I presume SF will run a second candidate so it will be interesting to see who gets the nod there. I don’t think Brian Leddin will be representing Limerick nationally for too much longer, either he gets the mayoral gig(unlikely I think) or he gets voted out (much more likely)
Do they still have the lad who doesn’t believe in the moon landing?
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Who votes for mayor? Is it literally only those inside the city boundary or is it the whole county
Sure the whole council is the one now. It’s Mayor of Limerick Council as far as I understand it?? So the roasters can run for it and vote?
This seems to have been lost on everyone. I think it’ll make it gas craic!
Which prime roaster do we want to see debating with the progressive townies
Emmett O’Brien would surely like the ego massage
2 Likes
He would but not a roaster. Just an ape.
It’s roasters we are looking for here, for balance like.
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jesus
what kind of dinosaur workplace do you work in
Liam Galvin
Fianna Fáil’s Limerick mayor candidate is a former Fine Gael member who said Micheál Martin was ‘not a leader’
Dee Ryan, the former chief executive of Limerick Chamber, was confirmed as Fianna Fáil’s candidate for the country’s first ever directly-elected mayor contest in Limerick last Monday where she was pictured alongside Mr Martin
Dee Ryan when she was chief executive of Limerick Chamber of Commerce. Photo: Oisin McHugh/True Media
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin and Limerick mayoral candidate Dee Ryan
Tánaiste and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin in Limerick as he announced Dee Ryan as party candidate for directly elected Mayor of Limerick. Photo: Arthur Ellis.
Dee Ryan when she was chief executive of Limerick Chamber of Commerce. Photo: Oisin McHugh/True Media
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin and Limerick mayoral candidate Dee Ryan
Hugh O’Connell
Today at 18:46
Fianna Fáil’s candidate for Limerick mayor is a former Fine Gael member who previously described Tánaiste Micheál Martin as “not a leader” and posted a slew of comments criticising her new party on social media.
Dee Ryan, the former chief executive of Limerick Chamber, was confirmed as Fianna Fáil’s candidate for the country’s first ever directly-elected mayor contest in Limerick last Monday where she was pictured alongside Mr Martin.
Ms Ryan, who resigned from the chamber of commerce to contest the mayoral election this June, was, however, a strong supporter of Fine Gael in the run-up to and after the 2016 general election, according to her social media activity. It is understood she is a former member of Fine Gael and was also previously a member of Labour.
She frequently posted comments on Twitter, now X, criticising Mr Martin, his party and senior Fianna Fáil figures in 2016 and 2017 whilst at the same time expressing support for Leo Varadkar.
In a statement on Wednesday, Ms Ryan said she has been a member of other political parties, without specifying which ones. She said that she was “unafraid to speak my mind”, but added that her views had evolved and that her opinion of Mr Martin and Fianna Fáil “could not be more positive”.
Tánaiste and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin in Limerick as he announced Dee Ryan as party candidate for directly elected Mayor of Limerick. Photo: Arthur Ellis.
Screenshots of posts on Twitter, now X, seen by the Irish Independent show that in 2015 Ms Ryan posted a blurry picture of her and Mr Varadkar, the then health minister, at Electric Picnic with the caption: “Look who I bumped into at the bar last night” and the hashtag #verytallinreallife.
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Ms Ryan also tweeted from the Fine Gael ard fheis in January 2016, including a post quoting Simon Harris saying that Fianna Fáil “royally failed the Irish people”.
During the same event she reposted a quote from Paschal Donohoe’s speech in which the then transport minister said: “Fianna Fáil would wreck the very recovery that they said would never happen.”
Dee Ryan when she was chief executive of Limerick Chamber of Commerce. Photo: Oisin McHugh/True Media
Ms Ryan also reposted a number of tweets criticising Micheál Martin and Fianna Fáil, during the 2016 general election leaders’ debate on RTÉ Prime Time, including one from Young Fine Gael which said Mr Martin “sat around the cabinet table when the Irish economy was destroyed”.
Other comments Ms Ryan reposted included one which labelled Mr Martin “deluded” for saying he left the health service in a good state and a post from Fine Gael saying the Fianna Fáil leader “created the HSE, failed to tackle overcrowding and then handed over the Department to Mary Harney”.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin and Limerick mayoral candidate Dee Ryan
She later posted that the then taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny was “#amazeballs” in the same TV debate and in another post said: “EK had facts & figures at fingertips & was #rockofsense M.Martin sooo #notaleader”.
In another post from the election campaign, Ms Ryan said she found it “deeply worrying” that Mr Martin “thinks he shud (sic) tell girls & women how to handle personal & difficult decisions”.
In another post in March 2016 referring to Darragh O’Brien, the current Housing Minister, she posted: “Cringing at the schoolyard conduct of @SenDOBrien on @SaturdayRTE Is this what we’re in for now that @fiannafailparty are feeling confident?”
In another post that same month, Ms Ryan referred to Fianna Fáil as the “Jedi-mind-trickers of the political world #thesearenotthechargesyouhate”
In May 2017 she tweeted a picture of herself and Mr Varadkar during his Fine Gael leadership campaign wishing him “best of luck” in the final leadership hustings.
In another post from May 2017, she said of the party’s current Midlands North West European election candidate: “More Barry Cowen criticising Govt work cleaning up #FiannaFail mess. It’s easier to criticise than find solutions, opp suits FF,” she wrote on X in May 2017.
In a statement, Ms Ryan said: “My opinion of Fianna Fáil and Tánaiste Micheál Martin, particularly through his leadership, today could not be more positive.
“I’ve been very impressed by his and the party’s strong leadership since re-entering government four years ago, not least in guiding the country through the challenging pandemic.
“When it came to my candidacy for Mayor I felt Fianna Fáil with party values of fairness and equity, was the best fit for me. As Taoiseach and now Tánaiste, Micheál Martin has presided over a government that not alone maintained economic stability but returned the country to remarkable growth, albeit with much still to do and, moreover, with an appetite to do it.
“I am passionate about politics and have been for many years and I’ve been a member of other political parties, but my opinions have been my own and I’ve no difficulty in saying that they have evolved.
“I remain unafraid to speak my mind and if the people of Limerick choose to do me the honour of electing me as their Mayor, I can assure them that I will be a strong voice in pursuit of our shared agenda to make Limerick a better place for all its citizens.”
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( I don’t follow Catholic Arena )
https://twitter.com/catholicarena/status/1768037149457203504?s=46&t=yRtB8lhW_RucCjdm3dqcBw
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New rule, much like the lovely ladies thread, you’ll have to post best pics of these potential roaster candidates in action
It’s an awful lot of hassle. Showering after arriving in to work too? More hassle. I’ll stick with my car to get to work thanks.
HSE mate. Hope this explains it.
Poor Elisa, her campaign is over before it even started. I knew that video would come back to haunt her one day.
Good enough for her.They were doing no harm tbf.Karen should have minded her own business.(I don’t follow Catholic Arena either)
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Announce JP.
Teskey would be the man there. Good South West Limerick stock
What was going on there?