Fine Gael and Labour would both lose seats in Louth if local election results follow through to General Election

Some of the victorious Sinn Féin local election team at the count centre on Saturday with party leader and local TD Gerry Adams. If last Friday’s poll results repeated themselves in a General Election, Sinn Féin would take two seats in the constituency

Fine Gael and the Labour Party would both have lost seats in Louth had the results from last week’s local elections been in a General Election.

Sinn Féin, meanwhile, would have been the big winners by claiming two seats.

Today’s Irish Times carried out an analysis of the local election results and put them into the context of a General Election. The work was carried out by political analyst Odran Flynn.

Mr Flynn said: “Yes it was a local election and the General Election wil be contested by a vastly different array of candidates, including ministers and TDs from all parties. However, as was the case in 1991 and 2009, the warning signs were apparent and they effectively predicted the result of the following Dáil election.”

The Times found that had the results from last Friday’s poll been in a General Election then just six Labour candidates would have been re-elected.

In Louth just one Fine Gael candidate would have survived, while Fianna Fáil would retain its solitary seat in the county.

Labour would have lost their representation here with Sinn Féin picking up their seat, while the remaining fifth seat would have went to someone in the ‘Other’ category – most likely an independent.

While all hypothetical, the results are interesting and will no doubt strengthen Sinn Féin’s resolve to run a second candidate in Louth for the first time at the next election.

Drogheda-based councillor Imelda Munster – who topped the poll in her area – has already been mentioned as a possible running mate for Gerry Adams in the next General Election.

Incidentally, the break down of the next Dáil would have been as follows if they reflected the local election results:

• Fianna Fáil 46
• Fine Gael 42
• Sinn Féin 27
• Labour 6
• Others 37

Goirt na Mara housing scheme is officially opened

Officials, politicians and residents at the official opening of Goirt na Mara in Blackrock yesterday

The Goirt na Mara housing scheme on the Seafield Road in Blackrock was officially opened yesterday by Louth County Council chairman Cllr Declan Breathnach.

The new homes were delivered through an innovative partnership involving Louth County Council and local developer Colin Fee of Townsparks Services Ltd.

In total there are 90 houses in Goirt na Mara. Louth County Council will be acquiring 70 of these, with half of them being provided for sale under the incremental purchase scheme and the other half being leased to social housing applicants.

The remaining 20 houses throughout the scheme are  currently being sold privately through local estate agents DNG Duffy.

In attendance at the opening were local TD Seamus Kirk, Senators Mary Moran and Jim D’Arcy, local election candidates Cllr Linus English and Stephen Egan and local residents.

The new development is the first housing scheme in the area to achieve an A status in its Building Energy Rating (BER), with B1 the lowest rating of any of the homes.

Opening the scheme, Cllr Declan Breathnach praised all those who made Goirt na Mara possible.

“I’m delighted this scheme has been successfully completed and that these homes are now being occupied by local families,” he said.

“A particular feature of the Goirt na Mara scheme is the partnership approach that made it feasible as Louth County Council linked up with Colin Fee to deliver residential accommodation to a very high standard at an attractive location.

“It is also very welcome that there are a number of routes for those with housing needs to acquire one of these properties – whether through the incremental purchase scheme, as tenants leasing their homes or through private purchase,” he added.

“While we must never return to the house price frenzy we saw in the last decade, demographics mean there remains considerable demand for housing in or close to large urban centres like Dundalk and it is important that Louth County Council continues to innovate in how we deliver social and affordable housing.”

Cllr Breathnach also congratulated the entire project team including the developer, contractors and architects on the standard of the finished homes.

“This is a first-rate scheme and the work that has been done here in delivering quality will stand to those who live here for years to come.”

Also commenting at the opening yesterday, Deputy Seamus Kirk said: “I was very pleased to attend the opening of the excellent housing scheme at Goirt  na Mara. I am delighted that our protracted efforts to get approval from the Department of the Environment has borne fruit

“This housing development has an excellent social mix and is a template for Housing Scheme planners across the country.

“I congratulate Louth County Council and Townspark Development for this fantastic achievement,” he said.

You can view the properties yourself here.

Corrigan welcomes funding for work in Saltown

Saltown

Cllr Edel Corrigan has welcomed the news that funding has been approved to complete essential works in the Saltown estate in Dundalk.

The estate, near Fatima, is classified as unfinished but will now have work carried out on it to make it more presentable.

Speaking today, the Sinn Féin councillor said: “Louth County Council applied for this funding in February under the Unfinished Housing Development Special Resolution Fund and I am delighted that it has been approved. We should see parts of the estate resurfaced and essential works carried out.

“These one-time dream homes that in the past were in high demand have now turned into victims of the building boom bust where residents have had to suffer due to poor planning and development and sections of the unfinished phases of the development.”

Cllr Corrigan acknowledged that “the residents have worked hard together to improve the area and to have the bonds released to have the development finished. Hopefully this funding will go some way to achieving that. Works should be completed by the end of November.”

The Dundalk/Carlingford local election candidate said: “Everyone has the right to live in a decent, clean and peaceful environment. These people have been left in a building site so I am delighted that this money is coming and warmly welcome it.”

End of an era as Louth County Council holds last meeting before elections

Louth County Council chairman Cllr Declan Breathnach pictured after making a presentation to retiring councillors Martin Bellew, Alan Grehan and Anthony Donohoe earlier today

It was the end of an era at County Hall this morning as Louth County Council held its last monthly meeting in its current format.

Friday’s local elections mean that there will be a number of new faces when the local authority convenes again next month.

There was a presentation this morning to three outgoing councillors, who are not seeking re-election this week. They include independents Martin Bellew and Alan Grehan and Fine Gael’s Anthony Donohoe. Sinn Féin’s Paddy McQuillan is also stepping aside from local politics but was absent from Monday’s meeting.

It now remains to be seen how many more changes there will be on the council between now and this time next week.

Gerry Adams to take legal action against two newspapers

Gerry Adams

Sinn Féin leader and Louth TD Gerry Adams is to take legal action against two newspapers arising out of stories published yesterday.

Speaking at the launch of his party’s local election manifesto, Mr Adams said he had asked his lawyer to take what he called “appropriate action” against Independent Newspapers and the Belfast Telegraph.

Contrary to reports in both publications, Mr Adams denied that he had been briefed by the PSNI ahead of his brother Liam’s trial on child abuse charges, or that he had discussed the case with a police officer before giving evidence.

He said there was no basis at all for the newspapers in question publishing what he said were totally false allegations.

Egan aims to make Dundalk water fluoride free

Stephen Egan, who will be running for Fianna Fáil in the forthcoming local elections

Fianna Fáil local élection candidate Stephen Egan has called for an end to fluoride being added to water.

Calling for a national conversation on the controversial issue, the Dundalk-based businessman said that if elected to Louth County Council he would be looking to make the town a fluoride-free zone.

In a statement, he said: “It has been almost 50 years since fluoride was added to Ireland’s water supply under the Fluoridation of Water Supplies Act 1960. We are currently the only country in Europe to actually constitutionally add fluoride to our water supply for medicinal reasons, being tooth decay.

“Much has changed in terms of dental technologies over the past 50 years and there  are many other ways of getting fluoride into our system other than the national water supply.
I think it is now time for us to have a national conversation about this issue.

“As the government is now making us pay for our national water we as customers should have the right to decide if we want to have fluoirde in our water or not. Cork County Council recently called on the government to stop its fluoridation programme under a proposal by Fianna Fáil councillor Chris O’Sullivan. 

“I think there is a real ethical issue here concerning the right of the government to medicate the people of the country without their permission. As an individual I want to have the right to choose to take a medicine or not, that option is clearly not being offered to the Irish people at the moment and that needs to be addressed. 

“If I really want fluoride in my body I can buy a supplement. The current system of one size fits all and the government not taking into account the age or health of different individuals in the country when they add the fluoride really is amazing. The government talking heads enjoy referring to the Scandinavian model in terms of all things health related but it’s interesting to note that none of these countries add fluoride to their water. Even in Luxembourg, where I lived for 15 years, there is no fluoride added. 

“I would also be interested in examining the chlorine content of our local water supply as there has been some issues raised in research regarding how chlorine reacts to organic water sources. 

“If elected to the county council I will endeavor to make Dundalk water fluoride free,” he said.

Local election count to be held in Redeemer centre

The Redeemer Centre in Dundalk

The count to determine the result of the local elections in Louth will be held entirely in the Redeemer Family Resource Centre in Dundalk, it has been revealed.

This means that candidates for Dundalk South, Dundalk-Carlingford, Mid-Louth and Drogheda will all have to travel there on May 24th to learn their fate.

The move has been criticised by Drogheda-based Labour Cllr Paul Bell, who told LMFM that having so much going on in one location could be “chaotic”.

He also says it puts a distance between voters in Drogheda and the count centre, adding that it would prevent people from coming along to see how the process works.

 

Five days left to register to vote in local and European elections

With it now just over three weeks to polling day on May 23^rd, local election candidate Maeve Yore has been on asking us to remind people that they have only five days left to register to vote in the forthcoming local and European elections.

The closing date to register is Monday May 5^th and you can do so via www.checktheregister.ie

Maeve, from the Avenue Road, is the only female independent candidate in Dundalk South.

Meanwhile, local TD Seamus Kirk has also shared a number of photos with us of him out campaigning with Fianna Fáil local election hopefuls Cllr Declan Breathnach, Tomás Wilkinson and Fintan Malone.

Local election duo Green and McGahon named ‘rides’

Cllr Jennifer Green

John McGahon

Two local election candidates from Dundalk may be sweating over how many votes they’ll get next month but they can at least take some heart that they’re winning plenty admirers in the looks department.

Sinn Féin’s Cllr Jennifer Green and Fine Gael’s John McGahon have both been listed on a new website called Irish Election Rides.

The idea behind the humourous blog is to feature “people we think are physically attractive who are also seeking election.”

The website does encourage people not to vote for people based on how they look though, saying “that’s just silly.”

Both Jennifer and John are newcomers to the election process. Cllr Green has served on Dundalk Town Council for the last few years but didn’t run in the 2009 elections. She gained her seat after Ian Dooley stepped down from local politics in April 2010.

Jennifer, from Mulholland Avenue, is a candidate in Dundalk South, while John, from Seatown, is running in the Dundalk-Carlingford constituency.

 

 

Panama Café the latest to go pink for the Giro d’Italia

Panama Café owner Stephen Egan outside his pink-themed premises

Panama Café at the Market Square became the latest local premises to go pink for the Giro d’Italia over the weekend.

The popular coffee shop, run by local election candidate Stephen Egan, enjoys a prominent location in the town centre and has followed in the footsteps of the likes of Mint by Baldwins, Riva Brasserie, The Spirit Store and Sherry FitzGerald Carroll in turning their premises pink.

The countdown is now on to the race, which comes through the town on Sunday May 11th.

 

Inside the Giro d’Italia-themed Panama Coffee shop at the Market Square