IT DIDN'T SEEM LIKE a day for history to be made.
The taxi driver was cheerfully looking forward to a return of the Fianna Fáil/PD coalition. The mention from yours truly of hospitals, traffic jams, a housing crisis and Community Employment cuts threatening to undermine local services saw Taxi Driver veer from the middle of the road to the left. And he said that Nicky Kehoe was just outside his constituency but if he wasn't then Nicky would get his Number 1. Nicky was a Trojan worker for kids and the old folks, Taxi Driver chirped.
Had he sussed I was a Shinner despite my cunning undercover disguise as an 'impartial reporter'? (Editor's Note: There's no such living creature.)
Seán Crowe's front windows were plastered with posters of himself. As Jack would say himself: you can't get too much of a good thing.
All was calm in the Crowes' nest.
Jack was strolling around without an apparent care in the world. He did complain that he should be at the count with his election team but was reluctantly delaying in case it was a long count. His wife, Pamela, was fielding phone calls and organising things for the off. Jack's press officer was getting the needle. He was sweating over trying to thread a needle so that the hem in the candidate's trousers could be fixed. "Bet Alastair Bloody Campbell doesn't have to do this for Tony Blair!"
The TV showed The Rugrats ahead of RTÉ's election coverage.
No, it didn't seem like a day for history to be made.
Two dedicated canvassers arrived to convey our candidate to the polls. A first-time election worker said that it was a great experience, the buzz and the reception they got from people - even the supporter who got up out of bed to vote ten minutes before the polls closed because she'd forgotten to do it earlier. Then there was the couple who'd lost the keys to their car and couldn't leave it unattended. A campaign hand stood guard over the unlocked motor while they were whisked off to do their civic duty.
hour after the count had begun, word filtered through that Sinn Féin was "doing alright". Doing more than alright, seasoned workers said - the tallymen say we're going to top the poll!
This was starting to look like a day for history to be made.
We arrived at the count centre in the Tallaght Community Sports Centre to cheers from supporters and warm greetings from staff, and even journalists.
Party chairperson Mitchel McLaughlin prowled the reception area, looking relaxed. Wish we were.
We entered the hall where the votes were actually being counted. A deafening cheer went up and TV camera crews, photographers, hacks and well wishers swamped Seán and Pamela.
It looks like you've got it, the media conceded. And we did get it - in the ear from the Returning Officer, who temporarily banished the media melee to the corridors. A string of non-stop media interviews followed. A seat was there for Sinn Féin, right enough. The Tallaght Tallymen had spoken.
Then the word came through. More than a seat - we were going to top the poll!
Mark Daly, Jack's election agent, insisted that it would come to pass.
This was looking like a day for history to be made.
Gerry Adams and Pat Doherty arrived. The media and supporters surged again, supporters of other parties included. There were that many autographs and photographs, you could have sworn it was the Ireland World Cup camp.
Then the actual announcement of the vote came through early that afternoon.
Councillor Seán Crowe and Sinn Féin had topped the poll.
7,446 first preferences. Seven thousand, four hundred and forty-six.
Fianna Fáilers showed their relief that they had held their two seats by chanting: "We got two! We got two!" The Shinners retorted even louder: "We got Crowe! We topped the poll!"
Labour's high-profile Pat Rabbitte TD made it in for the last seat on the sixth count and on his 53rd birthday. Fine Gael's former poll-topping TD, Brian Hayes, tipped as a possible future leader, lost his seat. He was crushed and ashen-faced but the strident anti-republican was generous in defeat to his Sinn Féin rival.
Gerry Adams welcomed Seán Crowe's election. "The first Sinn Féin TD in Dublin since Constance Markievicz."
This was a day when history was made.
d it wasn't over yet.
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