Mary Fitzgibbon: Independent
A very nice and relaxing chat with Mary Fitzgibbon, who ran as an independent in Ireland South in the very recent European Elections.
Although Mary wasn’t successful in the Euros, she still did relatively well for a candidate that ran as an Independent and without any party backing – getting a total vote of 8328 votes – something that is very difficult to do in Ireland for a variety of reasons – money, support, lack of media attention and general voting apathy.
We chat about the difficulties running as an Independent in Ireland, plus her views on the election results, immigration, the loss of our sovereignty and the family…..
Twitter: MaryforEurope2024 @MEurope20249511
Mary’s Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@marye.fitzgibbon1666
Mary Fitzgibbon
Independent
I’m a Nurse, Midwife & Lecturer in Nursing & HealthCare Sciences. We’re experiencing rapid demographic changes with large scale emigration of our young people & falling birth rates. My EU focus is on sovereignty, immigration, neutrality, family life, the right to life, agriculture & small business.
Priorities
Immigration
Ireland is experiencing unprecedented migration both legal and illegal and it is threatening social cohesion, impacting services, health & housing.
Defence
Ireland is a neutral country and we need to be at the forefront of efforts to bring about peace. War is a defeat for humanity. Let’s work for peace.
Agriculture
Irish farmers are struggling with over-regulation, environmental unfairness & removal of the nitrates derogation. I will prioritise farming in Europe.
Read my other interviews with the great and the good here
Anyway back in 2022 there was massive advertising of this stout on the TV with millions poured into their marketing campaign and a really big push, a new beer with an exciting “new Edge“, hence the name, and so I went and bought a few cans of it what with all the hype and all.
Was to be found throughout the country in supermarkets, off – licenses, and in bars and pubs, where it could also be got on draught. 
The taste is very creamy on the tongue, a good full bodied taste for sure, its not bad and is similar to a Guinness, at least initially, but on the long stretch it doesn’t have the kick of a Guinness and perhaps that’s what they were looking for…… a light, smoother version of a heavy stout. if that’s what they were going for then they have achieved that, but for me, a man who does like his stouts, then its not so good. 
It has capitalised on the new found fad of “Mediterranean style lagers” started by Peroni, and followed on by Birra Moretti and Estrella Damm. With people just recovering after Covid, Madrí offered one a chance to enjoy a bit of the Med without the effort of getting on a plane. It was a huge hit, as the lager boomed in sales, and from its launch in October 2020 it has managed to be sold in over 10,000 bars and pubs to becoming one of the fastest growing beer brands in Ireland and the UK. Not bad for a beer that no one knew pre Covid! 
So what about the La Sagra Brewery, the connection to Spain? Well this is a craft firm in Spain that was bought out by Coors in 2017. La Sagra, are actually not based even in Madrid at all, but an hour’s drive from the centre of Spain’s capital city. So much for their slogan “El Alma de Madrid” (“the soul of Madrid”), brewed in the north of England, for the Irish and UK market and with a heavy reference to Madrid! OK!.
I got mine in a lovely big bottle but it also comes in cans and in draught in selected venues. The bottle is well designed, with lovely big red and white lettering and the Spanish looking guy, it certainly stands out and one can see why people pick it up so easy in the off license. 
Onto the taste and oh man……..urgh…….a very sweet and very sickly taste……this tastes like a pissy lager, very bland and nothing special at all that stands out…….this is just another bad lager in a market full of bad lagers, but this time a Spanish version…..or a make believe Spanish version!