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Updated 1pm
A ROW HAS broken out in the Fianna Fáil organisation in Dublin West over the decision to allow nine members to move to the constituency days before the convention to select its general election candidate.
Fianna Fáil headquarters has this afternoon upheld its original decision to allow the nine members – known as the Hollystown 9 – to move to Dublin West ahead of tonight’s selection convention.
Fingal county councillors Jack Chambers and David McGuinness will go head-to-head for the nomination to be the Fianna Fáil candidate in Dublin West at the next general election.
Chambers had sought the reversal of the decision to move the nine members from the Fianna Fáil cumann in Dublin Fingal to Dublin West. The matter was adjudicated on by party headquarters in recent days and a decision was made known this afternoon.
The nine votes could be enough to determine the outcome of what is expected to be a closely-fought battle for the Fianna Fáil nomination. The decision on the nine votes is likely to adversely affect Chambers although the contest is expected to be extremely tight tonight.
McGuinness has twice failed to get elected for the party in the two by-elections held since 2011. The seat was formerly occupied by Brian Lenihan, the ex-finance minister who died in 2011.
Boundary changes have seen Hollystown in the Mulhuddart local electoral area moved from Dublin Fingal back to Dublin West. All nine members at the centre of the row are believed to reside in Hollystown.
As members of Fianna Fáil’s St Margaret cumann, they were registered to vote in Dublin Fingal, where senator Darragh O’Brien has already been selected, but they asked to move to Dublin West after the boundary changes.
In an urgent letter to party headquarters last week, Chambers argued that this decision is contrary to “the fundamental principles of natural justice”, “inherently unfair” and “contrary to the core values” of Fianna Fáil while also claiming it left the party open to accusations of “gerrymandering”.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie on Monday, Chambers said he expected a decision from HQ before the close of business that day.
“Nominations had closed on Wednesday and nine members were added in on Friday evening. The membership lists were finalised and as I said in the correspondence these members had an opportunity to vote in Dublin Fingal.”
However, McGuinness said that the nine members did not even attend the Dublin Fingal selection convention and insisted they be allowed to vote in Dublin West.
“To deny these people to right to vote in their own constituency doesn’t make sense. It’s anti-democratic and I don’t see why it should be changed just because somebody throws their toys out of the pram.”
Speaking on Monday, McGuinness sought to downplay the issue as one for the local party and said that the concerns with Fianna Fáil HQ should not have been highlighted in the media.
“I have not approached the media on this issue at any point. I am not ramping it up,” he added.
First published 23 February 2015
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The DUP never wanted the GFA to succeed, now that they see the writing on the wall, a SF first minister and unionist decline in electoral support, they are showing their true colours as the UNdemocratic unionists they always were.
@M Bowe: I hope they reject the agreement because that will hurt their cause even more.
One solution would be for unionists to relocate across the water to Britain!
@John Long: Maybe Suella Bravermann doesnt want them back. However she could send them on too Rwanda
@John Long: they’ll need a bigger boat !
@John Long: or for Northern Ireland to be a part of Britain … oh wait..
@Ciaran: That’s impossible. NI is part of UK, Scotland, Wales and England make up Britain.
Britain is an island archipelago with Great Britain the largest one.
UK is what it matters in political context. It is a sovereign country, same as Ukraine. No matter that Irish, and respectively Russians, live there.
@Joe Johnson: Oh I like that idea!!
@John Long: couldn’t agree more.
So, would that be a no Jeffrey?
Jeez, do these blokes ever stop whinging?
@TonyB: To quote the DUP “Never, never, never”.
They will never permit a First Minister that isn’t from the Loyalist Community.
Election now and let’s see if the electorate will continue to support their trenchant views.
How long…..can this keep going on? Sir Donaldson and the DUP know that this ship has sailed , and they will have to accept the framework. Their prime minister has told them quite clearly that there is no other option.The rest is pure semantics, in attempt to keep their ever dwindling followers on side. Brexit is the problem. Brexit made the Protocol a necessity. The DUP were in favour of Brexit because they hoped the border with the republic, and their dominance would be restored .
@Leonard O’mahony: it will be voted in in House of Commons – end of ! Then the British need to tell these people to take their positions or hold a vote for Irish Unity.! They just can’t stomach SF First Minister.
@Barbara Coleman: you’re right. The DUP have been pandered to for so long, they won’t be able to accept that the government they hold so dear are prepared to move on without them.
Stop paying them for doing nothing and let them work out a cost analysis on the financial damage! This is called REALITY”
I’m really surprised! They are usually so positive about everything!
The DUP should be told in no uncertain terms to shove their “fundamental problems” where the sun don’t shine. They only supported Brexshit cos they thought they’d get the border back, but that ain’t gonna happen, so tough. And in any case this whole performance is to stop them having to go back into power sharing under a Sinn Fein first minister.
Latest DUP demands (satire ….. but probably not far off reality )
1. Full implementation of WTO rules for E.U./U.K. trade.
2. Armed Border wall/crossings and DMZ with ‘down south’. Alternative would be a wide moat to separate NI from ‘down south’ and a bridge/tunnel linking NI to the main land.
3. Oath of allegiance to Charlie to be undertaken by all N.I. citizens or be deported ’down south’.
4. Irishness (place names, flegs, sports, language, etc) to be removed from society.
@Stephen Woods: funny thing about your satirical comment is about irishness. Where do you think the name Shankill derives?
@Michael Garvey: Well aware of its meaning despite my British sounding surname; I am actually Irish :) My point is no matter what they get it’ll never be good enough and their reasons/demands will end up in the ridiculous eventually.
@Stephen Woods: agree with you completely.
What amazes me is if there was pole tomorrow in the north the result would be to remain
That’s what I think anyway if not very close. I also think if the unionist had treated the catholics and light weight nationalists any way decent over the years and not fighting tooth and nail to keep them down there is no way a vote would go in favour unity with the south
@FlopFlipU:
There is a Pole in the North!
@Martin Coughlan: yes, it’s called the North Pole!!
@FlopFlipU: if there was a vote in the UK about given the North back to Ireland it would be a landslide in favor of given it back to the Irish
@Martin Coughlan: you are right and there is one in the south as well
I really hope the DUP rejects the agreement as it would reinforce the view that they are unwilling to accept any changes.
The UK and the US must be getting tired of their intransigence.
Here we go! NO! Just bypass the DUP and get governing the province
The Plantation really hasn’t worked out for them, has it?
No surrender!
The only time he has been positive in the last 10 years was when he got COVID.
@Brian James Moss: brilliant!
Please remember that Jeffrey and the DUP need ” time and space ” … after all , they’re still trying to decide whether the earth is six thousand , or ten thousand , years old.
So that’s another no
so the DUP is in Washingtion during St Patrick’s week, to celebrate…….Unionism and Intransigence….. ? WTAF.
Everyone else is happy with it except a few cranks like Jeffrey and a few of his mates.
And, here we go………
Does DUP stand for ” don’t understand politics”?
They’re like kids who don’t wanna share their toys !
I hvae to admit, I love reading articles like this as the DUP and others paint themselves in smaller and smaller corners.
The DUP and TUV have made themselves untoucable by other government or parties. They will alwways have a rump of hardcore Ulster Says NO, now what was the question people. The younger people hear about the past and do not wqant that to return.
Equality and Inclusion has a log way to go withing Northern Ireland as both sides have the hard core anti everybody biut themselves.
These people are going to have to compromise and that will sting.
DUP motto “never satisfied”
Loyalism is dead!
@Mr. G:
If only that were true
Never! Never!Never!
Unionists cannot ever accept that they live on the island Ireland. The protocol emphasises this and they want a border between the republic and them. They will never accept the border anywhere other than to divide them from us. In the sea No Never
The next thing might be to let the DUP draft their own framework for Northern Ireland, but the only problem is that after careful consideration, they would reject that too.
A sad sad bunch of people!!
The DUP would want to see Michelle O’Neill removed as First Minister and A DUP one installed before they can say yes . There will be white blackbirds out before he sees that happen, — so he may as well get on with it and suck it up .
BREAKING:
No one surprised DUP are still unhappy with everything they got.
Note to anyone thinking when the time comes they would vote for Irish unity – we would then have this poison to deal with.
Does Mr Donaldson not realise it was the Prime Minister of His Majesties Government that negotiated and signed the original Northern Ireland Protocol and the new Windsor Agreement into Law, and no side rode roughshod over the other. It’s strange how a Democratic Party such as the DUP won’t accept the will of its own Government, or the will of the Majority of People in N. Ireland who rejected Brexit. Given those Facts there’s not much hope for Democracy advancing in N. Ireland, if the DUP are involved and trying to hold a veto.
NO! No, no no. No way. No, no no no no no no. NEVER. Never, never, never. No, no no no ……. no. What? No.
When it’s a pissing contest of who hates the other more there can never be consensus. SF had everything to gain from GFA but as long as unionists held majority it was ok with them but now due to demographics and their truculence the shoe is on the other foot and they can’t live with it.
So what’s to happen, direct rule from London? Only card they have left and what if SF took seats away from them in HOC?
Ah yes the “17-story-high pallet wall along the full length of the border” clause must be inserted into the text
The solution is: Plantation once again, plantation once again, no DUP no RUC, plantation once again.
Jeffrey Donaldson will never allow his party to serve under Sinn Fein. He will keep haggling on this agreement until there’s an election called which will result in more Sinn Fein in government.
Like the dinosaurs (that apparently never existed) the DUP are racing towards a self-inflicted extinction. The world has moved on and they absolutely refuse to adapt… Oh Well ……. Maybe we’ll refer to them after they’re gone as the Dodo Unionist Party
Nothing new to see here. This is a variation on the everlasting “Ulster says No” mantra. But it is a democracy so everyone is entitled their own position. Most people do not like it, but the price of democracy is tolerating all views
Oh this little man would cut off his nose to spite his face
Aah Jeez lads , ye’re rimmin it now .How much longer do we have to wait for the white smoke .ye know the stuff that’s in the Vatican and might be donated if ye ask.nicely .Great for passin on good news .
There should be a statue erected in Stormount to Boris Johnson with the title.
THE MAN WHO TRAPPED THE DUP.
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