First printed in The Irish Times on February 24, 2015 Jillian Godsil found to have been ‘directly instrumental’ in bringing about a change in the law A woman has been awarded the costs of her legal challenge which prompted legislation allowing undischarged bankrupts to run for Dáil and European elections. Jillian Godsil — an Independent who stood in the European and local elections last May on an anti-debt platform — had asked the Supreme Court to award her the costs of herHigh Court challenge which was withdrawn when the Government changed the law. A three-judge Supreme Court unanimously ruled she is entitled to her full High Court costs. She was also awarded her costs in the Supreme Court. Following the withdrawal of her action when the law was changed last year, the President of the High Court, Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns, said she was only entitled to the administrative outlay costs, including stamp duty on filing documents. Giving the Supreme Court’s decision awarding her all her costs, Mr Justice William McKechnie said Ms Godsil had been “directly instrumental” in bringing about a change in the law relating to bankruptcy which had stood since 1923. While […]
Continue readingCategory Archives: 2014 elections
History is littered with the successes of failures
I am no longer campaigning I am no longer a Wicklow county council candidate I am not longer a European Parliament candidate I am no longer pressed on all sides for my opinion on topics as diverse as youth, LGBT, energy and age I no longer get to sign pledges with impressive looking organisations My phone has stopped beeping every two seconds Journalists have stopped ringing me Radio stations no longer want to talk to me TV is no longer calling I am now officially in a vacuum in which I can draw breathe and relax So while I failed in my attempt to get elected what were my successes? I successfully changed the law on April 16, 2014, and from there launched my European campaign I was successful in earning 11,500 votes from people across the Ireland South constituency I was successful in earning 250 votes from local Wicklow people I was successful in speaking on radio with LE candidates I was successful in speaking on radio with fellow EP candidates I was successful in appearing on television with fellow EP candidates I was successful in appearing in print and online articles across the region I […]
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Running the Race
Sunday morning, 25 May 2014 I have run the race and am reaching the end. I have yet to cross the line but it is in sight. My legs are sore, my breathing laboured and there are rubs on my feet. There are many ahead of me; a goodly pack of politicians, first timers, old timers, new seekers, tired thinkers, young ones, old ones and inbetween ones. There are even one or two stragglers behind me. We have all run our race, some with parties, some without, some with zeal, some with polish, some with ideas quite divergent and some with ideas that are as old as the earth we cross. In this race there were moments when people slipped, were pushed or just fell. Mostly the other runners skipped over or ran around the runner on the ground. It was rare a hand was held out by another runner; it is not that kind of race. But it was common for the spectators to rush forward and pull the runner to his feet, to push water into his hand and to chivvy him on his way. No runner left behind, not until the fat lady sings anyway. When I […]
Continue readingGiving Thanks
I want to give thanks for my children, Georgina and Kathryn I want to give thanks for my mum Mary and my five siblings: Arthur, Ena, Richard, Ann and John I want to give thanks for my nephews and nieces I want to give thanks for my friends I want to give thanks for my neighbours I want to give thanks for my acquaintances I want to give thank for strangers who gave me a kind word I want to give thanks to everyone who helped me along the way I want to give thanks for every kind wish sent my way I want to give thanks for everyone who listened to me I want to give thanks for being alive and well and full of joy I give thanks
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Debt is the single biggest issue of our century – Primetime Monday 19, 2014
Debt is the single biggest issue facing the Irish people this century both on a national and European stage. When history comes to be written the issue of debt in our time will be as big an issue as the famine was in the 19th century. And ironically, the misery caused by both – the deaths, suicides, emigration and homelessness – are utterly preventable. We know that we hold 42 percent of the debt from the banking crisis in Europe. We also know this is wrong, that this is an unjust debt, an odious debt. The current government was voted in three years ago with an overwhelming mandate to renegotiate this debt but they did nothing. They did not even ask for a single cent back. This is why I want to go to Europe to right that wrong. Why should you send me to Europe? I have personally felt the impact of austerity in a real and painful fashion. Last year the banks repossessed my home, my business failed and bailiffs called to my door. I tried the Insolvency Service but I was too broke. I was forced to go bankrupt. But as I hit rock […]
Continue readingShane Ross endorses Jillian Godsil – with Diarmuid O’Flynn
Deputy Shane Ross has announced he is endorsing my candidacy for Ireland South in the upcoming European European elections. He has also taken the unusual step of endorsing a fellow Independent Candidate Diarmuid O’Flynn, founder of the Ballyhea Protestors. We are both running in Ireland South. The election is on May 23rd. Last night Shane announced on Twitter: I will endorse both Jillian Godsil AND Diarmuid O’Flynn for Europe. Two noble independent battlers. Both deserve seats. Sorry decision delay. Please find his tweet here This is an outstanding day for democracy. Irish citizens now have the option to vote for the people of their choice and not be curtailed by party politics. It sends a clear signal to the government that Independents are the new Opposition. I personally am very honoured to have received Shane’s endorsement. I am also proud to be endorsed alongside Diarmuid O’Flynn whose dedication to Ireland and justice is unrivalled, To be named by one Irish patriot in the company of another is a wonderful day indeed. I came to prominence over the past three years when I very publicly documented my personal descent into financial misery; divorce and recession combined to force the collapse […]
Continue readingDebt is Divisive
Debt is Divisive If you prefer you can listen to this essay here in part I, part II and part III – in total it takes less than ten minutes to listen to all three recordings. Let us be very clear about this issue. Debt is divisive. At the risk of being inflammatory, it gets the same level of mixed emotion as the R word. Depending on your perspective, and level of solvency, it can be a very dirty word. Debt is genuinely divisive. Where the needle turns is when the system breaks down, as it has done on an international basis. We are now living in unchartered waters where the rules have changed and the language is polarised. We need to understand what debt is, how we got into it, how we get out of it – and how we deal with debt when the system is broken. And we need to do this without the rhetoric of hate, shame and scapegoating. Nobody said debt was easy but it doesn’t need to be so hard. And it doesn’t need to cost life – no more please. Let’s consider debt. In the good ole days, getting into debt was a […]
Continue readingExclusive – first online only poster for a European Candidate
Welcome to my world. A world without posters littering the highways and the byways. A world where the candidates actually look like their photograph (and are taken recently). And a world where the candidate asks politely if you will please vote for them. Please vote for me!
Continue readingI can stop sleeping with my assenters now
You’ll be glad to hear that I can stop sleeping with my assenters now. For the past two weeks I have done nothing but talk, breathe and sleep my assenters. In my tiny house, my centre of elections has been my bedroom and as the days moved closer to the nominations date, I slept on less and less of my bed as the assenter forms took over. It was the filmic equivalent of the march of the assenter forms. I should pause to explain. In lieu of a financial deposit, candidates can collect assenter forms. For local elections 15 are required, for European a weighty 60 are needed. These forms do not commit the assenter to supporting the candidate, voting for the candidate or even suggesting the candidate is of sound mind. However each and every assenter must be a registered voter in the same constituency as the candidate. And, here is where it gets difficult, each assenter must have their form witnessed by a garda or a commissioner of oaths. It was suggested that it might be easier to lodge a deposit and I cannot argue with that sentiment, except when the modest deposit of €100 for the local […]
Continue readingIt is that simple – really!
History is littered with examples of ordinary people making the impossible possible Think Rosa Parkes and the civil rights movement Think of that student in front of the Tank in Tiananmen Square Think of the little boy and the Emperor’s New Clothes (ok he was fictional) Think of the power of someone who has nothing to lose and everything to gain Think of me and give me your vote on May 23rd I have changed the law. I can do so much more. Send me to Europe to ask for our money back. Ralph Waldo Emerson: ‘You have not failed until you have quit trying.’ Visit An Uncomfortable Truth documentary here
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