That's it.
I'm off to bed!
(More tomorrow!)
Sunday, 31 May 2009
Saturday, 30 May 2009
Election Diary: T- 6 - Sunshine Campaigning
Apologies for missing a post yesterday. I decided on an "early night" so hit the hay around 1.30 am.
The sun has certainly brightened up the campaign trail and certainly seems to put people in a good mood; perhaps Fianna Fáil are wrong in hoping for rain on Friday.
People on the doors and others we talk to are now very focussed on the election; the numbers of 'don't knows' are on the decrease and there is a strong awareness. I met a few of the other candidates and campaigners at Tallaght Hospital today, where I was attending the "Hands Around the Hospital" demo with my colleagues Mick Duff and Cllr Eamonn Maloney.
One of the discussions was around turnout; my thoughts are that it'll be around the same as the high 2004 turnout, but some of the affecting factors such as weather and final campaign swings are yet to come. A high turnout is clearly beneficial to Labour and non-Government candidates; the core FF vote will be comparatively higher in a low turnout.
Hardly a soul, if you'll pardon the pun, at the Vigil Mass in Greenhills tonight as we did one of our final church gate canvasses; fewer people in at the doorsteps today too. It'll remain like this for the Bank Holiday weekend but the work for the campaigners never stops. There's no silver bullet at this stage but we certainly want to freshen things up in the last few days. Smiles all round today from those who we did meet and a great reception to the positive message and ideas of our campaign.
We'll have the result this time next week. Let's hope we're still smiling then.
The sun has certainly brightened up the campaign trail and certainly seems to put people in a good mood; perhaps Fianna Fáil are wrong in hoping for rain on Friday.
People on the doors and others we talk to are now very focussed on the election; the numbers of 'don't knows' are on the decrease and there is a strong awareness. I met a few of the other candidates and campaigners at Tallaght Hospital today, where I was attending the "Hands Around the Hospital" demo with my colleagues Mick Duff and Cllr Eamonn Maloney.
One of the discussions was around turnout; my thoughts are that it'll be around the same as the high 2004 turnout, but some of the affecting factors such as weather and final campaign swings are yet to come. A high turnout is clearly beneficial to Labour and non-Government candidates; the core FF vote will be comparatively higher in a low turnout.
Hardly a soul, if you'll pardon the pun, at the Vigil Mass in Greenhills tonight as we did one of our final church gate canvasses; fewer people in at the doorsteps today too. It'll remain like this for the Bank Holiday weekend but the work for the campaigners never stops. There's no silver bullet at this stage but we certainly want to freshen things up in the last few days. Smiles all round today from those who we did meet and a great reception to the positive message and ideas of our campaign.
We'll have the result this time next week. Let's hope we're still smiling then.
Friday, 29 May 2009
Election Diary: T- 8: Adventures Online, Offline and In the Line
This blog is getting famouser and famouser.
(Yes, I am aware that the elders of the standard English are frowning somewhere. Wait 'til they hear about the kid in my class who brang a package of crips to the hopsital for his cousind!).
Thanks to the Irish Times Campaign Watch, who took up on my press release about our online campaign. The comments to follow are interesting, including this quote from blogger and freelance journalist Mark Coughlan;
It's been great to make the front page of www.labour.ie again in the blogging round-up, and irishelection.com frequently post about this site in their daily campaign round-ups. They all ensure more hits to the site which we're obviously delighted with, so thanks to those concerned.
We've been popular offline too, so it seems. I posted a few days back about Fiona Looney's name continuing to crop up on the canvass; it came up again tonight in Belgard, but this time there was a real connection to me. A woman mentioned that my name had come up in the papers, and lo and behold it seems Fiona (who I know is a voter in the area) has taken a shine to me - or my posters at least. Here's the opening paragraph from her column in the Sunday Mail magazine
Belgard Heights, incidentally, is known in political circles as being strongly FF but the reception we've gotten there tells us anything but. I taught briefly in the local primary school, Scoil Ard Mhuire, and was glad to meet some of the parents of the kids I'd worked with, including one man who solved the great mystery of our campaign to date. Some weeks ago, a mystery man stopped his van in traffic and walked over to a car of one of our supporters, who had a Vote Looney window sticker on her car. The mystery man told our supporter how he admired my speech on nationalising the banks at the Labour Party Conference and was assuredly giving me his Number 1. We hadn't a clue who it was until he came over and introduced himself tonight. A lovely moment.
The posters remain a source of great comedy to the kids in my current school, particularly those from other classes (my lot have their minds on higher things, like the upcoming tour to Clara Lara). I tend to meet them in their lines as they walk to class each morning or breaktime, hollering after me that their parents, relatives and even they, themselves, will be voting for me next week. Sadly their almost-universal habitation in the Tallaght South ward may get in their way.
Tomorrow is our last day together as the school is off next week, a pretty lucky break for me which'll allow me to campaign full-time over the last six days. But after the election it's straight back to work - with the infamous 'Dip Day' approaching on June 15th, just 9 days after the count. At this rate this usually-stressful time for NQT's (newly-qualified teachers) will be a relief for this candidate!
(Yes, I am aware that the elders of the standard English are frowning somewhere. Wait 'til they hear about the kid in my class who brang a package of crips to the hopsital for his cousind!).
Thanks to the Irish Times Campaign Watch, who took up on my press release about our online campaign. The comments to follow are interesting, including this quote from blogger and freelance journalist Mark Coughlan;
The Looney Left hasn’t just been going for a while, it’s hilariously written and very insightful. Even as general blogs go, it’s good.Very decent of you Mark, thanks!
It's been great to make the front page of www.labour.ie again in the blogging round-up, and irishelection.com frequently post about this site in their daily campaign round-ups. They all ensure more hits to the site which we're obviously delighted with, so thanks to those concerned.
We've been popular offline too, so it seems. I posted a few days back about Fiona Looney's name continuing to crop up on the canvass; it came up again tonight in Belgard, but this time there was a real connection to me. A woman mentioned that my name had come up in the papers, and lo and behold it seems Fiona (who I know is a voter in the area) has taken a shine to me - or my posters at least. Here's the opening paragraph from her column in the Sunday Mail magazine
The Husband suggests that Councillor Michael Murphy is a spoilsport of sorts, because he is already wearing a beard and glasses in his election posters. I'm far more excited by the presence in our area of a candidate called Dermot Looney, who boasts a funky strip on the back of his posters with 'Vote 1 Looney' on it. The Boy says he'll 'acquire' one for me and I don't doubt him for a second.The article is a general colour piece on election posters. I managed to find Fiona on twitter and let her know that she's welcome to a poster by legitimate means, so perhaps she'll take me up. The strip, by the way, appears on the back of all Labour posters.
Belgard Heights, incidentally, is known in political circles as being strongly FF but the reception we've gotten there tells us anything but. I taught briefly in the local primary school, Scoil Ard Mhuire, and was glad to meet some of the parents of the kids I'd worked with, including one man who solved the great mystery of our campaign to date. Some weeks ago, a mystery man stopped his van in traffic and walked over to a car of one of our supporters, who had a Vote Looney window sticker on her car. The mystery man told our supporter how he admired my speech on nationalising the banks at the Labour Party Conference and was assuredly giving me his Number 1. We hadn't a clue who it was until he came over and introduced himself tonight. A lovely moment.
The posters remain a source of great comedy to the kids in my current school, particularly those from other classes (my lot have their minds on higher things, like the upcoming tour to Clara Lara). I tend to meet them in their lines as they walk to class each morning or breaktime, hollering after me that their parents, relatives and even they, themselves, will be voting for me next week. Sadly their almost-universal habitation in the Tallaght South ward may get in their way.
Tomorrow is our last day together as the school is off next week, a pretty lucky break for me which'll allow me to campaign full-time over the last six days. But after the election it's straight back to work - with the infamous 'Dip Day' approaching on June 15th, just 9 days after the count. At this rate this usually-stressful time for NQT's (newly-qualified teachers) will be a relief for this candidate!
Thursday, 28 May 2009
Election Diary: T- 9: Brian's Gone to Iceland
Shhh!
It's three am. Glad to say I've not been drinking, but did manage to make it into town tonight to see off Brian O'Connor, one of the most active and longstanding team members, who's heading off to Iceland (the country, not the supermarket) tomorrow. Brian's been an integral part of the campaign for over a year now and his departure, though heralded a long time ago, is still a loss. Of all the team members I'd say Brian has dropped more leaflets than anyone, not to mention his canvass record and postering abilities. I'm sure he'll have some interesting observations from Icelandic politics when he returns, and I've promised to keep him in the loop on count day, along with other supporters in Australia, Luxembourg, Britain, the US and Thailand.
Our canvass in Tallaght tonight went perfectly to plan - last knock was five minutes before the start of the CL final. Much of the rest of the day after work was spent doing up some last-minute literature and planning the campaign; our Campaign Manager Paul Dillon remains calm throughout the slip-ups and computer freezes, and has guided us over the last few months with the patience of a saint.
8 days left. Most of the candidates have upped their game in the past week. All going well for us, it should be a great final week, but then again events are always getting in the way of good plans!
PS - Forca Barca! Great game, Messi again proving his genius. My favourite player in the world. OK, work in 5 1/2 hours - oíche mhaith!
It's three am. Glad to say I've not been drinking, but did manage to make it into town tonight to see off Brian O'Connor, one of the most active and longstanding team members, who's heading off to Iceland (the country, not the supermarket) tomorrow. Brian's been an integral part of the campaign for over a year now and his departure, though heralded a long time ago, is still a loss. Of all the team members I'd say Brian has dropped more leaflets than anyone, not to mention his canvass record and postering abilities. I'm sure he'll have some interesting observations from Icelandic politics when he returns, and I've promised to keep him in the loop on count day, along with other supporters in Australia, Luxembourg, Britain, the US and Thailand.
Our canvass in Tallaght tonight went perfectly to plan - last knock was five minutes before the start of the CL final. Much of the rest of the day after work was spent doing up some last-minute literature and planning the campaign; our Campaign Manager Paul Dillon remains calm throughout the slip-ups and computer freezes, and has guided us over the last few months with the patience of a saint.
8 days left. Most of the candidates have upped their game in the past week. All going well for us, it should be a great final week, but then again events are always getting in the way of good plans!
PS - Forca Barca! Great game, Messi again proving his genius. My favourite player in the world. OK, work in 5 1/2 hours - oíche mhaith!
Wednesday, 27 May 2009
Press Release: Labour’s Looney Claims "Biggest and Best Online Campaign in Ireland"
Dermot Looney, a Labour Party candidate in the Tallaght Central ward in June’s local elections, has said that his online campaign is the 'biggest and best' out of several thousand local election candidates in Ireland. Looney has said that the Internet campaign has been a hugely successful way to engage young people and those traditionally left behind in politics.
For more, see details below.
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dlooney
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/dermotlooney
Bebo: http://www.bebo.com/VoteLooney
Website: http://www.dermotlooney.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=36150395175
Blog: http://thelooneyleft.blogspot.com
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/10679554@N07/
Looney established an online presence more than a year ago and, as well as a traditional website at dermotlooney.com, he maintains a daily-updated election diary on his blog, "The Looney Left." His campaign group on Facebook has more than 400 members, the majority of whom live in Tallaght Central, and he is also active on Twitter, as well as campaigning on Bebo and Youtube and the photo site Flickr.
Looney, 26, is the youngest candidate running for South Dublin County Council and his spent little money on the online side of the campaign, instead relying on word of mouth, social networking and traditional leaflets to attract voters to the various online platforms.
"No other candidate in South Dublin has dedicated as much in terms of resources or effort to online campaigning, even though we come to the field without the big money of the major two parties," said Looney. "I believe our online campaign is the biggest, best and brightest of any local election candidate in Ireland, and recent innovations such as frequent use of Twitter and a daily election diary have been attracting voters from across the area to our campaign and our message of change and community."
"Online campaigning is most effective when it has the politics to go along with it. That's why those who don't tend to be reached by traditional canvassing - young people and those living in apartment blocks - are readily identifying with our campaign. Nothing will ever replace knocking on doors, dropping leaflets and other traditional methods, but online campaigning will continue to increase in influence in the years to come."
"Our experience online is that local people are hugely receptive to web campaigning, a point worth keeping in mind with the further rollout of e-government by the Council. Most importantly, we need to make sure such development brings with it those left behind by the information gap - particularly the elderly and those without the resources, skills or literacy to truly engage at present."
For more, see details below.
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dlooney
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/
Bebo: http://www.bebo.com/VoteLooney
Website: http://www.dermotlooney.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.
Blog: http://thelooneyleft.blogspot.
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/
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