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Dublin: 10 °C Thursday 23 May, 2013

Mick Wallace among high profile independents set to do well at election

Dylan Haskins, Paul Somerville, Luke Ming Flanagan and Shane Ross could also be elected according to a poll being run by Boards.ie.

Mick Wallace
Mick Wallace
Image: ©INPHO/Donall Farmer

BUILDER MICK WALLACE IS among a number of independent candidates that are set to win seats in the next Dáil when the country goes to the polls next Friday.

A virtual poll being run on Boards.ie since February 4, has accrued nearly 14,000 votes with members of the site ranking candidates in their constituency in order of preference, the same as on a ballot paper.

So far it shows that independent candidates are set to make big gains at the general election.

Wallace, a political activist whose construction company has gained prominence from displaying his political views on its hoardings, tops the poll with a 30.4 per cent share of the vote in the five-seat Wexford constituency.

Two independents could be elected in Dublin South-East with entrepreneur Dylan Haskins currently topping the poll there with an 18.7 per cent share of the vote.

Markets analyst and economic commentator Paul Somerville could also be elected in the constituency, he is currently on 17.9 per cent.

Luke Ming Flanagan, a social campaigner, could be elected in Roscommon South Leitrim where he holds a massive 45 per cent of the vote, well ahead of anyone else in the poll.

Thomas Pringle could be elected in Donegal South-West where he is currently polling second behind Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty.

Elsewhere, David McCarthy, an independent in Micheál Martin’s constituency of Cork South-Central, is currently polling above the Fianna Fail leader with both set to take two of the five seats in the constituency.

In Dublin South, independent senator and business editor of the Sunday Independent, Shane Ross is leading the poll with 30.5 per cent of the vote so far.

This morning, the Green Party warned that if independents held the balance of power in government, the country’s economic recovery would be hampered.

Leader John Gormley told a press conference in Dublin:

It would be a terrible shame if the Government were at the mercy of individuals who have an extreme right-wing or an extreme left-wing agenda.

Vote in the Boards.ie virtual poll here >

Boards.ie and TheJournal.ie are both part of the Distilled Media Group.

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Comments (2 Comments)

  • Independents may do well, but I wouldn’t rely on the self-selecting boards.ie poll as evidence of anything. It’s an interesting insight into who reads boards.ie, but not into how the constituencies are shaping up.

    To take one example, Thomas Pringle is in with a chance of a seat in Donegal SW, but he’s nowhere near second. Doherty will head the poll, according to the latest private polling, with McGinley comfortably in second place, but Pringle (along with Coughlan and O Domhnaill) is far behind. He’s in with a shout for the third seat, but it’s nowhere near as clearcut as boards.ie suggests.

    Reply
  • Why are you giving Mick Wallace a clear seat there has only a total of 569 votes in the Wexford Poll on Boards .ie
    election with only 179 st preference votes lol thats not a true reflection on how things will go and very misleading
    publicty for Michael Wa;llace who has no clear policies or mandate for the people of Wexford he is running a very good Facbook election and misleading . So why now he should be come the leading polotican in wexford
    Please print Facts . This is not the All- Ireland talent show we re having oin Friday

    Reply

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