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Home Page > Blogs > News blogs > Periscope > Sinn Fein’s Gerry Adams as Ireland’s next Prime Minister? -- New poll makes it a possibility after the next election

Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

Sinn Fein’s Gerry Adams as Ireland’s next Prime Minister? -- New poll makes it a possibility after the next election

Posted on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 at 08:31 AM

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Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams

Gerry Adams as Ireland’s next prime minister may not be as fanciful as many think.

The real prospect of Sinn Fein leading the next Irish government is now apparent.

The latest opinion poll in the Irish Times shows Sinn Fein leaping to 24 per cent support with fellow opposition members Fianna Fail at 17 per cent and independents at 15 per cent.

Gerry Adams is now the most popular party leader after an eight point jump put him ahead of Enda Kenny
That combined total of opposition votes puts them at 56 per cent, well ahead of the governing coalition of Fine Gael and Labor who amass only 42 per cent of the vote.

It is clear that Sinn Fein are having the Labour party for lunch, the Labourites are down to 10 per cent with the vast majority of their voters shifting to Sinn Fein.

Even Fianna Fail, architects of the economic mess, are making a comeback because they are in opposition

It is inevitable in a massive economic downturn that the government parties take the heat. But the Labour Party is especially being decimated.

It is always thus it seems. Minority parties in governments --see Liberal Party in England, are usually the ones who take the brunt of the criticism.

The poll is yet another milestone for Sinn Fein who have commenced an inexorable march towards power in Ireland North and South.

While the shadow of the North’s war loomed large even in the recent presidential election, as time passes such concerns will disappear.

The next election is not due until about 2015, by which time Sinn Fein will have had several years to consolidate power.

They happen to be very good at that and are finally luring good young candidates in the Irish Republic to match the calibre of their leaders in Northern Ireland.

The European treaty poll this week should pass, according to all the experts and polls but one wonders if there is not a hidden no vote lurking in the undergrowth.

Certainly, given the statistics of this latest poll, if anti-government voters turn out in numbers they could easily defeat it.

There will be many nervous faces until the votes are counted.

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142 Comments

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Thomas84 | Oct 03, 2012, 04:35 PM EDT

Go on jerry, save us from the corrupt people running the place , you are the nations only hope. Dont mind all the unionists bad mouthing you. More and more people are supporting sinn fein every day and most are praying for your victory.

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leahkinsella | Jul 14, 2012, 03:08 PM EDT

No way. it will never happen unless his followers cheat their way. Sinn Fein want to take over the Republic and turn it into a Marxist state. It's a horrific thought. He would not be trusted with his background. He belongs in West Belfast and it's time he went back there.

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seamus60 | Jun 28, 2012, 12:13 PM EDT

Rose. the peace is being bought and its not the ordinary people who sacrificed the most who are getting anything out of it. Apart from their criminal record for political offences SF now use against them when not prepared to tow the party line. No one from SF would turn up for a protest by these families to City hall in Belfast last Saturday. Says it all. Still ruling by fooling.,

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rosegibson | Jun 28, 2012, 10:24 AM EDT

I think the Queen should not have shook hand with McGuinness,him and his comrade's gave the orders to kill Lord Montbatten, McGuinness and Adams are reformed terrorist, who changed their way of life for financial gain,how many houses do each of them own, yesterday I thought has McGuinness spared a thought for all the young men and woman who were sent out on McGuinness's orders to bomb, kill and maim innocent people in Derry, also a lot of these volunteers were also killed, I am sure these victims were turning in their graves at McGuinness meeting the Queen, If Gerry Adams ever becomes leader of our Government, I will emigrate to another European Country, I am an Irish Catholic who condenmms all the atrocities committed by the Provo's in the past, the two of them a living the high life now,

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Bythebay | Jun 27, 2012, 12:09 PM EDT

NYCsheridan, right back at you -- a dinosaur, fraud and bar fly in the Bronx is you.

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Bythebay | Jun 27, 2012, 12:06 PM EDT

sirpeter, on welfare in the US. The Anglo Irish Treaty was effective in 1922. Go shopping with your food stamps.

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Bythebay | Jun 27, 2012, 12:03 PM EDT

NYCsheridan, needs serious remedial literacy, reads whatever she wants into what's said. The most recent citizenship ceremony in Ireland include immigrants from 105 countries.

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Bythebay | Jun 27, 2012, 11:57 AM EDT

ancavker, you obviously never learned Irish history there in the US. Collins signed away Northern Ireland, called the Anglo Irish Treaty.

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seamus60 | Jun 13, 2012, 03:48 PM EDT

Sirpeter. It is the caliber of many good republicans accounts that can`t be ignored. Enjoy.

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sirpeter | Jun 12, 2012, 08:56 PM EDT

seamus60.I have decided to do a little reading and research on this Blanket site.I'll let you know honestly what I think.I don't just skip through what is been written.I like to take my time so I can separate the bullsh*t from the fact.

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seamus60 | Jun 12, 2012, 07:02 PM EDT

Seano. I never inferred that Adams let on to have himself shot. He was shot, With a Magnum 44 only the rounds had been doctored by FRU who actually supplied the weapon to the loyalists for the attack. You really should do a little reading from "The Blanket" site.

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seamus60 | Jun 12, 2012, 06:51 PM EDT

IrelandNorth. I am atempting to impunge no one, Gerry has done that himself. It hardly requires forensic skills either to extract the simularities between Adams and Brady. There as blatant as the fact that some can not see them through what must be called BLIND loyalty. As for the location of these dirty deeds followed by dirtier cover ups. Does it matter ? The victims were inocent children. Why would I bring up members of any other party, more so when the chance of them becoming anything relevant in the 26 are slim to say the least. Is the article not about Adams ? Are you another one with the attitude of they can`t be worse than what went before. Maybe you unlike the others asked can point out all the great achievements of SF since the ceasefires. Excluding the only 2 I know. Them stopping war and getting rich.

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sirpeter | Jun 12, 2012, 11:38 AM EDT

Deano!!Get away from the computer and go to bed.You have school in the morning.

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esatdigiwank | Jun 12, 2012, 10:23 AM EDT

Fianna Fail - they've not gone away you know!

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ancavker | Jun 12, 2012, 10:14 AM EDT

bytheBORE: If you are going to opine on Irish history, you should at least have your facts straight. Collins as sir peter noted did not sign away the six counties it was already done. The Irish civil war was never about partition, as it was assumed by the Irish to be a temporary situation that for the most part would have been addressed by the boundary commission.

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