Declan Lynch: Maria Steen's tremendous irony, Marty Morrissey does his best with Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and Johnny Cash in the dancehalls

"You could argue that the spoilt votes in the presidential election, especially those on which Maria Steen's name had been scrawled, were an expression of rage against the ­political machine. You could argue that the "establishment" should just have waved her nomination through, regardless of the rules which bind everyone else."

"But what is beyond argument is the fact there was an irony here - a tremendous irony - which you felt sure would finally be raised during her major post-election interview on RTÉ1's This Week (RTÉ1, Sundays, 1pm)."

Spoilt votes bearing Maria Steen's name are presented as an expression of voter rage directed at the political machine. An alternative view holds that the establishment should have accepted her nomination regardless of the usual rules. The rules governing nominations are depicted as binding on everyone, implying that exceptions would be unjustified. A clear and striking irony is identified in the sequence of events, with expectation that that irony would be addressed during her major post-election interview on RTÉ1's This Week (RTÉ1, Sundays, 1pm). The situation highlights tensions between voter sentiment, procedural fairness, and media scrutiny.

Read at Independent