As the summer recess in local politics approaches, Grassroots and all his fellow rooters are looking forward to the summer break.
Just out of possibly the longest local election campaign ever, it is time to take stock for all, winners and losers, or even retirees. The biggest winner this week of course is the evergreen Cathaoirleach or Mayor of County Kilkenny as he insisted on restoring the title (won’t that one cause some confusion! ), Thomastown’s finest Michael O’ Brien. You have to hand it to the man from the south east of the county, he is some survivor. Perhaps he is the best Oireachtas member the county never had, and few can doubt that he should certainly have made it to the Senate in 1992, but his contribution at local level is one of a true grafter. He’s never one to bow the knee to officials and the fact that he has now entered his fourth decade as a public representative is testament to his staying power and popularity. To bring in a second councillor in the Thomastown area last time in a five-seater was a fantastic achievement but to do it this time in a four-seater, the only Labour Party victory of its like outside of Dublin, is nothing short of a miracle.
On the theme of long-standing survivors, your heart had to go out to Tommy Brennan, the genuinely likeable Clara Fianna Fáil man who lost out after 40 years of service. The loss of much of his base to Ballyragget definitely affected the farmer-politician, but the old cliché that all political careers end in failure is a hard blow to bear. As for the equally disappointed Dixie, the press hacks will definitely be the disappointed ones. Why is it that the ladies and gents of the fourth estate always love the quirky politicians, with one extolling the virtues of both Declan Ganley and Joe Higgins at the count centre! Neither of these - one a trot and the other a neo-con right-winger are ever likely to succeed in implementing one decision which will improve people’s lives, but sure we love the oul’ bit of colour don’t we!
Speaking of the press pack, will the sun shine as brightly on Mayor Malcolm. His media management in the last term was extraordinary. Dame Sue’s programme was produced for much of the term by the lovely Katherine who turned out to be his electoral director having become a freelancer. Her production and the Dame’s presentation certainly never harmed Malcolm or Lady Borris. As an aside, does the Lady have no shame? She doesn’t bat an eyelid that an urgent scoliosis operation for a constituent has to be paid for by an anonymous donor rather than by a public health system as would happen in most civilised countries. So much for the Greens being a left-wing party!
Back to Malcolm’s girls! He also had another well known green reporter in his corner, and many’s the occasion on which councillors complained that there was indeed a a favoured one. And to top it all off Malcolm had help at home to write the press releases. To give him his credit though, he was also the best-prepared member in the team, always reading the material and always having his homework done. It will be interesting to see if ‘Planning Policy and Enforcement’ makes it back to the agenda to allow others into the space he filled so well?
And what about the mayoralty coming his way so soon. Grassroots is told that the Kerry Blue Obama wannabee was offered first shout at the chain but held back. He’s concentrating on the day job for now and regrouping after a bruising campaign with a result he and many others didn’t expect for him. Whether he’ll be any the quieter or not we’ll have to wait and see! He will be the first Kerryman with the chain however, and it will come before the next elections come our way.
