Protest at Our Lady's Childrens Hospital, Crumlin

Seeing the numbers at the protest to save services in Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin was a little bit upsetting. I would estimate that just over 100 people were there. Where was everyone else? If people are able to go out and say how upset they are that Michael Jackson died, why don’t they get out and show their support for Irish children that could die if there are further cuts to the wards and staff in Crumlin hospital?

Dr. James Reilly, Fine Gael spokesman for health (above) spoke along with several parents of children who are waiting on operations at the hospital or are currently being treated there. Cllr Joan Collins (who did an interview on this blog here) led the chants of “Harney Harney Harney, OUT OUT OUT!” , “Brendan Drumm can you hear, we don’t want your cutbacks here” and “I don’t know but I have seen, the HSE is a death machine”.

The people who did turn out should be applauded for coming out, but where was everyone else? This hospital caters for all of the children nationwide, not just Dublin children. The next protest is on July 25th, please show your support.

You can access the campaign to save Our Lady's Children's Hospital in Crumlin's website here.

Victory for Byrne, Collins, Upton and McGinley in Crumlin-Kimmage

Councillor Eric Byrne of the Labour party has come in at number one in the Crumlin-Kimmage ward of Dublin City Council. Mr Byrne and fellow Labour candidate Henry Upton emerged with 39.7% of the first preference vote in Crumlin-Kimmage.

People Before Profit candidate Joan Collins (formerly Independent) came in with the second highest first preference vote, elected with 17.4%- compare this to her taking of 4.6% of the first preference in the 2007 general election. The supporters of Ms Collins broke into song (singing “the people, united, will never be divided”) as she was elected at around 8pm today.

The final seat was hotly contested between Ruairi McGinley (Fine Gael), Ray McHugh (Sinn Fein) and Charlie Ardagh (Fianna Fail). McGinley had 13.1% of the first preference vote, McHugh had 8.7% and Ardagh had 13.2%. After Ray McHugh was eliminated, only 6 votes separated McGinley and Ardagh at one stage; however the Fine Gael candidate eventually won out in the end.

Of the other candidates running in the consituency; Tony McDermott of the Green Party had 6.9% of the first preference (McDermott got 5.8% of the first preference in General Election 2007), and Ray Kelly of the Christian Solidarity Party got 1%.