Killaloe voters reluctant to give General Election views

Convent Hill, Killaloe is regarded as a good location to ascertain the main issues affecting punters in the midst of the recession in the twin communities of Killaloe and Ballina.

A steady stream of students from St Anne’s Community College head for the local Supervalu while shoppers drop in to make purchases in the Convent Hill shopping complex.
There was no shortage of people coming to and from the complex, yet when some of them are asked about the General Election their demeanour suddenly changed and a leisurely stroll turned into a brisk run.
To be fair, it was a week before Taoiseach Brian Cowen eventually did the decent thing to dissolve Dáil Eireann and call a General Election for February 25.
General Election fever certainly hadn’t gripped people in Killaloe and Ballina judging by the extreme reluctance of several locals to be interviewed about the main issues for local voters.
Every effort was made to ensure that The Clare Champion reporter and photographer didn’t look like the dreaded canvasser looking for a vote and the word survey was carefully chosen to try and entice a few interviewees.
Apart from one or two people who were camera-shy about having a small head shot published in the ‘Champion, the words “election” and “politician” were enough to frighten a considerable number of possible victims.
Eventually some gentle persuasion and arm-twisting encouraged a few to give their views on the main issues affecting voters in the forthcoming election.
Six out of the ten surveyed identified job creation and stimulating an economic revival as the main issues facing the local electorate.
However, there was no optimism that any of the main political parties or independent candidates could turn around the spiralling unemployment and emigration in the short term.
Concern about cronyism, lack of openness, transparency and honesty in the political system were other key messages, which shone through for those who were surveyed.
People were also angry about the Government fuelled property bubble during the Celtic Tiger, which created a false paper economy based on generating income through the over supply of private housing, which created over inflated house prices.
The bankers and light touch regulation came in for some sharp criticism but there was also some sympathy for beleaguered Taoiseach, Brian Cowen with one contributor blaming reckless lending by the banks and the absence of regulation for the country’s economic woes.
Local issues including the provision of community facilities for teenagers who effectively have nothing to do if they don’t play sport or music and the completion of the long-awaited new river crossing and Killaloe town bypass were also highlighted as priorities.