It's election day in Ireland today. The Sydney Morning Herald has run the photo beloved of the international press, of an unidentified islander somewhere off the west coast, lugging a ballot box with a member of the Garda Síochána. The islanders always get to vote early due, to the unpredictability of the weather and the inherent isolation of living on a very small island off a slightly larger island in the Atlantic. This is a quaint notion to many less isolated countries.
Fianna Fáil, the dominant party for the last decade will be going down in flames, as those responsible for the fiscal irresponsibility that has put Ireland in the state it's in. There are a number of parallels that can be drawn between them and NSW Labor, nepotism, cronyism, incompetence and much the same ethics.
The Greens, who supported FF through the last few years, after the good times went and the bank bailouts began, will be done like a dogs dinner, and will in future have much the same relevance. It's said that to sup with the devil you need a long spoon. The Greens appear to have been using a teaspoon. They'd have been better off with the worlds biggest parfait spoon.
Mine you, Fine Gael won't be much better, and alas, they will be the next party in power. Enda Kenny is a sanctimonious ex-teacher who hails from Mayo. Many wish he'd stayed there, not least those of us appalled by his "joke" about Patrice Lumumba, the first president of the Congo who was subsequently assassinated. Lumumba's relative live in Dublin, so not only was it crass, it was stupid as well.
Still, that's the kind of person he is.
The ULA should do well. I'm not going to jinx it, but we should get at the very least two, hopefully three seats and the potential for a few more. It won't stop the IMF 'bailout', but it will ensure that ethics and honestly have a place in the Dáil that has been vacant for far too long.
But now I will digress into the lovely topic of Irish political party names. Labour, the Greens, meh. The late, but certainly unlamented Progressive Democrats had an American style name to match their ruthlessly American Republican style politics. All the left wing parties have decent workaday names that tell their politics, Socialist Party, Socialist Workers Party, People before Profit, United Left Alliance.
But the three parties that have their names in Irish, now THOSE are names! Fianna Fáil's name in English is "Soldiers of Destiny". They have their destiny all right, but I suspect it will be more soldering the remnant pieces back together, than the mighty army soldiering on. Plus I'm looking forward to the inevitable headlines over the weekend proclaiming Fianna FAIL! It's great the difference a fothar can make.
Fine Gael's name means "Tribe of the Gaels". Well, they certainly are a tribe all right, despite the fact that in the 21st century they prefer to present a somewhat more sophisticated face to the world. Turn them upside down though, and you'll still see the mud on their wellies.
And finally, Sinn Féin, Irish for we ourselves, or ourselves alone. Which they have been in Irish politics for a long time, sensibly keeping a distance from the centre right. However, as the North has shown, it won't be long before they're cosying up in positions of power.
It promises to be interesting.
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