Sinn Féin has hit a glass ceiling in Irish politics and this is one of the most interesting examples of how Irish voters do not like extremes. Sinn Féin should have made hay in these polls, given the collapse in Fianna Fáil’s support. Instead, it has lost its only European seat and has failed to add anything to its list of local councillors

Libertas leader Declan Ganley lost 3,000 votes in the European Parliament poll after his demand for an investigation into the allocation of ballots embarrassingly backfired.

HE MAY not possess matinee idol looks, or the drawl of Sean Connery, but Brian Cowen has emerged as an unlikely movie star in his own short biopic.

YOUR Europe correspondent, Ann Cahill, makes a number of questionable claims in her criticisms of Declan Ganley and Libertas (December 15).

LIBERTAS leader Declan Ganley launched his pan-European movement promising accountability and transparency, but refused to answer questions from the Irish Examiner.

LIBERTAS chairman and millionaire businessman Declan Ganley says he will sue RTÉ over a recent investigative programme exploring his background.

The head of Libertas says his group wants to turn next year's European elections into a proxy referendum on Europe.

EUROSCEPTIC Czech president Václav Klaus yesterday bluntly warned the Taoiseach his country would not fast-track the Lisbon treaty when it takes over the EU in January.

FRENCH president Nicolas Sarkozy was accused of being “out of step” with political realities after floating the idea that Ireland and Britain should share a European commissioner.

EUROPE Minister Dick Roche has claimed Libertas spent up to €3 million on its campaign opposing the Lisbon treaty in the run-up to last month’s referendum.

ANTI-LISBON group Libertas praised the “wisdom and courage” of Irish people yesterday for voting no, but insisted Taoiseach Brian Cowen now had a mandate to get a better deal for Ireland in Europe.

The Referendum Commission was accused of being “utterly biased” by suggesting in its information booklet that Ireland’s neutrality will not be affected by the Lisbon treaty.

“NEOCONS, Trotskyites and Spuc-ers” opposed to the Lisbon Treaty have dominated the campaign much to the yes camp’s frustration, Green Party TD Ciarán Cuffe said yesterday.

FINE GAEL TD Lucinda Creighton has been criticised after comments she made attacking America’s stance on the EU were highlighted by a prominent US newspaper ahead of Mr Ahern’s speech.

GAY MITCHELL accused Libertas (Letters, April 1) of misleading the public about the Lisbon treaty — yet he has not a word to say about the mass deception involved in the treaty itself.

THURSDAY, June 12, is the date favoured by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern for the Lisbon Treaty referendum, he indicated at the end of an EU summit in Brussels.