Why did FF's vote hold up so well in West Cork?

[jd26]

The following are the change in the FF vote in various parts of Cork

Skibbereen +4%
Bantry +2%
Macroom -4%
Bandon -5%
Cork City South West -5%
Midleton -6%
Blarney -7%
Cork City North Central -8%
Cork City North East -9%
Cork City North West -10%
Cork City South Central -10%
Cork City South East -10%
Kanturk -12%
Fermoy -14%
Mallow -16%
Carrigaline -19%

Considering that they've tanked around the country and performed pretty badly in most of the rest of the county, how come their vote actually went up in West Cork?

In Skibbereen, I had wondered if the fact a strong Independent in 2004 made a difference, but in fact Independents did better this time in that area than in 2004.

It makes a bit of a mockery of all the 'Save our hospital stuff' if it doesn't change the way people vote.


Of the rest of the topic, but it's interesting the uniformity of the swing against FF in Cork City, regardless of the social structures of the various wards.

[o_2_b_a_rebel]

Inbreeding cant have helped...

[Hang_Sandwich]

urban areas is where they got hit.

check all the counties where FF still had a large share of the vote.. involvement in the GAA or the i know him from mass factor is to blame i think. national politics is everything the sooner the country folk realise this the better

[jd26]

But then you can't really call Kanturk or Fermoy urban areas.

I could understand them not losing votes as badly in rural areas, but they actually went up!

[~Hoggy~]

Because country people are thick.

[How bad boy]

Slightly surprised Mark Cronin didn't get elected in Macroom, although I suppose he'd depend on the youth vote, which doesn't help when they don't vote.
The explanation in Macroom is that there was only one change on the council, the mayor, Paul Kingston, who is an independent didn't run for re-election and Pat Melia, a FF counciller took his place.

It's historically been a FG stronghold, thanks to Michael Creed (and Donal Creed before him) being a local boy. 4 out of the 9 counciller positions are FG, FF only went from 2 to 3 seats.

[Langer Dan]

The Kerrymen with shoes lack the critical faculties to oust FF.

[How bad boy]

FF promised us coats, to go with our shoes.

[DogTheLangerHunter]

Because FF filled de potholes two weeks before the election.It's all the care about.

[juanpablo]

Who else are the electorates of the rural LEAs of Skibb & Bantry going to vote for? Labour & Greens and their planning policies alone would be enough to turn off our West Cork brethern. This is heartland territory for FG & FF. Note that in the eastern commuter towns of CSW of Bandon & Kinsale Labour topped the TC polls & very unlucky to miss out on a seat to the Bandon LEA.

[tazmaneire]

The choice of candidates in Skibbereen was brutal.

How Moynihan bluffs it in Macroom is beyond me.

Urban areas usually kick political parties hardest

But people forget this is the WORST ever performance by FF in an election.Long may it continue,until they get the point and just fuck off.

[jd26]

Slightly surprised Mark Cronin didn't get elected in Macroom, although I suppose he'd depend on the youth vote, which doesn't help when they don't vote.
The explanation in Macroom is that there was only one change on the council, the mayor, Paul Kingston, who is an independent didn't run for re-election and Pat Melia, a FF counciller took his place.

It's historically been a FG stronghold, thanks to Michael Creed (and Donal Creed before him) being a local boy. 4 out of the 9 counciller positions are FG, FF only went from 2 to 3 seats.

Just for the record, the question is about County Council, not Town Council elections. I've long ago given up believing that Town Councils have anything to do with a candidate's party. It's all about who you know, who lives near you etc.

One of the reasons the FF vote held up better in Macroom was the transfer of Ballincollig into the LEA. It was always the most FF part of the Carrigaline LEA, so moving it both bumped up the FF vote in Macroom and destroyed it in Carrigaline, which is why Carrigaline is down the bottom.

Who else are the electorates of the rural LEAs of Skibb & Bantry going to vote for? Labour & Greens and their planning policies alone would be enough to turn off our West Cork brethern. This is heartland territory for FG & FF. Note that in the eastern commuter towns of CSW of Bandon & Kinsale Labour topped the TC polls & very unlucky to miss out on a seat to the Bandon LEA.

Labour performed respectably in Skibbereen and did gain a seat there.

But there are choices other than Labour and the Greens. Sinn Fein ran a relatively strong candidate in Skibbereen. There were plenty of Independents in the field. And there's also the question of why no leakage from FF to FG.

But that still can all account for the vote not dropping. Going up is a different issue again. Like I said, it's clear Bantry Hospital is not an issue for local people.

[scoondle]

Well done to FF. They got off the hook again in these elections.
There is no doubt that they were helped in the rural LEAs by the lack of high profile opposition candidates.
I say that rural Ireland has kept FF alive as a major political party. We could have inflicted long term damage on them but we just gave them a bloody nose.
If I continue to live here I am now resigned that I will be mostly governed by this crowd of imbeciles.