Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
FINE GAEL TD Michael Ring has said his party is “back” after results so far in the local and European Elections.
Fine Gael currently have a slender lead on Fianna Fáil in the local elections, and speaking in Castlebar, Ring told reporters that Fine Gael have had a “great election”.
“You [the media] had us all written off two months ago, you were actually calculating who would be the ‘Minister for what’.
“So the battle is on for the next election now and Fine Gael are back.
“Not on the way back, we never went away, but we’re back.”
Ring also praised the job of Simon Harris since becoming party leader and Taoiseach.
“He has really lifted us and he lifted the campaign,” said Ring.
He added: “Let’s call a spade a spade, we were in a bad place a few months ago and nobody thought we could lift the party again.
“If there had have been a leadership battle, I probably would have voted for Pascal Donohoe, but Simon Harris has really impressed me, he’s done a superb job.
In praising Harris’s energy, Ring referenced an incident on the campaign trail in Westport, Co Mayo last week when Harris was heckled by a crowd that included family members of Enoch Burke.
“I was with him in Westport, and even though we were being followed, he was running all over the place and even the Burkes couldn’t catch him,” said Ring.
Ring was speaking to reporters at the European Election count for the Midlands-North-West constituency in Castlebar, Co Mayo.
He said he is “hopeful” that Fine Gael will win two seats.
“I don’t know how Nina Carberry is doing,” said Ring, “but I have no doubt that Maria Walsh will win a seat.
“I’m told that the Shinners are not performing as well as people thought they would,” add Ring, who said he didn’t expect a final result until later next week.
A total of 27 candidates contested the Midlands-North-West constituency.
Remarking on the length of the ballet, at 73 centimetres long, Ring said: “It was like a toilet roll, it was a disgrace.
“Democracy is democracy, but by God lads. One man said to me, ‘I’d want a bit of help to lift this’, it was crazy stuff.”
However, he said he “started and number one and finished out” the ballot.
“It took me a long time to do it but I gave everybody a vote and I hope everybody would give me a vote if I’m going again.”
Ring voiced support for a general election in October and said some Fine Gael politicians who have said they will not run again might reconsider.
The Mayo TD himself has yet to decide if he will run again, but told reporters: “I have energy, and if I’m not in politics, I’ll be in something else.
“I haven’t made up my mind but if I go, I’m ready for action.”
—
This work is co-funded by Journal Media and a grant programme from the European Parliament. Any opinions or conclusions expressed in this work are the author’s own. The European Parliament has no involvement in nor responsibility for the editorial content published by the project. For more information, see here.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Bring on the GE. Hopefully that result will soften FG’s cough.
@Ulysses 31: Ah Sherlock we meet again!
@Andrew Kenny: I don’t know a lot of people seem to like the current batch of clowns in the dail circus and are afraid of change, expect things to get worse.
There’s a big difference between a local election and General Election. FG might not be smug after the GE
FG are to me a disease, can’t wait until their true orange colours run out.
FFG is guaranteed to get another 5 year term in power. Propped up by Independents or Greens (who also done very well to the surprise of this echo chamber and those on X).
@9QRixo8H: your the one keeps echoing bull
@9QRixo8H: you mean “… who also DID very well”
@9QRixo8H: so far we haveFG, FF, Independents, Labour (remember them?), Shiners, Social Democrats, and Independent Ireland (who?).. all before the ‘Greens’, hardly breathtaking.
The smugness would make you sick.
Simon Harris should call an election now.While he’s party as the momentum.It would be madness not to.
@Wayne Shoes: Watch-out, national and local can be very different beasts.
@Wayne Shoes: I think there’s a Harris bounce and his stance on immigration.
@brian madden: I do like Harris, he’s played it sublimely so far, and he’s pretty young, he could bridge it well for what will be a bigger battle next year.
@brian madden: and isreal
@jak: what count were you elected on. Ah ,no goolies only a keyboard troll.
It’s so inspiring for our democracy to see a party rise from the depths of *checks notes* 14 years in government to these lofty heights of feeling even more secure and comfortable in power.
Surely great things are ahead for the Irish people!
Michael Ring? Is this the lunatic that thinks FG should move more to the right after they’ve now privatised every state body possible!?
have your say