Sinn Féin confounds the pundits
BY MARTIN SPAIN
It's a two-party celebration, Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin revel in polls coup''
proclaimed the Irish Independent. Political correspondent Gene McKenna
wrote that ``in a trailblazing performance which marked its arrival as a
major force in local politics, Sinn Féin trebled its outgoing tally of
seven (county council) seats
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Predictions of Sinn Féin success were as rare as snow in the Sahara in the
national media before last weekend's local elections in the 26 Counties,
but the story of republican gains was most definitely the major focus of
attention by Sunday and Monday.
Mairéad Carey, Ireland on Sunday's political editor, recognised that ``the
smaller parties are often underestimated in the run-up to elections and
that certainly was the case with Sinn Féin who have remained on 3% in the
opinion polls but who made serious in-roads into local government yesterday
``The party is no longer seen just in the context of the Northern troubles,
and is no longer relying totally on its anti-drugs campaign for support.''
``All the main political parties were putting the best possible spin on the
local election results last night,'' reported John Donlon, the Star's
political correspondent, on Monday. ``Sinn Féin rightly claimed the most
spectacular gains, particularly in Dublin and border counties.''
``It's a two-party celebration, Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin revel in polls coup''
proclaimed the Irish Independent. Political correspondent Gene McKenna
wrote that ``in a trailblazing performance which marked its arrival as a
major force in local politics, Sinn Féin trebled its outgoing tally of
seven (county council) seats''. He went on to write that ``Sinn Féin set
itself up for a serious challenge for seats at the next general election by
its remarkable improvement in the local elections which brought notable
successes''. He particularly noted Sinn Féin's gains in Dublin and the
border area.
Also in the Irish Independent, Máirtín Mac Cormaic wrote: ``Sinn Féin
councillors who could be joining Caoimhghín O Caoláin in the Dáil include
Martin Ferris in Kerry North, Desmond Ellis in Dublin North West, Larry
O'Toole in Dublin North Central, Mark Daly and Sean Crowe in Dublin South
West and Nicky Kehoe and Christy Burke in Dublin Central.''
There was a sniffy middle-class tone of disapproval in Miriam Lord's colour
piece from the RDS count centre in Dublin, but her words still evoked
something of the joy and emotional release of the atmosphere as council
seat after council seat was notched up:
``When it came to celebrating, nothing could touch the Sinn Féin family. A
distinctive looking class of political supporter, they celebrated the
party's breakthrough at local level with gusto and cheered to the rafters
in the RDS when Martin McGuinness arrived in to wish them well.
``In a flurry of Celtic jerseys, crew cuts, tatoos [sic], tricolours and
mobile phones, they celebrated with gusto, then in the middle of the
commotion, somebody remembered it and shouted it as loud as he could.
`Tiocfaidh ár lá!' and then they all remembered and cheered.''
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One of the most amusing errors of the election was the Irish Times' sex
change operation on Sinn Féin national treasurer Joe Reilly, who topped the
poll in Navan UDC and was also elected to Meath County Council, Mark
Brennock noting the success of Ms Jo Reilly.
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In the Irish Times, Emmet Oliver wrote of the RDS victories:
``As incredulous politicians from other parties looked on, a large group of
Sinn Féin supporters threatened to lift the roof of the hall, such was the
volume of their celebrations. While a 32-county socialist republic was not
being promised, the party was ecstatic as several candidates involved in
community politics in recent years romped home ahead of household names
from Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Labour.''
Carol Coulter at the Tallaght count centre, however, was back to the middle
class disdain, noting that ``the neat suits worn by the candidates did not
yet look like everyday wear'' and sniffing that Sinn Féin celebrators were
drinking Spanish sparkling wine rather than champagne, when a more refined
knowledge of the grape would have revealed that Sinn Féin was celebrating
with Cava, an Iberian version of Champagne which a Basque colleague informs
me is far superior.
Bruce Arnold, in his news analysis, wrote that Sinn Féin ``has established
itself as an all-Ireland political force, both at local level, through good
and energetic constituency work combined with effective party organisation
on the ground, and at national level by its close association with the key
issue of peace in Northern Ireland.'' He opined that the party's success
seemed to be as much at the expense of Labour on this occasion as of Fianna
Fáil.
Writing in the Irish News on Monday, Tony Bailie reported that ``Gerry
Adams's party defied the odds, opinion surveys and experts' forecasts to
establish itself in local government politics for the first time and record
creditable figures in all four Irish European Parliament constituencies''.
In the Examiner, Mark Hennessy felt that ``the Sinn Féin performance is a
reward for the kind of street-level activity which the major parties are no
longer capable of producing, but it is, as yet, confined to a limited
number of districts in inner-city areas and in traditional republican
heartlands.
``But the showing does foretell the battle which will take place between
Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin over coming years.''
The Sun, predictably, focused on Dessie Ellis with the bitter pill headline
``IRA bomb maker in poll win''.
``The former provo polled a massive vote in the Dublin Corporation ward of
Finglas. And he was one of THREE [bold type] ex-convicts to be elected
around the country.' Oh, the horror of it all, indeed.
Sinn Féin's success also sounded a note of warning for the future wellbeing
of the Celtic Tiger, according to the Sun's editorial, which noted that the
party outpolled the PDs and the Greens: ``It is set to be a party with clout
in the Republic. Those who voted for it may well have been convinced that
it really is now on the path of peace. But a convicted bomber and arms
smuggler were among those elected. That's a development which might be at
least viewed warily by foreign investors looking towards Ireland.''
One of the most amusing errors of the election was the Irish Times' sex
change operation on Sinn Féin national treasurer Joe Reilly, who topped the
poll in Navan UDC and was also elected to Meath County Council, Mark
Brennock noting the success of Ms Jo Reilly.
But the most inept and inaccurate reporting award for the elections goes to
RTÉ. The measure of its `comprehensive' election coverage was encompassed
in radio reports that Sinn Féin had failed to make the breakthrough it had
expected in Longford - a lack of success which could be explained by the
fact that the party stood no candidates in the county. Later, Michael
Colreavy's election to Leitrim County Council was greeted with the
commentary that it was the first time the party had held a seat on that
body since 1927. At which point, a frustrated Miles Dungan, off air,
roared: ``Has nobody heard of John Joe McGirl?'' For the national station's
information, John Joe's son, Liam, also held onto his Leitrim County
Council seat.
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