Day 212: Gildernew

[Silent Hunter]

Michelle Gildernew, Sinn Fein, Fermanagh & South Tyrone.

Yes, that Fermanagh & South Tyrone.

[Јas]

In 2001, she got elected following bizarre circumstances where balloting (of one sort or other) proceeded beyond the official time for close of polls.

Yes, that Fermanagh & South Tyrone.

[Silent Hunter]

In 2001, she got elected following bizarre circumstances where balloting (of one sort or other) proceeded beyond the official time for close of polls.

Yes, that Fermanagh & South Tyrone.

The one that had two by-elections in a year. The first guy elected was an IRA hunger striker, who died shortly after being elected.

[Јas]

In 2001, she got elected following bizarre circumstances where balloting (of one sort or other) proceeded beyond the official time for close of polls.

Yes, that Fermanagh & South Tyrone.

The one that had two by-elections in a year. The first guy elected was an IRA hunger striker, who died shortly after being elected.

I see. Yes, I'm familiar with the hunger strikers. One of them was elected in a Dáil General Election in my own constituency (Kieran Doherty; Cavan-Monaghan; 1981).

[Tetro Kornbluth]

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IIRC Three of them were elected in 1981 - one of the others was in Louth where like C-M Sinn Fein have a seat today. Which reveals something I suppose.. (Though Unlike now Shinners then did not take their seats.)

That IRA hunger striker who was elected to Fermanagh-South Tyrone was of course none other than Bobby Sands. IIRC the by-election which elected him had something like a 90% turnout.

[merseysider]

The one that had two by-elections in a year. The first guy elected was an IRA hunger striker, who died shortly after being elected.

The second, Owen Carron, was 'on the run' from the law for ten years after he skipped bail in the mid 80s (after he had lost the seat to Ken Maginnis of the Ulster Unionists).

[Јas]

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IIRC Three of them were elected in 1981 - one of the others was in Louth where like C-M Sinn Fein have a seat today. Which reveals something I suppose.. (Though Unlike now Shinners then did not take their seats.)

That IRA hunger striker who was elected to Fermanagh-South Tyrone was of course none other than Bobby Sands. IIRC the by-election which elected him had something like a 90% turnout.

Yep, the hunger strikes made Sinn Féin or at least republicanism much more acceptable in the public's eyes.

Some of the elections...

April 1981
Fermanagh & South Tyrone (By-election)
Bobby Sands (Anti H-block)	51.2%
Harry West (Ulster Unionist)	48.8%

After which, Mrs Thatcher suddenly decided that the right of the people to elect prisoners wasn't a good idea and amended the Representation of the People Act accordingly.
Sandsof course died and his election agent, Owen Carron stood as a proxy anti H-block candidate.

August 1981
Fermanagh & South Tyrone (By-election)
Owen Carron (Anti H-block)	49.1%
Ken Maginnis (Ulster Unionist)	45.6%
Seamus Close (Alliance)	3%
Tom Moore (Republican Clubs)	1.8%

The seat was lost in the 1983 General when the Nationalist vote was split...

June 1983
Fermanagh & South Tyrone (General Election)
Ken Maginnis (Ulster Unionist)	47.6%
Owen Carron (Anti H-block)	34.8%
Rosemary Flanagan (SDLP)	16.5%
David Kettyles (Workers)	1.1%

The seat remained Unionist until Sinn Féin took it ultra-marginally in 2001, since which they've consolidated their hold.

The one that had two by-elections in a year. The first guy elected was an IRA hunger striker, who died shortly after being elected.

The second, Owen Carron, was 'on the run' from the law for ten years after he skipped bail in the mid 80s (after he had lost the seat to Ken Maginnis of the Ulster Unionists).

Yep, but for the past few years he's been a primary school teacher in Leitrim.

[Јas]

In the Irish General Election of June 1981 (between the 2 Fermanagh & S Tyrone by-elections) the anti-H block candidates were:

Kieran Doherty (Cavan-Monaghan) 15.1%
2nd in the poll, elected. Died on hunger strike in July 1981.
His Director of Elections, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin was elected as a SF TD for the constituency in 1997 and has held the seat since.

Paddy Agnew (Louth) 18.3%
Topped the poll and got elected in a 3-seater. Wasn't on hunger strike. Released in 1986.

Joe McDonnell (Sligo-Leitrim) 11.8%
6th in the poll, not elected. Died on hunger strike in July 1981.

[minionofmidas]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

I wonder how you pronounce that.

[Јas]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

I wonder how you pronounce that.

Key-veen O Kay-lawn
or, you might also hear (depending on the particular speaker's way with Irish):
Kwee-veen O Kway-lawn

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

HP

[Јas]

Probably also worth mentioning that she is obviously an MLA for Fermanagh & South Tyrone as well. A safe seat. She's also the Agriculture Minister on the Northern Executive. Should be a reasonably prominant player in SF after the current leadership departs.