15 Nov 2011

Fianna Fail


Once Ireland’s largest and most successful political party Fianna Fail were trounced at the last general election.  Going into the 2011 general election Fianna Fail had 70 seats out of a total of 166 in Dail Eireann, this was reduced to 20 after the election.

For almost seventy years Fianna Fail was Ireland’s largest political party. Every past Fianna Fail leader  became Taoiseach at some stage in their career.  The soldiers of destiny had a vast appeal to many in Ireland. They were seen as the true Republican Party and the party of the people.

Fianna Fail in many ways build modern Ireland. Éamon de Valera established Irelands constitution, Sean Lemass industrialised the country and Ray MacSharry pushed through the necessary budget cutbacks which led Ireland to growth in the 1990’s.

The month of September 2008 was the beginning of the end for a once proud party. The bank guarantee was rushed into without any consultation.This led to the state having to pick up the tab for all of the banks debts.

For eleven years Ireland ran a budget surplus and Fianna Fail were able to introduce popular budgets. This all changed in 2008 when the economy imploded and Ireland’s finances spun out of control.  

From 2008 to 2011 Fianna Fail had to introduce some of the toughest budget cutbacks in decades.  For a population reeling from cutbacks and job losses Fianna Fail was identified as the party who blew the boom.  

The ultimate death nail in the coffin of Fianna Fail was the arrival of the IMF in November 2010. Fianna Fail was forced to effectively sign away Ireland economic sovereignty because of the disastrous way they ran the economy.  

Fianna Fail has a long history of corruption and cronyism and political opportunism which have being responsible for wrecking Irelands economy many times. In the past Fianna Fail escaped any blame be getting out of Government before having to introduce tough budget measures.But from 2008 to 2011 they had to introduce budget cutbacks due to their own mismanagement and this was meet with anger by the people of Ireland.

The soldiers of destiny have a bleak future many people have rightly identified them as the main culprits in Irelands economic decline. Fianna Fail politicians both past and present still blame everyone else but themselves for Irelands collapse. 

Despite having destroyed Ireland for a generation many of the ministers which were in cabinet over the past three years get gold plated pensions and payoffs. While rest of the country is suffering from job losses and austerity, ex Fianna Fail minister are at home counting their money.

2 comments:

  1. Interesting to see if the recent humiliation at the polls will be permanent and if so, if it will lead to the establishment of more conventional, left/right politics in Ireland.

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  2. Hey Stephen, nice topic for your blog. The only thing is, reading it could put me into something of a rage. 11 years of budget surplus and then the IMF. Its not like I didn't already know it but when you put it so bluntly...and then throw in the Lehmans line, AAAAAARRRRRRHHHHHHH

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