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    Mar 6th 2016, 10:54 PM

    TDs lives could be very pleasant if they would listen to the electorate not whips, focus groups and pompous advisors … inflated egos are no substitute for brains!

    100,000 on the streets due to regressive Water Tax
    200,000 on the streets when Attachment Orders are used to take outstanding the Water Tax from pensioners pensions.
    250,000 on the streets when people realise that their obscene excessive (€710) pre-2008 Car Tax is subsidising those who can afford new cars (€280) AND their Water Tax (€439 million from Car Tax used to fund Irish Water every year)
    300,000 on the streets if the housing crisis is not dealt with urgently – by Referendum on land / property rights if necessary .. to once and for all provide a framework to deliver affordable homes for ALL groups in Irish society into the future – deal with the vested interests once and for all..

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    Mute Les Behan
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    Mar 6th 2016, 10:28 PM

    “Michael McNamara said that he was at Killaloe Court last Tuesday following the election when a man up on theft charges said that he recognised him: “So then he turned to the lady beside him and said – ‘you’d want to watch your handbag with him, I think he’s a politician.’”

    This is Ireland, summed up in one paragraph.

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    Mute An Observer
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    Mar 6th 2016, 7:46 PM

    Heroes the lot of them. Must be heartbreaking.

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    Mute Jerry Slattery
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    Mar 6th 2016, 8:26 PM

    I really do feel sorry for the poor mothers who reared some of the bitter and twisted cyber warriors who seem to spend 90% of there time on these comment boards spewing hatred to all who have the balls to put themselves forward for election .

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    Mute An Observer
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    Mar 6th 2016, 9:47 PM

    *their

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    Mute Johnny A
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    Mar 6th 2016, 9:53 PM

    Exactly – and the ridiculous thing is that the journal commentariat have voted in an alternative to the establishment who are insistent on staying out of government… The left and the populist parties have a once in a lifetime opportunity to takeover but don’t have the wherewithal or balls to unite & govern. They’ll continue with their student politics and remain anti-everything.

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    Mute An Observer
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    Mar 6th 2016, 9:59 PM

    Jerry,if I wanted to run for election to be in Government,it wouldn’t be to make a change in people’s lives. It would be to make money off the back of people’s misery. Isn’t that the mantra of most of all those brave young politicians?

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    Mute William Tormey
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    Mar 7th 2016, 2:15 AM

    The nasty obnoxious comments of many here reflect badly on the sensibility and decency of themselves rather than those rejected by the rejectorate. O’Riordan proved a very good minister in that specific job. Best ever by a distance.

    Ciaran Lynch, Gerry Buttimer, Avril Power and many others made a big contribution to national life. Its better to acknowledge that than to belittle them.

    History is likely to salute the last govrenment as one of the best in the state’s existence.

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    Mute Screaming Toddy
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    Mar 7th 2016, 2:46 AM

    Did you not ask Ciara Conway of Labour or is she still invisible and hard to find?

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    Mute TDV
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    Mar 7th 2016, 1:46 AM

    Boo hoo

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    Mute Nigel O'Neill
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    Mar 7th 2016, 8:56 AM

    I feel a small bit sorry for Michael Mac. Out of all the Labour TDs that were churned out onto our TV screens over the 5 years, het was the only one who had a sense of humility and would admit, to some degree where mistakes had been made etc…completely polar opposite to Alan Kelly for instance and his arrogance…yet he got back in of course ( rolling eyes )

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