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Home Page > Blogs > News blogs > Periscope > Running for Irish President : A first endorsement and a strange new reality--- I'm an alien.

Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

Running for Irish President : A first endorsement and a strange new reality--- I'm an alien.

Posted on Sunday, June 19, 2011 at 07:00 AM

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Dublin: I received my first endorsement for the presidential race on Saturday when Irish Independent columnist Liam Fay stated I should be elected.

The Independent is Ireland’s largest selling newspaper so it was gratifying to see an endorsement from one of their top columnists.

I don’t know Liam Fay except by reputation and he is a widely respected journalist but I never spoke to him or got his take on why he wanted to endorse me.

His main point was that most of the other candidates were totally compromised by their elected presence in Europe during the recent meltdown when they did nothing and at least I had a reputation for plain speaking and was in America while all this nonsense was going on.

He also stated that after the first debate when a whole lot of nothing went on, that I would provide an alternative voice, far removed from the status quo if I decided to run..

His viewpoint was also colored by my connections with leading figures in the Democratic Party including former president Bill Clinton which he believed could make for important linkages if elected president.

He wrote; "As an operator practised in the wheeling and dealing of American backroom politics, O'Dowd would be acutely aware of the importance of saying what you mean and meaning what you say. In other words, he speaks plain English which is more than can be said for most of the native contenders."

Mind you the headline writer punched a hole in my ego with the line ‘Time to put an alien in the Aras (Aras an Uachtarain is where the president resides)

This is part of this weird connotation over here that an Irish American is somehow from outer space in thinking of running for Irish president .

I am of Ireland, fiercely so , and resent any notion that there is anything alien in my connection to the land of my birth and where I lived 26 years of my life.

Nonetheless I have to accept that what I am doing strikes many here as passing strange.

In the past week I have had an all out attack on my potential candidacy from The Irish Times written by an obituary writer for the London Times attacking my Irish American identity and a supportive piece written by Liam Fay that celebrates my ‘alien’ status.

What to make of it all? Very little except keep putting one foot in front of the other and see where the road leads.

I am in Dublin for discussions with Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein to see if the potential is there for a total of twenty nominations from the respective parties in order to allow me into the election proper.

I have been encouraged by those who have said they will support me to date and will see where the road leads.
In the meantime I’ll try and get used to my alien status.

Now where can I park my spacecraft on O’Connell Street?

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53 comments

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sirpeter | Jun 24, 2011, 12:50 PM EDT

Leave Georgie alone.Ye are all over-stimulating him.His mother will never get him to sleep now.

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GeorgeDillon | Jun 23, 2011, 10:14 AM EDT

kinvara: Do you make money out of Mass Immigration? Are you a slum landlord who gets paid by the government to house immigrants? Why are you so out of step with the 70% of Irish people who when polled say they oppose Mass Immigration? And why are you such a big fan of Fianna Fail? Don't you have any remorse about your buddies bringing the country to ruin?

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Towngate | Jun 22, 2011, 05:48 PM EDT

Niall, a chara: As if to welcome you Ireland and mark your contribution to the Peace Process, Belfast erupts into violence again! ~ ~ ~ When your plane takes off on your return trip, take a long lingering,thoughtful look at your former homeland and like many Irish before you, wave a bitter heartbroken farewell to the Land of your Dreams ..." and cross the foam - to your New Home - on the Shores of Amer-ikay." Sadly, just as the Good Friday Agreement was 'Sunningdale for slow learners' ~ your lesson for today is: 'Emigration for slow learners!' ~ Slainte! ~ agus slan abhaile,a Chara. Ireland does not deserve you!

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Towngate | Jun 22, 2011, 05:38 PM EDT

Niall, a chara: As if to welcome a man who was part of the Peace Process, Belfast erupts into violence again! ~ ~ ~ When your plane takes off on your return trip, take a long lingering,thoughtful look at your former homeland and like many Irish before you, wave a bitter heartbroken farewell to the Land of your Dreams ..." and cross the foam - to seek a home - on the shores of Amer-ikay. (Sadly, just as the Good Friday Agreement was 'Sunningdale for slow learners' ~ this is Emigration for slow learners! ~ Slainte! ~ agus slan abhaile,a Chara.

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donalo2001 | Jun 22, 2011, 03:50 PM EDT

So Ellis used to drink in Le Chateau in Cork. That figures We all knew it as 'Le Cockroach' after the clientele that used to frequent the place

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tredagh | Jun 22, 2011, 09:14 AM EDT

The Irish Times are having bad luck with their correspondents lately. An Obituary writer for the London Times posing as a leading Irish American (a right wally) and a ..erm ladies Football Trainer as a GAA correspondent. What a hoot!

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kinvara7 | Jun 22, 2011, 06:47 AM EDT

The population of Poland is around 40 million George. If another person made a massive mistake like that you would be calling them a 'liar' very quickly. I'll be more charitable because I know you are doing your best.

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GeorgeDillon | Jun 21, 2011, 03:22 AM EDT

Ellis, a parting lie before you skulk away? It is of course a fact, as I stated in the note that you misquoted, that countless millions of foreigners (70 million in Poland alone) have the right to settle and work in Ireland. If every Pole decided to move to Ireland tomorrow (and sometimes it seems like they have already) there is not a thing Ireland could do to stop it. Not alone that, but many of them could begin to collect the very generous Irish welfare benefits! Readers here in the US might imagine a situation in which every Mexican citizen (plus Venezuelans, plus Canadians etc. etc.) could arrive here and in many cases start collecting welfare! By the way Ellis, before you go, could you remind us what Irish Americans you know pride themselves on being more Irish than the Irish? That was the crazy claim you made in the Irish Times, and you have yet to retract it. That's because you're a liar and a bigot, isn't it?

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antoman | Jun 20, 2011, 06:41 PM EDT

I'm gutted not just by Walter Ellis departure but that he won't run for the presidency.

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themurphia | Jun 20, 2011, 06:01 PM EDT

Why's that Wally are you a slow reader...? For fexake give it a rest you will you...

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WalterEllis | Jun 20, 2011, 05:01 PM EDT

George: you may be wondering about the source of my "inane lie" concerning the claim that you oppose immigration into the United States by "countless millions of foreigners". Might it be this? Oh, wait ... I think it might. "Posted by GeorgeDillon on Jun 12, 2011, 03:15 PM EDT trealach--you've just given us the trade of a madman. You want every Irish person to be given a work permit for the US? You've already given work and residence permits to COUNTLESS MILLIONS OF FOREIGNERS who can settle in Ireland whenever they choose, and you want us to repeat your mistake? Forget it, we Americans aren't goofs like you Irish." Oh dear, George. You do walk into these things. But that's it. I've still got a novel to finish. Apparently you can't live without me. The fact remains that I can live very comfortably without you. So I'll leave you to it (a JD and Coke, I believe). And the rest of you, too. Adieu! What a gas! If you can bear it, I'll be back in October. In the meantime, mesdames, messieurs, enjoy the summer.

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antoman | Jun 20, 2011, 04:14 PM EDT

Another crushing blow delivered to Niall O'Dowds bid to be President courtesy of georgyboy.

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GeorgeDillon | Jun 20, 2011, 03:00 PM EDT

As I had expected, Ellis has skulked away, unable to take me up on my offer of $100 if he could substantiate the racist charge he made against me. So the Immigrant Council of Ireland will be the loser, though given that they have the billionaire Chuck Feeney as their sugar daddy in trying to break down the few remaining immigration controls in Ireland, I don't think they'll miss the hundred bucks. Of course even now Ellis couldn't resist another inane lie, with his claim that I oppose immigration by "countless millions of foreigners". I guess lying is pathological on his part at this stage. Don't come back Ellis, you're a racist and a liar. And a weirdo too, since your views are repudiated by the 70% of Irish people who in all polls say that they want a prudent and measured immigration policy for their small island and an end to Fianna Fail's Mad Mass Immigration policy. Your completely out of step with the Irish people. Your performance here in the past few days has been quite shameful, Ellis, as you have grossly abused the right to free speech generously offered on this site. As they say in Ireland, don't darken our door again.

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antoman | Jun 20, 2011, 10:46 AM EDT

@themurphia-If Niall O'Dowd can't see to a troll,namely georgyboy,on his own site.Then he has no business even considering running for the Presidency in Ireland.As I've said Niall O'Dowds ambition to be President of Ireland was scuppered on this site by georgyboy.

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themurphia | Jun 20, 2011, 10:05 AM EDT

I respectfully request that off topic comments are not published in order to avoid this incessant puerile 'trolling' and antagonisim...Otherwise what is the purpose of the 'report abuse' button...?thanx

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