Earlier today, at the Count Centre in Letterkenny, I saw a familiar face among the throng of party workers and media types.
My buddy lost his youth in activism and was POW for a while.
We once sat beside each other at Hampden and discussed how long Roy Keane could last at his age.
For the record, the Cork man was substituted after an hour.
It was also the Cornerback’s first cup final.
The three of us got a ringside seat view in the second half as Maloney and Dublin secured the silverware for the Hoops.
Rather frighteningly that was twelve fekkin years ago…
The last time we spoke was at a Sinn Féin public meeting in Letterkenny to discuss the shitshow that is Brexit.
Today he greeted me in the Aura Leisure Letterkenny with a smile and I simply said:
“Changed days”.
He didn’t demur and the smile broadened.
Like we had been climbing up one of the Derryveagh mountains together it was time to stop and look back how far we had travelled.
It was a good moment.
As the votes are still being counted one this is certain and that this is a historic achievement for Sinn Féin.
Across this state, tonight establishment politicians are nervously waiting to hear if they’re still in the hunt for a Dáil seat.
A journalist friend in Scotland messaged me this morning to ask me how many candidates Sinn Féin were running in this election.
After some Deep Thought, I gave him the answer.
It was, of course, 42.
That is now looking like a serious miscalculation.
However, it is understandable given their poor showing last year in the local elections.
It is fair to say that even the most optimistic Sinn Féin strategist could have seen this election result as a possibility.
As I write this, I’m hoping for a Portillo Moment in this election.
However, this one will do for now.
Leo Varadkar has already had to endure the humiliation of hearing that he had not been elected after the second count.
The old Civil War duopoly has played musical chairs with government portfolios for a century.
As the revolutionary generation passed on it became a cosy game between two right-wing parties.
If they couldn’t get over the line on their own steam, then the harmless Labour Party was the preferred coalition partner.
Over the last four years, Fine Gael has been kept in power by their Civil War arch-rivals Fianna Fáil on a confidence and supply basis.
Given that there is no major policy differences between them it worked rather well.
After all, they both hate the poor.
Over a century ago an Irishman from Edinburgh warned that this type of Ireland might emerge after the Brits were ejected.
In the month before this election, the state of the homeless crisis, in particular, was difficult to ignore.
However, our government did just that.
Those lucky enough to have a roof over their head are forced to pay exorbitant rent for tiny accommodation.
This is especially the case in Dublin.
Your humble correspondent has two daughters renting in the capital.
Consequently, the government spin that everything is getting better on the housing front doesn’t work on me.
Both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil were adamant at the start of this campaign that entering government with the Shinners was non-negotiable.
Wasn’t gonna happen.
No way.
Now Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin doesn’t sound so unequivocal.
Oppositions do not win elections governments lose them.
My friend and comrade Paul Larkin over the mountain in Gaoth Dobhair nailed it with this tweet tonight.
We have been coping with Storm Ciara today and across Dún nan Gall there were power outages.
However, what is really happening across this state tonight is a political earthquake.
All is changed.
Changed utterly.
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The tight wing Tories of FF AND FG are an obstacle to to unification in Ireland.The young people are the future and the future is SF.What a wonderful earthquake and generations overdue.TAKE NOTICE SCOTLAND THE TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGIN.Independance for my country and a Re-United Ireland are achieveable.What a time to be alive
A terrible beauty Phil?. Methinks not , family from mayo and for that matter letterkenny are quietly contemplating the possibility of a united Ireland. IN THERE LIFETIME .can you imagine? ” Oh my days!!!
Once again we again see why politics takes second place and personal too personal ambition, Martin has been steadfast in his repeated refusal to consider a possible coalition with SF. Now the attraction of being the No.1 guy has brought about a change of mind and a disregard for so called political principles. Shame on him but no surprise, politics will never come first before personal greed.
Such a shame that Mary Lou under estimated the mood of the country by limiting the number of candidates, had she got it right what a wonderful result we would have had, all I can hope for is a hung parliament giving her the opportunity to get it right second time.
Nationalism and socialism adds up to ?
People power.
Not to be confused with Unionism and Thatcherism which is of course Peepul Power.
Time for SF now to turn their words into actions, no easy feat, and i vote SF here in the north. Voters in the south move their votes around in different elections unlike voters here who generally stick with one party.
It will be difficult for SF to deliver on their promises IF they are a government partner. Good luck.
If only the British people sorry make that English people had the brains and the courage like they showed in your country today to stand up for themselves mad Boris would never have got elected . But the proof will be in the pudding in the coming months as when Brexit does kick in it will be the thickos in the North of England that will be hit first and hit the worst when things go wrong . Which will be music to my ears as this was the part of the country that gave him his majority government. Watch as time goes on and the protest marches kick in down in England as the ones protesting against Boris and the Tories will be the same people that voted them in . Just as the TV series was named. It’s Grim Up North. Hell slap it into them .
Would love to see the Sin Fein holding talks with Boris on a deal in Europe.
I’m predicting this is the first of many shit storms the Brits will have to face in the coming year of negotiation.
Great to see a truly nationalist party making headway.
Highly unlikely as Sinn Féin only ran 42 candidates (for the reasons that I stated in the piece).
However, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin is now making some gentle noises about a possible coalition.
And I truly hope he is refused.
There is more to be gained in forcing another election, or waiting for the status quo to prove they won’t fix anything they’ve been forced to promise in 5 years time than there is to join one of the status quo and become the beaten docket.
It’s a Republic of Ireland election night and instead of being upbeat and positive regarding Ireland’s future, you’re wittering on about shit storms for the Brits.
Get over yourself and try and grow up. Honestly, what a rotten little negative attitude.
To correct your clear ignorance too, Ireland does more trade with the UK than the EU. The UK and USA are setting up big trade agreements. If the Republic doesn’t wish to self harm it needs to be a cordial neighbour.
If you’re going to throw accusations of ignorance around, Stevie, best get your facts from official sources and not from British red-tops. Only 11pc of Irish exports go to the UK while 55pc go to the EU and some 30pc to the US. We sell more to Belgium than we do to the UK!
It’s Britain that has to be careful. We are your sixth largest trading partner and the first with whom you make a profit. We buy more from you than China and India combined.
As for your suggestion of imminent trade agreements with the United States, we’ll see about that. The US has already made it clear that there will be NO trade agreement with the UK should any aspect of the GFA, which was brokered by the United States, is compromised. To be fair to the clown that is BoJo, he seems to have recognised that and has already thrown the DUP under the bus. At best, despite Trump’s trumpeting, you will be years in negotiations getting the sort of deal the UK needs for financial stability – and you’ve already got off to a rocky start with the fuss over Huawei and 5G. You also have to do deals with the EU, Japan and the rest to replace the deals you already have as an EU member. Ah, the triumph of Brexit. Have fun!
Ms Pelosi is a blow hard with zero power. The Donald just wiped the floor with her and her cronies in the senate. The Donald now enjoys highest USA ratings ever. The Donald has all trading executive powers to do deals. Donald and Boris have a special relationship. Donald wanted Boris to win.
The UK can now do deals with our (+former) commonwealth countries; Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, etc…. and our dependent territories; Gibraltar, Falklands, etc…
These nations also get us into trading with their Local neighbours too, regional leverage.
An example of the network:
https://www.tendringdc.gov.uk/council/elections-voting/list-commonwealth-countries-voting-rights
a 21st century Trading advantage to setting up colonies globally hundreds of years ago. 🙂
Aye and all these former colonies are so grateful to their previous colonial masters that they will roll over and give dear old blighty great trade deals to the detriment of their own economies, GET REAL.
My attitude towards being cordial when it comes to Brits is simple. It involves my index finger and my ring finger, I take both and slowly part then into a V formation.
Same to you pal.