BONFIRES blazed at Kilkishen Cross on Sunday night to mark Deputy Timmy Dooley’s (FF) remarkable political comeback, securing his Dáil election on the 13th count after an impressive poll-topping performance of 11,313 first preference votes.
Having lost out narrowly in dramatic circumstances to Deputy Joe Carey (FG) in the February 2020 General Election, Deputy Dooley stormed back to the top with an extra 3,550 first preference following a massive canvassing campaign.
The Mountshannon man was concerned about the view he would have an easy passage to the Dáil when former Independent Deputy Michael McNamara was elected as an MEP.
If this became a narrative, Deputy Dooley felt it would be hard to counteract it.
“I felt my downfall in February 2020 was the fact people across the county thought that I was safe. Fianna Fáil developed a strategy to try and win two seats,” he said.
“I was asked by the party to cede significant areas to other candidates, which I gladly did. When you hand that over the public, the word gets out Timmy Dooley doesn’t need votes.
“People who I had worked for and done stuff decided to vote to someone else in order to win two seats. That is very hard to control when it gets out of hand.
“I was starting to worry again when Michael McNamara was gone that is a ‘slam dunk’ now. But when someone like Joe Cooney enters the race who is a proven vote getter I knew that was going to take votes from me, particularly someone who runs for the first time in their locality they tend to do well like I did when I first ran for the Dáil.”
However, Deputy Dooley also acknowledged Cooney’s entry solidified his team who realised they had a real challenge on their hands.
“I knew Joe Cooney would win a seat, so his number twos would never come into play.”
Asked about the support of his family during the campaign, Dooley admitted political life is all consuming that requires the total support of his wife, Emer and daughters, Aisling and Aoife, who were centrally involved in this campaign.
“Until the kids were finished secondary school and went to college, we kept them out of the campaign, away from photographs, because they have to mature,” he said.
“They are adults now and rowed in. My brother and two sisters, my first, second and third cousins and relatives have been with me from the start, remained loyal through good and bad times.
“The 2011 General Election was a low point when I managed to get elected on 6,500 votes.
“I failed to get elected on 7,500 votes nine years later. They gave up their free time and it costs them money driving around the county canvassing. They clearly believe in the party. There are so many other party loyalists and friends who worked day and night on the team.
“It is really humbling when you see the extent of the work people do.
“I feel really pleased for them today because I was heartbroken for them in 2020 because I had made the decision to do the division to win two seats. I had to accept I had failed to do that, but it was my decision.
“The people around me who only wanted to see me elected were disappointed I had put that seat in jeopardy.”
Operating with between 50 and 60 canvassers in Shannon, Senator Dooley said that anyone who was available accompanied him in different parts of the county.
During the weekends, he brought everyone together for a big area and broke it into blocks.
The father-of two went back to basics by stopping off at the entrance to factories at 6am in the morning in wet weather to meet workers before they started their shift.
“It has always worked well. You invariably meet people in the evening who say I saw you this morning. We covered more ground than in 2020.
“From the start of canvassing, people told me I shouldn’t have lost my seat the last time, they thought I was safe and had voted for someone else,” Deputy Dooley said.
Since 2020, Dooley estimated 7,500 people contacted his office, some with multiple representations, having opted to keep it open, despite receiving no official allowance.
He was delighted to secure the services of a “great worker” Mary Foley to deal with office work.
East Clare correspondent, Dan Danaher is a journalism graduate of Rathmines and UL. He has won numerous awards for special investigations on health, justice, environment, and reports on news, agriculture, disability, mental health and community.