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Home Page > News > Results are in - IrishCentral readers vote Martin McGuinness for President of Ireland

Results are in - IrishCentral readers vote Martin McGuinness for President of Ireland

Low turnout in Ireland for Ireland’s 9th presidential election

CATHY HAYES,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Friday, October 28, 2011, 9:14 AM

Updated Friday, October 28, 2011, 11:58 AM

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21 Comments

The seven candidates for Ireland's presidential election

Photo by Google Images

Live minute-by-minute coverage of Ireland's presidential election results

The IrishCentral readers have spoken and voted Sinn Fein candidate Martin McGuinness for President of Ireland. Over the last week 625 people have voted with 39 percent in favor of McGuinness as the new representative of Ireland.

Last week we asked our readers “Which Irish presidential candidate would you vote for?”

Following McGuinness they gave Michael D Higgins, the Labour Party candidate, 27 percent of the vote and Sean Gallagher 20 percent. Independent candidate David Norris won eight percent of the vote with IrishCentral readers while Dana Rosemary Scallon out took three percent.

These results are pretty similar to those predicted by Paddy Power bookies in Ireland. They’re putting Michael D Higgins at 1-6, with Gallagher at 7/2 however they have McGuinness far behind in third place at 22-1.

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Results from a poll taken by Ballotbox.ie were entirely different again. Ballotbox.ie calculated their results from 2,500 Irish emigrants around the world. An overwhelming 40 percent voted for Higgins. Senator David Norris received 24 percent of the vote while Martin McGuiness came in third with 18 percent.

Sadly early indications show that in Ireland, although over three million people are eligible to vote, there has been a poor turnout at the polls. Despite the fact that after this week’s flooding in Ireland there has been seasonally good weather the numbers that turned out are low.

UTV suggested that this could benefit McGuinness’ stance as the Sinn Fein party “has a history of pro-active voters.”

Counting of the ballots, which is done manually in Ireland, began at 9am in the 43 constituencies. First counts will be complete by early evening on Friday.

Live minute-by-minute coverage of Ireland's presidential election results

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21 Comments

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FallsRNat | Nov 04, 2011, 07:07 PM EDT

sirpeter - i think that youse should take to the stage, seriously though no amount of window dressing by u or your beloved shinners can take comfort from this poll result, 13%, he failed to recoup any of the FF vote & with their good showing in the dublin seat last week, u won't be taking the democratic republican vote anytime soon in the IR.

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sirpeter | Oct 30, 2011, 06:22 PM EDT

gocbhitepaddy.You think a lot of people are VERMIN don't you gobshite? You like to DEHUMANISE people you hate don't you? You see certain people as an INFESTATION? Your comment is a bit beyond anger.You sound manic.Do you have wild staring eyes? Check in the mirror quick.

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gobdawpaddy | Oct 30, 2011, 06:47 AM EDT

'The IRA are people'? That's akin to making the same claim about Osama Bin Laden. Actaully you had people in Ireland in their 'innocence' object to the manner in which SEAL team 6 took that piece of cr*** out, 'dey killt an unarmt min'. RA/SF are vermin. They are gradiually infesting the political structure in the republic. Thankfully the people of that republic demonstrated common sense on Thursday and didn't add to the infestation.

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sirpeter | Oct 30, 2011, 06:02 AM EDT

@imokyrok.Ireland and the Irish people have a very good reputation around the world.On the other hand British imperialism is not forgotten anywhere in the world.I can safely say while the Irish people and the vast majority of the world had a certain amount of trepidation as to the tactics of the IRA which is natural for human beings.Fighting injustice and the many terror organizations of the oppressor in NI while messy is very understandable to rational people.Of course there is always decent people who deplore violence of any kind,even when they are treated like animals and oppressed themselves.But then if we were all like them.We would still be slaves and serfs to the powerful.No!! The IRA are people who stood up against injustice and a mild form of tyranny.But a tyranny none the less.To be treated like a second class person in poverty will kill you just as easy as any IRA bomb.There is now change and there is now a better fairer society in NI.600 civilian deaths caused by the IRA over 30 years.100,000 civilian deaths by the US army in 10 years in Iraq alone.Imokyrok think about it.

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RedBranch | Oct 29, 2011, 04:40 PM EDT

So Mr.McGuinness will be leaving the 'West Brits' 'down here' and returning to his post in NI (for which he draws over three times the 'average industrail wage'). He has left his 'full sympathy' with relatives of Irish law enforcement victims of IRA and stated that if they want to call what happened to their loved ones 'murder' then he 'wouldn't disagree with that'. A successful campaign then.

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imokyrok | Oct 29, 2011, 03:07 PM EDT

It's a relief that the Irish electorate had so much more sense than this sites membership. The Irish Diaspora should learn from the fact that the Sinn Féin 'superstar' received only 13.7% of the vote. Many of you financially supported the thugs in the IRA and their murderous campaign for many years in direct contradiction to the wishes of the vast majority in the Republic of Ireland. We haven't forgotten the damage the IRA/SF did to our country and the reputation of our good name around the world.

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Rebelforce | Oct 29, 2011, 11:38 AM EDT

Probably to flex some Sinn Fein muscle on the political stage.....which he most certainly accomplished. By coming in third in a field of seven, Sinn Fein can't help but be seen as one of the legitimate mainstream parties in Ireland today.

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Fergananim | Oct 29, 2011, 09:00 AM EDT

"The political talents and mental toughness of Martin McGuiness in his prime would have been wasted in the strictly ceremonial post of President of Ireland. Mr McGuinness will be much more useful and effective in exercising real political influence in his role as joint first minister of the northern Irish power-sharing assembly." Okay then, rebelforce - so why did he bother running in the first place? To advance the party profile? Surely not ...

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gobdawpaddy | Oct 29, 2011, 06:04 AM EDT

Realist. MMG 1.7% from losing his deposit ? Shur not a bodder, I am sure 'de lads' have a few bob left over from de Northern job that could have covered that. Wouldn't have expected Martin, the independent candidate, to be expected to do so on his average industrial wage ( expenses). A look at Martin's campaign accounts might prove an interesting exercise. On the average industrial wage, how did he finance all the travel, hotel rooms for himself and the gougers in his 'entourage, telephone costs, posters etc. etc?

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Realist | Oct 29, 2011, 05:30 AM EDT

MMG was just 1.7% away from loosing his deposit....this makes the 1994 PIRA capitulation and ceasefire look like VE Day....lol. sirpeter, pray tell what have the people over at An Phoblacht (Pravda) told you to think today?

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Realist | Oct 29, 2011, 05:14 AM EDT

sirpeter: Is that the big plan then? Green paint and jam tomorrow? These are the most favourable electoral conditions ever for PSF and they still can only manage 13.7%. Dear oh dear....frustration once again....it ain't never gonna happen but I am truly glad that people like you believe (at least in public) that somehow it will. After all, that is what you are supposed to think....lol. Meanwhile MMG goes back to his home in the U.K. city of culture to resume his role as British governmental minister.

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Rebelforce | Oct 28, 2011, 10:27 PM EDT

The political talents and mental toughness of Martin McGuiness in his prime would have been wasted in the strictly ceremonial post of President of Ireland. Mr McGuinness will be much more useful and effective in exercising real political influence in his role as joint first minister of the northern Irish power-sharing assembly.

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barneyjo | Oct 28, 2011, 09:03 PM EDT

The McGuinness bid for the presidency is only a step along the way for the party in the 26 counties. Consider this however, almost as many people in this election voted for a Sinn Fein candidate as those who vote Sinn Fein regularly in Northern Ireland. Take the two together, thats a big chunk of the electorate giving first preference votes to the party. I agree however, that there is a transitional phase for the party in order to enter the political mainstream in ROI. And that will be a first for this party, for there is no mainstream to speak of in Northern Ireland; just a bearpit, where electoral survival is a by word for politics. However, I think things will be very different by the end of the next decade, both North & South of the imaginary line laugingly referred to as the Border!!

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Fergananim | Oct 28, 2011, 08:23 PM EDT

Sirpeter - we didn't need the media to remind us about Martin McGuinness's membership of the IRA. We lived through the Troubles. The Kelly, Sheehan, McCabe, Oliver, Wilson, MacCartney, Quinn, and Stack families, and those of the all other 1700 plus the IRA murdered, didn't forget either. Give us a Sinn Fein candidate who was never a member of the IRA and utterly repudiates all their murders, and the electorate may respond positively to you.

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sirpeter | Oct 28, 2011, 07:19 PM EDT

Fallsers.Now you know that's not true.This presidential election was always going to be a win win for Sinn Fein.As I said months ago he was never going to win,winning was never on the cards.What is interesting is the amount of voters who are very quickly getting over the 30 years of heavy black media brainwashing,that a vote for Sinn Fein is a vote for violence.When you consider Sinn Fein up to 1997 always had less than 2.5% share of the vote in any election.Now the Irish people have given McGuinness 13.7% (243,030)1st Pref votes on a turnout of only 56.1%.McGuinness the ex-gunman came 3rd out of 7.That is a very good result Fallsers.Imagine if the media didn't have his IRA membership to beat him with.Sinn Fein had no seats in the Dail up to 1997.Now they have nearly 10% of the seats.Sinn Fein are the party of the future and it's an All-Ireland future.We already have the Irish green paint got for the British red post boxes.Two coats and it will be like the Brits were never in IN.LOL

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