Dublin Central could return a pro-Gaza candidate in a general election considered by some to be the most important for a generation.
The largely working class area on north side of the River Liffey is a key battleground where anti-establishment candidates are vying to make an impact when voters go to the polls on Friday. Experts predict the national poll could see success for independents, including those who have championed Gaza amid the war with Israel.
Prime Minister Simon Harris's centre-right Fine Gael is seeking an unprecedented fourth successive term in office, with the country's centre-right coalition parties, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, expected to return to power as a booming economy and record employment throttles support for the main opposition party, Sinn Fein.
However, Mr Harris – who has been dubbed the TikTok Taoiseach for his savvy use of social media – has been forced to apologise in recent days for seemingly treating a disability services worker dismissively, which experts predict could cost him. And concerns around Ireland's housing, migration and the war in Gaza could see an increasingly polarised electorate shift away from traditional parties.
In Dublin Central, those in contention for a seat include a long-time critic of Israel, an anti-immigration activist and a notorious crime boss once accused of a high-profile gangland murder. “Dublin Central will be the one to watch in terms of shocks,” Brendan Flynn, assistant professor and head of political science at the University of Galway, told The National.
While Ireland's parties are agreed on the need for a Gaza ceasefire, some believe the government's response has fallen short, particularly after delaying a contentious bill that would effectively ban trade from Israeli-occupied settlements in the West Bank.
“Ireland, along with a few other countries such as Belgium, Slovenia and Spain, is generally seen as one of the member states most sympathetic to the Palestinian case,” Michael Gallagher, a professor of politics at Trinity College Dublin, told The National. “The Taoiseach, Simon Harris, has stated unequivocally that if [Israeli Prime Minister] Benjamin Netanyahu were to arrive in Ireland he would be arrested on foot of the ICC warrant, and the issue doesn't divide the parties as it might in some countries.”
Independent Clare Daly, 56, is among those who have called for a strong stance against Israel and is hoping be elected as one of the area's four members of parliament, known as teachta dalai. The former member of the European Parliament has styled herself as an anti-war voice and political provocateur for decades. Her and fellow Irish MEP Mick Wallace were criticised in Brussels for their position on Ukraine that was seen as supportive of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ms Daly has accused Israel of “genocide” in Gaza and said that the inability to come to a ceasefire has triggered a “crisis of international law” that demands reform of institutions such as the UN. In December, she criticised European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, saying she presided over foreign policies that “cheerlead a brutal apartheid regime”, dubbing her “Frau Genocide”.
She has a good chance of winning a seat, said Mr Flynn. “This constituency is a very working class constituency,” he said. “There are pockets that are quite well off, but there is a strong tradition of voting for a radical left candidate, which you really don’t have in Ireland. This constituency elected an independent socialist a few years ago, so Clare Daly is basically trying to get her seat back.”
One area that might not appeal to all voters is her stance on immigration, he said, which is an issue that has become less important nationally, but remains more of a concern in seats such as Dublin Central, where encampments have been set up by migrants.
“She doesn’t engage with the migration debate in a way that condemns migrants,” Mr Flynn said. “She is much more nuanced and says it has to do with the government and the way the housing market is run. So if you are someone who is very angry about migration, maybe Clare Daly isn’t for you.”
Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald is likely to be the first of four Dublin Central candidates to be elected to the Dail, Ireland's parliament, on Friday. In the last election in 2020, she won 11,000 first preference votes, nearly three times that of the second placed candidate, Fine Gael's Paschal Donohoe, a former minister for finance.
But recent polling shows overall support for Sinn Fein at 18 per cent, after once being 33 per cent. The slump has been blamed on Sinn Fein's soft-touch migration policy and issues with the party's governance that has taken the gloss off Ms McDonald's reputation.
Sinn Fein has traditionally been seen as a leading voice for Palestine in Ireland long before the Israel-Gaza war broke out on October 7. In its manifesto published last week, Sinn Fein said it would commission an “independent human rights and journalist expert review into the objectivity of coverage by state broadcaster RTE of the Israeli genocide in Gaza and other international conflicts”.
The move was not popular with the coalition leaders. Mr Harris and Tanaiste (deputy PM) and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin both heavily criticised the proposal, with Mr Harris calling it a “dog whistle for conspiracy theorists” and Mr Martin branding it a “dangerous departure”.
Migration
Migration has grown to become a major issue among voters in Ireland. The past year has seen 17,000 people apply for international protection, an increase of 60 per cent over 12 months and beating last year's record numbers.
Ireland's Central Statistics Office reported net migration of 98,700 people in April over the past 12 months, the highest population increase since 2007 when Ireland's Celtic Tiger went bust.
The housing shortage was already chronic, particularly in Dublin, before more than 110,000 refugees arrived from Ukraine in 2021. Figures show that Dublin has some of the most expensive rents in Europe, challenging London, Oslo and Paris despite its small size.
These concerns have brought about resentment among sections of society who feel they are struggling financially despite the economy's rude health. Last year the country's finance ministry recorded an €8.3bn surplus.
Anti-migrant riots broke out in Dublin after an Algerian-born man was arrested and ultimately charged with stabbing several schoolchildren and their teacher at a city centre primary school.
At least 49 people were arrested in the resulting violence which targeted asylum centres and saw widespread looting and attacking of police. Ireland has until now avoided the far-right drift seen in the Netherlands and France but that may be about to change.
The lack of housing for the asylum seekers has led to hundreds being forced to sleep in tents in locations across the capital, with some areas sealed off by authorities to prevent them becoming camp sites.
Pockets of deprivation still exist alongside the offices of tech giants Facebook, Google and LinkedIn, built nearby over the past 20 years.
“Immigration will probably be a little bit higher in a constituency like Dublin Central. But typically what I have heard from people doing canvassing is that the issues are folded up. People are quite pragmatic and say the housing thing and the cost of living thing are two sides of the same coin. They can’t afford rents,” said Mr Flynn.
Malachy Steenson is the candidate likely to get most of the anti-immigration vote through his support and organisation of a number anti-immigration and asylum seeker protests, he said.
“Ireland will end up with one, possibly two deputies who could be described as far-right in the parliament. But they will be independents,” said Mr Flynn. “Independents will do well in this election.”
Gerry “The Monk” Hutch, 61, who grew up in Dublin Central, is another candidate vying for one of the constituency's four seats. Hutch has served time for armed robbery but now he wants to run for parliament as an independent to represent the community where he grew up.
“We have TDs at the moment but we have no representatives, that's what I'm hearing in the street from the people and they've asked me would I go,” Hutch told the Sunday World newspaper's Crime World podcast.
Hutch is one of the few remaining figures of the crime wave that hit Dublin in the 1980s when the city was badly affected by drug addiction and associated crime. Gangland figures became well known to readers of tabloids, which closely followed their rise and eventual fall.
Hutch was nicknamed “The Monk” by journalist Veronica Guerin due to his ascetic lifestyle and unshowy persona. Ms Guerin was murdered in 1996, leading the state to come down heavily on the Dublin underworld in a manner similar to how it dealt with paramilitaries in Northern Ireland.
In 2021, Hutch was extradited from Spain to Ireland to face murder charges over the Regency Hotel shooting in Dublin that left one person dead. The target of the incident, which took place in daylight in front of hundreds of witnesses, was said to be boxing promoter Daniel Kinahan, as part of a long-running feud that has left more than 18 people dead.
Hutch was acquitted of the killings in 2023 following a trial. However, he is now wanted back in Spain in connection with money laundering charges.
“It’s important to point out that he himself has always said he has done his time and he is a reformed character. That’s his line and he’s entitled to that,” said Mr Flynn.
“It’s not unusual for colourful characters to run for election in Ireland. And whether he actually stands a chance at getting elected, I don’t know. Because that constituency has three major colourful candidates, they could cancel each other out in some ways.”
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
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Naga
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Fixture and table
UAE finals day: Friday, April 13 at Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
- 3pm, UAE Conference: Dubai Tigers v Sharjah Wanderers
- 6.30pm, UAE Premiership: Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Premiership – final standings
- Dubai Exiles
- Abu Dhabi Harlequins
- Jebel Ali Dragons
- Dubai Hurricanes
- Dubai Sports City Eagles
- Abu Dhabi Saracens
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Fly Etihad or Emirates from the UAE to Moscow from 2,763 return per person return including taxes.
Where to stay
Trips on the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian cost from US$16,995 (Dh62,414) per person, based on two sharing.
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Third-place play-off: New Zealand v Wales, Friday, 1pm
India Test squad
Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rahul, Vijay, Pujara, Rahane (vc), Karun, Karthik (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Pandya, Ishant, Shami, Umesh, Bumrah, Thakur
KEY%20DATES%20IN%20AMAZON'S%20HISTORY
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How much of your income do you need to save?
The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.
In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)
Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.
The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
Profile
Company: Libra Project
Based: Masdar City, ADGM, London and Delaware
Launch year: 2017
Size: A team of 12 with six employed full-time
Sector: Renewable energy
Funding: $500,000 in Series A funding from family and friends in 2018. A Series B round looking to raise $1.5m is now live.
World ranking (at month’s end)
Jan - 257
Feb - 198
Mar - 159
Apr - 161
May - 159
Jun – 162
Currently: 88
Year-end rank since turning pro
2016 - 279
2015 - 185
2014 - 143
2013 - 63
2012 - 384
2011 - 883
Apple product price list
iPad Pro
11" - $799 (64GB)
12.9" - $999 (64GB)
MacBook Air
$1,199
Mac Mini
$799
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
Bib%20Gourmand%20restaurants
%3Cp%3EAl%20Khayma%0D%3Cbr%3EBait%20Maryam%0D%3Cbr%3EBrasserie%20Boulud%0D%3Cbr%3EFi'lia%0D%3Cbr%3Efolly%0D%3Cbr%3EGoldfish%0D%3Cbr%3EIbn%20AlBahr%0D%3Cbr%3EIndya%20by%20Vineet%0D%3Cbr%3EKinoya%0D%3Cbr%3ENinive%0D%3Cbr%3EOrfali%20Bros%0D%3Cbr%3EReif%20Japanese%20Kushiyaki%0D%3Cbr%3EShabestan%0D%3Cbr%3ETeible%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
RESULT
Manchester United 1 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Man United: Dunk (66' og)
Man of the Match: Shane Duffy (Brighton)
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Match info
Liverpool 3
Hoedt (10' og), Matip (21'), Salah (45 3')
Southampton 0
Tottenham's 10 biggest transfers (according to transfermarkt.com):
1). Moussa Sissokho - Newcastle United - £30 million (Dh143m): Flop
2). Roberto Soldado - Valencia - £25m: Flop
3). Erik Lamela - Roma - £25m: Jury still out
4). Son Heung-min - Bayer Leverkusen - £25m: Success
5). Darren Bent - Charlton Athletic - £21m: Flop
6). Vincent Janssen - AZ Alkmaar - £18m: Flop
7). David Bentley - Blackburn Rovers - £18m: Flop
8). Luka Modric - Dynamo Zagreb - £17m: Success
9). Paulinho - Corinthians - £16m: Flop
10). Mousa Dembele - Fulham - £16m: Success
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20HyveGeo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abdulaziz%20bin%20Redha%2C%20Dr%20Samsurin%20Welch%2C%20Eva%20Morales%20and%20Dr%20Harjit%20Singh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECambridge%20and%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESustainability%20%26amp%3B%20Environment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24200%2C000%20plus%20undisclosed%20grant%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVenture%20capital%20and%20government%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
