Polling for the Irish general election was yesterday, only you would be extremely hard put to pick that up from the terminally parochial British media, which has barely mentioned the campaign. With 566 candidates contesting 165 seats, turnout is believed to relatively high, close to 70 percent against 62 percent in the 2007 election. The first results are expected early on Saturday afternoon and we'll keep an eye on the results, expanding this post with details and comments as they come in.

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I've always felt that the bigger countries try too hard to put on a show. The most obvious example being the US trying to follow the European left. So for real progress we need the small countries to set the trend (Denmark? Ireland?) and eventually the big ones will fall in line.

Here's hoping.

The Irish use the Single Transferable Vote system of voting (Proportional Representation) which makes for a lengthy counting process as the ballots are sorted for second and third preferences etc.

The parties employ "tallymen" (who are often bookmakers by trade) as scrutineers. They can usually foretell the outcome after very few votes have actually been counted.

There is also something called "keeping the third man in play" for which I have never received a straight explanation. Whenever I have asked Irish friends an acquaintances about it, they have usually become evasive - but then they were not political types.

Is there anyone out there who knows what it is and how it works?

Wasn't there some comment a while back from Dumb and Dumber that we have to help our closest friend and trading partner Ireland out of some hole or other with our British pounds?

This official 8 page leaflet explains the system. Voting's easy; it's counting that's hard.

Thanks Brian.

I'd still like to learn what "keeping the third man in play" really means. It sounds as if it's something you could make a bet on.

Why is the Irish general election relevant? It seems rather parochial compared to the big global financial and geopolitical events unfolding.

Doesn't look like the Irish are going to vote for anyone radically different. It's a revolving door. The globalists are going out but they'll come back in again in a new suit pretending to be Supermen.

Interesting line in the BBC comments on the election:

"...There was only one person I talked to on my recent trip home who admitted she was going to vote for Fianna Fail, she said: "I know they are awful, but I can't bring myself to vote for anyone else."..."

Can someone remind me again why 'democracy' is seen as such a good thing?

There was a lack of darkness:



Well, on the galactic scale, it is of no importance whatsoever. But, as an indicator of the sentiment of the locals, it is very important. Now, had the Irish referendum result been allowed to stand, rather than forcefully overturned by the EU, perhaps the Irish would not be in this difficult position now.

Kevin Myers gives his take on the Irish Election. Well worth a read.

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/colum ... 55758.html

Also, In The Telegraph:- By Bruno Waterfield,


I think that's called fighting talk,

However, so is this:-



Things may be about to get interesting....

I understand it happens in the following situation:

VI. Exclusion of lowest candidate(s)

If there is no surplus available or the distribution of a surplus is prohibited, the lowest candidate(s) is/are excluded and his/her/their votes distributed. The two or more lowest candidates must be excluded together where it is clear that they will be excluded in turn in any event or where it is clear that they will not qualify to recoup their election expenses or deposit (if applicable) i.e. where the sum of their votes, plus any available surplus(es), is less than the number of votes credited to the next lowest candidate. Where this rule does not apply, the lowest candidate only is excluded.

That's "keeping the third man in play". It sounds fun.

Basically an Irish voter has the following choices. Fine Gael which is a typical Christian Democrat Party. Fianna Fail which has been a broad church cronyist party something like the old French Gaullist parties. You have mainstream left in Labour which is in thrall to the public sector, and you have the radical left which are of the "shaft europe" populism, but are economically illiterate and have no ideas how to fund the Irish public sector once the funds run out .
What is missing in Ireland and across Europe is a Conservative party of the right/ centre right which espouses ideas relating to the nation state,traditional values,recognition of the harm done to Capitalisam by the Banking/Finance elite etc.etc.
The now defunct PD's in Ireland had this for a while, and the Free Democrats in Germany are there, but that's about it..

The big loser in the Irish Election has been the Green Party. They have lost all their seats.
Oh happy, happy day!

DrChaos,
That is good news, partly offsets the win of the bearded SF clown!

Yes indeed DrChaos. A very bright light in an otherwise extemely dark outlook.