I really hope that this is not the case and that people vote based on their respective merits as candidates. I have never met Pat McAlinney but based on the manifesto he posted on this site, i think he would do a great job as president. Eamon Fleming would do an equally good job, based his track record in voluntary work for the Special Olympics, Junior Liffey, Liffey Descent etc. In my opinion, we have two equally good candidates coming from different canoeing backgrounds and regions of the country. I'd be happy with whoever wins.NiallB wrote:As far as I can see, the support in those statements isn't so much a vote in favour of Pat McAlhinney as a vote against Eamon flemming.
The really serious election is for the 2 executive spots! People need to think long and hard about this, because i'd have serious concerns about the motives of several candidates. As stated above, we have 5 nominees fighting for 2 spots:
Yvonne Glynn
Mark Clinton
Declan Macdaid
Conor Ryan
Kevin Horan
Yvonne Glynn is head and shoulder the best candidate from that list! As chairperson of WWR she has done a brilliant job with the discipline and by all accounts has been a very constructive and involved member at board level over the past year. As far as i'm aware she has no political baggage associated with the "old regime" and having someone on the executive with a legal qualification can only be a positive thing.
All 4 of the other candidates have in some shape or another, been vocal in their support for Mick Scanlon over the years. This worries me greatly! My preference would probably go to Mark Clinton, for the simple reason that he was not a signatory on the letter of protest and he has not really had much to say about anything in the last year (unlike the others)... As NiallB stated, i cannot for the life of me understand why Conor Ryan is running for a voluntary position so soon after resigning. Whatever his reasons, i do not believe they are for the good of Irish canoeing. For me, Mark Clinton is the best of a bad bunch (Yvonne excluded of course).