Labour’s triumph

EDITORIAL

AFTER lying dormant for almost 20 years, the Labour Party’s red rose has bloomed once again in County Clare. Michael McNamara from Scariff will take his seat in the 31st Dáil next week as one of a record number of 37 Labour Party deputies.

The symbolic red rose was sported by many of Mr McNamara’s supporters after he became Clare’s newest TD in the early hours of Sunday morning last. In a performance that mirrored that of Dr Moosajee Bhamjee’s success for Labour in 1992, Mr McNamara turned conventional wisdom on its head as he was elected second past the post in the four-seater constituency.

Pre-election, he was viewed as second favourite behind former Independent TD James Breen to take a seat, if it was a case of two Fine Gael and one Fianna Fáil TD. His chances vastly improved if Fianna Fáil’s support collapsed completely. ‘Tony Killeen’s seat’ was there for Breen but the Clare electorate, who have sprung so many surprises in the past, did it again. McNamara was the chosen one; Breen had enjoyed his glory in 2002 and had to settle for a fifth place finish, 1,501 votes behind Timmy Dooley.
As in the Spring Tide election, Labour’s core vote of around 2,000 in Clare swelled, this time to almost 8,600, a 14.6% share of the first preference votes. This result reflects not only the increased country-wide support for Labour but also Mr McNamara’s own personal appeal, especially among disillusioned Fianna Fáil people.
Disillusioned and shocked is probably how best to describe Fianna Fáil supporters’ reaction to the drubbing in Clare; the party winning just one seat for the first time ever. The party’s share of the first preference votes plummeted from 44% to 22% and the best that could be said is that it was a few points better than the national average.
On last Friday’s General Election vote in Clare, there was no way Fianna Fáil had any hope of retaining a second seat, previously held by Tony Killeen, who did not seek re-election.
With the quota at 11,584, Timmy Dooley (6,789) and Dr John Hillery (6,015) managed to pull just 12,804 first preference votes between them.
It was pretty difficult for seasoned Fianna Fáilers to witness the 2007 poll topper, Timmy Dooley, taking the last seat without reaching the quota.
Voters well intended that Fianna Fáil should get the message in such a fashion. It was payback time for the woes that have befallen them under the watch of the Fianna Fáil led government. The banking debacle, the wrecked economy, cutbacks of all descriptions, especially in the weekly pay packet, all came back to haunt Fianna Fáil.
Fine Gael might have increased its share of first preference votes by 7.1% to 42.3% since the 2007 General Election but McNamara’s strong performance scuppered any outside chance Tony Mulcahy had of heading to the Dáil with Pat Breen and Joe Carey.
With some supporters clinging on to the notion that a third seat was possible if there was a fourth Fine Gael candidate in the field to hoover up extra votes; strategists insist their 24,524 first preferences indicate otherwise. There was, they say, far too much ground to make up to seriously challenge for a third seat. No doubt, when the scale of the party’s achievement in winning 76 Dáil seats sinks in, local disgruntlement should ease.
Seasoned campaigner James Breen might have been way ahead of the pack as an Independent vote-catcher in Friday’s election but people sat up and took notice of another non-aligned candidate, Brian Markham. The youngest candidate in the field at 23, he polled a very creditable 1,543 first preference votes and climbed to 2,157 before his elimination after the eighth count.
Based on his performance, the international athlete from West Clare would be a good bet for a seat on Clare County Council in two years and time is well on his side to work towards a career in national politics. Apart from following how Brian Markham fares in the singlet of his club, county or country, his progress in the political field should also be closely observed.
So what of the four TDs we’ve sent to bat for us in Dáil Éireann? It will be a complete role reversal for the three outgoing TDs who were returned.
Pat Breen and Joe Carey, along with newcomer Michael McNamara, are destined to occupy the crowded government benches once the details of the inevitable Fine Gael/Labour coalition are formally agreed. Timmy Dooley, as one of the 20 survivors of the Fianna Fáil cull, is sure to be given a shadow spokesman role.
Whether it is in government or opposition, it is critical that our TDs present a united front when championing issues that relate directly or indirectly to County Clare.
We’ve had so much cloak and dagger politics from the outgoing Fianna Fáil administration that the unvarnished truth, no matter how bad, will be perfectly acceptable.
Times are tough and are going to get even worse before there’s any slight improvement in the patient that is the Irish economy.
There’s no doubt that Clare’s quartet of TDs have got themselves into positions that few would envy when you consider the quantity of bitter medicine the Dáil will have to dispense in an effort to cure the country’s ills.
Clare’s three new government TDs are under no illusions about the likelihood of meeting the same fate as many outgoing Fianna Fáil TDs if they don’t shape up. They should be acutely aware that this election has shown that party loyalty can no longer be taken for granted and there is a heavy price to be paid for letting people down.
Timmy Dooley’s transfer to the opposition benches won’t save him from censure either, as Fianna Fáil’s bad record will register in people’s minds for a long time to come.
As they face into the 31st Dáil, we wish all four Clare TDs every success and hope they serve us well.