Republican News · Thursday 23 May 2002

Ferris tops the poll

BY MICK DERRIG

The two Martins celebrate in North Kerry

It is a testimony and a credit to Marie's love for her children, for whom she had to be both a mother and a father, that she has brought up a beautiful family so supportive of me throughout those dark years. - Martin Ferris TD

When I arrived at nine in the morning the only team assembling behind the big wooden fence in the Brandon Hotel's conference centre was Sinn Féin's - perhaps the other people just didn't want to face what was about to unfold.

The weeks previously I had spent a fair amount of time in the company of some of the people working all the hours available for Martin Ferris and the Sinn Féin cause.

Most of us didn't have passes to get through to where the count was taking place, so we hung over the chest-high plywood barrier, calling to our lot in the centre of things. In the middle of the huge room was a wooded keep where the votes would be actually counted. Given that this was Kerry, it might also later on have a big bull with a rosette on its ear led around inside it. If that were so, I was perfectly placed to put in a bid.

Immediately in front of us was a small table with three laptop computers on it. This was republican mission control for North Kerry. We were waiting for "Houston. We have a TD!" I have a microscopic amount of patience so I asked Paul Henry - at twenty past nine - "when will we get the result?" I received a look of true pity in response. Seated at the screens were the midfield of the Ferris team, Joan O'Connor, the North Kerry Constituency Manager and Ken O'Connell, Sinn Féin's Munster organiser. From the counting area to the consoles, James Sheehan - Martin‚'s Director of Elections, wore out the Axminster back and forth with bits of paper. It was either crucial to the election tally or he was running numbers on the side - I wasn't sure.

The empty acres of the foyer that I had paced several hours earlier were now seriously packed, mainly by Sinn Féin supporters. In an age where commentators are telling us that politics is becoming less and less relevant and the non-vote will grow, here was a throng of working class people who were desperately concerned with the outcome of a democratic contest. It mattered to them at an emotional level.

It was just after midday and I weaved my way past the chatting friends and the baby buggies to where Republican mission control was still hunched over the computer screens. Big Ger Collins gave me the straight scéal. The numbers said it all. "He's topped the poll on the first count. He needs 14 votes in the next count to meet the quota - he's in." And at that, all the previous weeks I had watched these people burn themselves out seemed worth it. Gerry Riordan came over to the barrier handshakes were exchanged. I went out to phone my comrades in Donegal with the news and met the North's Education minister coming in. In the media scrum surrounding the celebrating Sinn Féin contingent, Martin McGuinness described the result as a spectacular victory for Martin Ferris and a day of celebration for Sinn Féin. "I think all republicans should reflect on the development of Sinn Féin. We are now the third largest political party on the island. We are the only 32-County political party. Today, Sinn Féin candidates have been elected on real issues that affect people. They are of the people, they are not in this for themselves."

As I drove away from the count I thought that was as good a way of explaining the whole thing to someone who didn't know this island, who didn't know us. Martin Ferris is of the people and he wants to represent them for their benefit, not his.

Family hailed in moving address

In his victory address, Martin Ferris thanked his election team for a fantastic job and singled out his wife Marie and their six children. "In our life we have spent more time apart than we did together, but it is a testimony and a credit to Marie's love for her children, for whom she had to be both a mother and a father, that she has brought up a beautiful family so supportive of me throughout those dark years," he said.

Ferris congratulated Jimmy Deenihan and Thomas McEllistrom and acknowledged the role of defeated Labour candidate Dick Spring "who as a minister and tánaiste and as a candidate for this area, did tremendous work in his time.

"Thirty-two years ago, I became involved in a struggle for equality, justice and peace and for many of those dark years there was no option but pain and suffering for all our people. And I do not want in any way to say that we suffered more than anybody else. People suffered, the enemy suffered, we suffered. And many of those years I spent in prison and many comrades of mine at that time are now dead and at this moment I remember them. I remember them for their comradeship and for their commitment to justice.

Ferris also singled out a number of activists recently deceased who had worked hard in the constituency before turning to the implications of his victory.

"We stand at the moment, Sinn Féin, with probably four seats and maybe more in this election and whatever about campaigning locally and so forth, the enormous benefit of that to the entire process for peace and justice and to the resolution of conflict in our country cannot be underestimated. From this platform I pledge to you, the electorate of this constituency, that I will work around the clock for your entitlements and for Kerry to be treated as equals. I will also work, with the support of all my party colleagues on the island of Ireland, for Irish unity. I make no apologies that this country should be united, but I want to see it done democratically and peacefully and I want all parties who I will share Leinster House with to support Sinn Féin and everyone else on this island in that quest.

"I leave here now and I thank each and every one of you, especially the electorate, for placing your trust in me in this election, and I will do everything, everything in my power, to ensure that I live up to your expectations and your honour."