Politics can be a dangerous business. There was a time the threat only came from nosey curiosity, jealousy and political point scoring. Now, though, there is a clear and present danger to not only politicians themselves, but their spouses, families and homes.
Already this year we have seen bomb scares at the home of Justice Minister Helen McEntee and protesters converge on the home of Taoiseach Simon Harris. Nobody is disputing anyone’s right to protest, or that there are ample reasons for people to feel cheesed off with much of what’s going on in this country presently. But there are ways of making those protests that stop well short of threatening or intimidating politicians or their families. Regardless of anybody’s political persuasion.
When I first got involved in politics – at the time of the local elections 25 years ago – the nearest to abuse that was encountered was when the candidate with whom I was working was accused of ‘bringing the lad in the wheelchair out looking for the sympathy vote’. Be under no illusion, the lad in the wheelchair was there very much of his own volition. Though if you do want an ironic twist, here it is.
Those who were at the heart of the sympathy vote dung were aligned to the party one had initially expressed an interest in joining but wasn’t even afforded the courtesy of a response.
That said, the whole ordeal did put me off direct involvement in politics for the best part of a decade, but when my dear, departed desperately missed friend and colleague the late Cllr Damien O’Reilly, the question didn’t even have to be asked.
Now, following Damien’s tragic death last September, with great courage, fortitude and all of his selfless dedication, his cousin Caroline took on the seat and thankfully retained it in the most recent Council Elections.
With a General Election surely months away at most, thoughts automatically turn to the fact that, with the Meath East constituency now being a six seater, there’s little doubt Damien would’ve been an absolute shoo-in for a seat.
Sadly, on that score, we can now only wonder what might have been. However, his presence is never far from any of us. But most especially for Caroline who is putting her own chapters to the O’Reilly political dynasty. Who knows where it might end up.
Mind you, political dynasties being re-ignited – and some being quelled – were some of the main stories of Local and European election outcomes. Gloriously atop any such amalgam has to be the election of the now Cllr Cathal Haughey in Dublin Fingal.
No guesses in whose honour he was named. A grandson of the great man and great-grandson of Sean Lemass, political pedigrees don’t come more thoroughbred. Hope and expectation would be that he will be a Flashing Steel on the Irish political scene for a long time to come.
At this time, it should be acknowledged that, relatively speaking, Aontu appeared to have incrimentally strenghtened their position, with Eimear Toibin – sister of party leader, Peadar, getting a huge vote in Navan and Peter Whelan polling very well in the Slane area.
However, where there are winners – even relatively speaking – there have to be losers and, as was always going to be the case, the mere presence of Aontu on the ballot was always going to split the vote of those that way inclined with Peadar Toibin having left Sinn Fein to form Aontu.
Mind you, SF would fit perfectly with Joe Brolly’s recent description of the Mayo football team, roughly translated – talk a good game, make all the right noises but clueless in terms of strategy.
Perhaps understandably, Mary Lou McDonald came in for much criticism at the time of the last General Election because it was felt that the party didn’t field enough candidates when they had the electoral bounce with them.
Well, this time around, it was a case of from the fridge to the furnace as they over-saturated the ‘market’ and, in effect, split their own already split vote still further. Which resulted in one of their political power families suffering a humiliating reversal with Maria Ui Ruairc – wife of Meath East TD Darren O’Rourke – losing her seat in the Ratoath LEA.
Looking at the bigger picture, with regard to the European Elections, there can be little doubting the major news story, that being the election of Nina Carberry on the Fine Gael ticket and Fianna Fail’s Barry Cowen. However, the best news of all for the Irish electorate was surely the bulls*** bubble in which Clare Daly and Mick Wallace cocooned themselves for the last decade and a half was well and truly busted.
Nobody putting themselves up for election should have to justify their being there. Which is what made some of the insulting, ignorant commentary surrounding Nina’s candidacy all the more nauseating. Right, she may not have had the political experience of some of her contemporaries, but what she might lack there, she more than makes up for with an engaging personality and an intuitive understanding of rural and agricultural life and its importance to the national economy.
Barry Cowen will obviously be another strong voice for the nation in the continental parliament where, in all fairness, Ciaran Cuffe of the Green Party will genuinely be a loss. Though with Nina, Barry and, especially, Ciaran Mullooly batting for rural Ireland, matters pertaining to same appear to be in safe hands.
That said, it’s only natural that with Mr Cowen and Deputy Michael McNamara of Labour – among others – relinquishing Dail seats to go to Brussels, presumably there will now be bye elections to fill the resultant vacancies.
Personally speaking, hope and expectation would be that Lorcan Cowen would be the next generation of the great Clara clan to step up to the plate. While, if there is a contest for McNamara’s seat, Timmy Dooley is likely to be at the forefront of those in pursuance of filling the vacancy.
A cynic might say that dispatching Barry Cowen – and indeed – Michael McGrath to Brussels represents quiet but shrewd manoeuvring by Micheal Martin, taking the two most likely heirs to him as Leader out of the picture. Just as Bertie Ahern did with Charlie McCreevey back in the 1990s.
The irony is, of course, that where it has been traditionally standard practice for Government parties to take a hiding in local and European elections, yet this time around the most unlikely of coalitions main parties both received substantial endorsements from the electorate while the extra baggage they don’t need, and those who had been strutting around like peacocks proclaiming themselves as the incoming saviours got well and truly stuffed.
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