Fulfilling our need to belong to something worth belonging to

Here’s how it goes. No. Strike that. Here’s how it always goes. The pattern is immutable. Ireland collides with something bad.

It doesn’t matter precisely what the bad thing is, although it tends to be an economic downturn or one of its variants, such as, for example, an exploding property bubble. A general election ensues or coincides, and a political party or a coalition of political parties gets into power.

The new crowd get into power in large part because they have done what they’re supposed to do in Opposition: scratch the electorate where they itch by telling them that the current Government has become arrogant, detached, uncaring, crooked, tired, and tiresome.