Search Results for 'Political corruption'

One does not have to dig very deep into the archives to find evidence of wholescale corruption, pervasive nepotism, and general theft of public monies by public representatives and officials in nineteenth-century Mayo.

During the Georgian era, powerful Protestant families owned large tracts of land throughout County Mayo and the province of Connacht. The Castlebar based Bingham family, together with the descendants of Sir Arthur Gore (1685-1742), formed a family compact or oligarchy through marriage and blood whereby political appointments and other influential positions would be secured among themselves. In an era when marriage was determined by the spirit of collateral calculation, the children of Sir Arthur Gore and Elizabeth Annesley would cement the oligarchy.

The primary duty of any government is to keep its people safe, yet, at present, many Irish citizens are living in fear as serious violence escalates across the country says Renua candidate for Mayo Michael Farrington. The candidate for next weeks election said that "The front pages of our newspapers are dominated by graphic images of violent and deadly crimes and, more recently, the funerals of some major Irish criminals, who believe that murder is an acceptable way to end a dispute. It is somewhat ironic that these criminals have no respect for the laws of this country and, no respect for the lives of the many innocent people their behaviour puts at risk, and yet they will have no trouble hiding behind our laws, demanding its protection and “their rights”.The attitude of the late Coalition towards criminality has been characterised by inactivity and apathy."

Dear Editor,

Sinn Féin councillor Thérèse Ruane has called for an end to corruption and cronyism and the cosy relationships between governments and big business interests. “It is obvious, the ‘golden circle’ of the 1980s is alive and well in Irish politics and our reputation as a country is being damaged internationally,” Cllr Ruane commented.