‘Party first’ view seems to be alive and well in Leinster House

Independent TD Mattie McGrath explains why he took part in talks with Fine Gael and why the inability of the big parties to talk to each other is a stumbling point.

ONE thing alone was certain, what happened last week was going to be unlike anything we had previously experienced in our collective political lives.

Dubbed with various titles, the Rural Alliance, the Rural Five (consisting of Noel Grealish, Denis Naughten, Dr Michael Harty, and Michael Collins and I) we had been drawn together by a shared determination to articulate and if possible resolve the problems besetting those parts of the country which exist past the Red Cow Inn.