Frank will tank in Galway West, predicts FG poll

Fianna Fáil is in danger of being reduced to just one seat in the five-seat Galway West in the next general election, according to a private constituency poll commissioned by Fine Gael HQ.

The poll shows the Minister for Social Protection, Éamon Ó Cuív, topping the poll, with the second and third seats going to Fine Gael's Pádraic McCormack and independent TD Noel Grealish. Independent councillor Catherine Connolly and whoever the Labour candidate that replaces Michael D Higgins is will take the fourth and fifth seats.

This leaves veteran Fianna Fáil TD and former cabinet minister Frank Fahey in a very precarious position indeed.

Gilmore to face 'red scare'

Ever since Eamon Gilmore's less than clear recollection of his student politics days on the Marian Finucane Show, Taoiseach Brian Cowen is clearly intent on highlighting the Labour leader's Official Sinn Féin/Workers Party past. There have been numerous digs from Cowen in Dáil proceedings on the issue. Fianna Fáil has even compiled a dossier on Gilmore's past using Scott Millar and Brian Hanley's book The Lost Revolution: The Story of the Official IRA and the Workers' Party. The dossier will be called into use as soon as a general election is called.

Mac the Knife still sharp

As peace almost broke out between the three main government parties last week, in a scenario that would have echoed the 1987 Tallaght Strategy, one of the main players in the original Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael consensus deal was trying to build bridges. Although retired from public life, former finance minister and EU Commissioner Ray MacSharry was all over the local press in Sligo as he called for heads to be knocked together to resolve an impasse over a proposed Eastern bridge in the town.

"The county manager, the councillors, the residents groups and anybody else involved should meet to sort this out because we need to get the bridge built," said Mac the Knife, like it was 1987 all over again.