For many candidates, tomorrow (Monday ) brings a new reality. They will wake up facing new challenges in their lives. On Friday, they had a future in politics. Now that has all changed. But changing career and adjusting to life after politics is never easy, especially if youv’e made a name for yourself in the old profession.
Two of Galway’s senators have made names far beyond what would be expected.
Fidelma Healy Eames has seemed to court controversy with every twist and turn. But her name is indeed a household one. Without any great electoral success to her belt, just mention her name in any conversation and you get a reaction, positive and negative, anywhere in the country. In her short political career, FHE has made an impact.
But now it’s hit a rut in the road.
It wasn’t meant to be this way. Back in 2011, there was the vision that she would be the leading FGer in the region. And that her experience in education may have seen her get some form of portfolio in her area of expertise.
It all seemed to be happening for Fidelma — but her campaign was incident-filled and her support fell just short of what was required.
But then it all went wrong and the intervening four years have been about righting that wrong. However, leaving the party on a point of principle was a decision that always seemed to be the wrong one when it came to assessing her electoral chances. Whatever chance she had with the resources of a party behind her, this campaign was threadbare.
A series of incidents that kept her in the public eye ensured that her profile remained high, but the unforgiving social media age never let her forget the ‘fraping’ and ‘wiffy’ episodes.
So what now for Fidelma? Inevitably, she will return to the sphere of education and keep an eye on any possible second General Election later in the year. But there must come a time when a decision has to be taken on whether there is ever a viable chance of election to the Dail. The electorate has failed to back her in several polls now and she must be asking herself if she will continue to put herself forward.
The same goes for Lorraine Higgins. She did quote well bucking the Labour trend, and how she must be regretting this week that she did not make the move to Fianna Fail before her old adversary Colm Keaveney did. If she had, she may well have been hoisted shoulder high at the weekend.
Lorraine was also constantly in the public eye, most notably as part of her campaign against cyberbullying.
Because of this, she was labelled as being a patron of a nanny state, seeking restrictions on a platform that in reality knows no boundaries in terms of intensity of expression. In politics, she was a target and this gave her a persona that never fazed her, but which in the end, shaped her.
Lorraine’s background is in the law, but her experience in the Seanad will open a lot of doors for her in terms of a career move.
Derek Nolan too wakes up this week having to change career. He was bitterly disappointed to lose hold of that traditional Michael D seat. He was a deputy who enjoyed the experience of Leinster House and who will undoubtedly miss it. When he dusts himself down over the next few weeks, he will evaluate his options, but I wouldn’t rule him out reinventing himself in preparation for future elections.
Baggage built up in politics has a way of changing onto you more than experience in any other field. You can be a chef and change career to be a scientist and not feel the same resistance as you do when you leave politics to become something else. People have ideas about you; they know what you think about a variety of issues and they form a preconception that will either aid you or obstruct you.
If these three Galway candidates are polishing up CVs this week, they might play down their years in politics. Or they may not.
