Declan Ganley

It is very difficult for a new party to take off in Ireland due to funding rules which favour existing parties.

A stand alone pro life party wont get votes unfortunately but a broader based euro sceptic party with an economic programme aimed at reforming the health service , Gardai and providing proper social housing etc might .Such a party would also need to have local representatives working for local bread and butter issues. This is an unfortunate necessity in Irish political life.

A small party can change the political atmosphere too without winning a majority of seats. The PD party made economic and social liberalism possible for good or for ill. Paul Murphy and his imps helped to get us the most expensive free water in the world and panicked Sinn Fein and Fianna Fail into jumping onto their shiny red free water wagon . A small conservative party would hopefully embolden fellow travellers in the two main parties... we can only wish!

Yes.  I have always felt that it was Ireland that failed, not Ganley.  

I hope you are correct.  Trump and Bannon's hostile takeover of the Republic party has roots going back many years, most recently in the Tea Party movement, which after the 2012 elections most deemed a failure. The discontent embodied in the Tea Party movement spent a long time in the hopper.  It was suppressed but never extinguished, and finally took on a trajectory few would have anticipated when it evolved into Bannonism/Trumpism.  

Absolutely.  A true Irish-American hero.

I agree.  The Republican Party under Trump's leadership looks nothing like the neoliberal, libertarian party under Bush that alienated so much of the Republican base (including myself).  It showed that quick turnaround is possible with powerful leadership and great resolve, where people actually draw a line in the sand and say, "Things have gone too far.  There are ideals to live for that are more powerful and more important than $$$$.  We need to save our country."  

So it would take a small group of highly capable and committed people to get behind a leader of intelligence, vision, and charisma.  To me, Ganley has that kind of appeal because - unlike 99% of Ireland's wealthy - he understands where this country is headed and is rooted in something higher than $$$ - his Catholic faith.  Like Trump, he is a capable executive and not a politician.

Again, going back to Trump - it was an odd rainbow coalition that came together to defeat the Clinton machine. Contrary to what the Fake News media portray, Trump's support base is quite diverse, with one single unifying factor - nationalism/anti-globalism.  This coalition prevailed because they kept it simple.  The same thing could be done here, with anti-abortion as the single unifying factor.  The stumbling block for Ireland is a demographic one in that, unlike America, the Irish economy has prospered greatly under globalism overall.  The number of Irish people suffering is still small relative to the number who live in affluence.  Apathy tends to prevail when times are so good.

An interesting 'degrees of separation' thing about Declan Ganley - he's good friends with Eric Weinstein (the brother of Bret Weinstein of recent notoriety). Eric Weinstein is the managing director of Peter Thiel's Thiel Capital.

Councillor Jennifer Whitmore of the Irish Social democrats and wannabe TD speaking about Fianna Fail - Why would I want to go into a party that is not pro choice?

What a loss for the soldiers of destiny! Still she pointed out the simple fact Fianna Fail is still largely pro life. That is something positive and to have at least one major party on side ,albeit largely unethusiastic to date shows the battle to preserve the 8th can be won .To win a campaign you need a political machine or those who know how to run one.