Frank Speaking from Flannery
Deaglán de Bréadún
Another angle to Frank Flannery’s public intervention (for previous post on this subject, click here) in the election may be an attempt to influence the result of the Dublin Central byelection. Sinn Féin’s Christy Burke is a candidate whose popularity exceeds that of his party. If FG’s Paschal Donohoe can attract SF transfers, so much the better from the main opposition party’s point of view.
The Bert in happier times: could he pull off an unlikely coup for De Brudder?
It’s almost impossible to predict the result in ‘Central. Everyone has a different “favourite”, whether it’s Maureen O’Sullivan (the “Gregory” candidate), Labour’s Ivana Bacik, the aforementioned Christy Burke, FG’s Donohoe and, last but not last, De Brudder, Maurice Ahern, who has Bertie’s machine behind him. What a coup it would be for Bertie to get him in, but it seems very unlikely.
Enda Kenny’s unconvincing dismissals notwithstanding, the deeper and more longterm significance of Flannery’s move may turn out to be the opening of a door to SF for participation in the next government which, incidentally, could potentially be formed without a general election, if the mood in Leinster House was right.
Yours truly was asked on the Vincent Browne show on TV3 last night to make a prediction for the Dublin Euro constituency. Pressed to the wall, I said it would be “Eoin Ryan by a short head” now that Garret FitzGerald and Pat Cox (not to mention Mary Harney) have come out in his support (or at least in favour of giving him transfers). It was with some trepidation that I said it and Ryan’s performance on RTE’s Prime Time earlier did not enhance confidence. Don’t slag me off too much on Saturday if I’m proved wrong!
