NUI Seanad Donkey Derby 2011

Why, why are they making us do this again? I had thought we were all elected out at this stage but my morning radio listening was spoiled last Thursday when I ended up with 2 whole hours of Seanad hopefuls or the hopeless might be more accurate. So what do we make of them?

CANNING, Thomas Paul Gabriel, Civil Engineer
The very civil engineer who believes that Engineers built this country, on rock and roll!

COWLEY, Matthias Walter, Teacher
Seems to have stalled in flight. We presume he is still running but no evidence that we can see.

COYLE, James, Smurfit Business School Graduate, Chartered Accountant , Entrepreneur
Plans to move to close to the Oireachtas so that he doesn’t have to commute. Ran in DSE in the general election and was outpolled not alone by the darling of the blogs Dylan Haskins but by someone who merely comments on blogs from time to time.

CROWN, John, Consultant Doctor
A big wheel and though one wonders where he will find the time, he could well be in pole positions to take the vacant seat.

DOORLEY, James, Assistant Director, National Youth Council of Ireland
Hard to pick from the 2 Labourites – Doorley appears to running a larger ground campaign while O’Connell has made more of a national profile in the last few weeks.

HEALY, Paddy, Former President, Teachers Union of Ireland
Ah, Paddy. The man who will save us from Thatcher, she is nearly dead at this stage. His vote will hardly shift much from the last time he ran. About 3 or 4%

KELLEHER, Declan, Principal Teacher
Lacks Joe O’Toole easy way but not his INTO vote base, does sort of over reach with claims that he (and not Fintan O’Toole or anyone else) was the leader of the public sector marches. Probably starts with 3,000 votes in the bag after that he has to apply outside of his union base, harder to do that one might imagine

KENNEDY, John Paul Alexander, Software Engineer
Did respectably last time out but it would seem likely this time to be out shone by his party colleague who is just below him on the ballot paper. Still some degree of name recognition should keep him closer to the 4 figure mark than might otherwise be the case.

KEOGH, Helen, Chief Executive World Vision Ireland, Chairperson of Dóchas
The highest profile FGer going into it, and with appearances on Vincent Browne and the like has the highest profile during it too. Hard to see that translating into
more than 2,000 votes though given the very splintered nature of the race.

LANGAN, Mick, Tourism Promoter, Guide and Photographer
Didn’t sent a leaflet which saved us 47,000 grand in postage apparently, and himself a few grand in leaflets.

LYNAM, Paul, Higher Education Representative
The younger of the two FF inclined candidates, barely out of short trousers. Will be more recently in the memory of recent graduates of UCD at least but most of them aren’t on the register. Has actually been out canvassing though

MCCURTIN, David Thomas , Primary School Teacher
The other primary school teacher might get a southern INTO vote, but it is likely to transfer back to Kelleher and the other teachers.

MOLLOY, Michael Sean “Mick”, Medical Doctor
Former IMO president, likely to ensure that the medical vote comes out in force. Much of that will simply transfer to John Crown after that though.

MOONEY, Peter, Freelance Radio Producer
Good media connections and packaging himself as Brendan Ryan 2.0

MULLEN, Rónán, Senator and Lecturer
Not the dark horse he was last time, still likely to poll close to what he got last time but transfers might prove much harder to get. Of the two incumbents the more likely faller but even with a collapse in his 1st preference vote would be starting well in the hunt.

Ó BROIN, Eoin, Policy Analyst
The SF candidate. Bright, acticulate, but irrelevant as people who like SF will vote for him anyway and those who don’t simply won’t. Harsh but thems the breaks. Should get 2/3% mind but not likely to trouble a seat.

O BROLCHÁIN, Niall, Senator
Ah the Greens, can’t see him outpolling Brendan Price who will be able to call home the real environmental people this time.

Ó CADHLA, Diarmaid Seán, Fear Gnó
So we need to retain all our TDs, not look to have stronger Oireachtas committees, or have a direct petition system from the citizenry and this in the name of more direct democracy?

O’CONNELL, Donncha, Lecturer
The other of the Labourties – possible for one or the other of them could make it home if they transfer decently to one another but if they don’t it could be a seat they left behind. There should be enough votes between what Brendan Ryan and Valerie Bresnihan got previously to elect one of them, but with both running they might have wasted the chance.

O’CONNOR, Regina Mary, Political and Legal Advisor, European Parliament
So this time FF are running as their proxy a European expert who has apparently discovered that there are billions of euro in the EU! Who knew?

O’DONNELL, Francis Martin, Diplomat, Retired UN Representative.
This is the man with the extensive Wikipedia entry. Knight protector of this and honourable mention for that, he has nursed Ukraine towards democracy (and look how that has worked out!) and he can do the same for us. If only we would elect him and then he can come home. Can he not afford the price of the air fare otherwise?

O’DONOGHUE, James, Scientist
Limerick based science bloke. (is it something in the water in Limerick, the next candidate claims Limerick lineage too)

O’SHEA FARREN, Linda, Solicitor, Disability Rights Advocate and Member-Nominated Independent Director of EBS
We’re really not sure if having the membership of the board of a financial institution against your name in an election is the wisest move in the current climate even if the EBS appears to be the least badly run of the lot. I half expect to see a campaign endorsement from Hilary Clinton emerge at some stage. Makes the point repeatedly that she is a woman and that few women have been elected, rather ignores the fact that there is nothing to stop them running in this particular race and if they don’t run they can’t get elected.

O’SULLIVAN, Bernadine, Teacher and Pensions Campaigner
Isn’t the bold Bernadine not tired of this yet? Is there no one else in the ASTI who is willing to run or are they scared of crossing her if they throw shapes at contesting the race?

PRICE, Brendan Mary, Biologist, Director, Irish Seal Sanctuary
He should be able about to recoup the environmental vote after the interventions of Martin Hogan and Garavan last time cut into his base.

QUINN, Feargal, Senator
He should be safe unless enough people think he is so safe that they decide to lend their votes in such numbers that he can’t overhaul the rest of the field. That’s highly unlikely

SULLIVAN, Daniel Kevin, Software Professional
Another of the return offenders, there might be 3,000 votes between the 3 FGers.

There might even have been enough votes

Likely order of placements at this stage?
1) Quinn

2) Mullen

3) Crown

4) Kelleher

5) Mooney

6) Doorley

7) O’Connell

8) O’Sullivan

9) Price

10) Healy

11) Keogh

12) Who cares?