Fergus Finlay: The heroes of 2021 are the ordinary people doing extraordinary things for others

Hopefully, you came out of 2021 at least as well and as strong as you went into it, writes Fergus Finlay.

John O'Regan, EMT; Dr Con Kelleher, medical officer; and Maeve O'Sulllivan, nurse, at the Clonakilty Covid-19 walk-in vaccination centre, at Clonakilty GAA Club, Clonakilty, Co Cork. Picture: Jim Coughlan.

Best of times, worst of times. There’s no doubt, times like these bring out the best in people and sometimes the worst in people. And it means that 2021, now mercifully about to end, had more than its fair share of heroes and villains.

Before I begin though, let me pose a question. Keep it — it might be worth your while! 

“Malcolm McArthur had a ‘pilot’s view’ from this chap’s residence”. You’ll need two words for your answer — a seven-letter and an eight-letter.

The reason I asked the question is this. Two men I’ve known for years, Tim Bourke and William Scally, decided to use their lockdown to drive the rest of us nuts. So they have put together a fiendishly clever book called The Ultimate 500-Question Politics and History Quiz. Some of the questions are cryptic, some straightforward enough. If Covid lasts another year, you won’t have cracked them all — unless you take the coward’s way out and refer to the answers at the back.

You will be able to get it or reserve it online at all good bookshop websites. But I also have three copies with which to tantalise you. I’ll be putting a link to this column on my Facebook page. Find that, answer by comment the five questions scattered throughout (some easy, some a bit less so); I’ll contact you for your address, and one of my copies will wing their way to the first three by post. Couldn’t be simpler, right?

Try another one. 

“Is it easy to fall in this African capital?” (seven-word answer).

But to get back for a moment to the heroes and villains. I’m going to single out one of each. And only one of each, because the real heroes of 2021 weren’t political leaders, but ordinary people. Hold that thought.

It might surprise, maybe even appal, my regular readers when I say that for me, the outstanding Irish politician of the year has been the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin. In August of 2020, I wrote here that he was well on the way to becoming an invisible man, at a time when Ireland needed a Taoiseach who looked and sounded like, well, a Taoiseach. I don’t imagine he read that, but he’s spent a lot of time since proving me wrong.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin arrives for a Cabinet meeting at Government Buildings on Merrion Street, Dublin. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

His place in history I can’t figure out — he almost became the only Fianna Fáil leader never to serve as Taoiseach, and I don’t know enough about the current inner workings of his political party to understand why they seem to be so keen to be rid of him.

It is certainly the case that Fianna Fáil, once a national movement that had few parallels in the democratic world, is a shadow of its former self, and seems bereft of any identity that could demand loyalty or passion. That’s not Micheál Martin’s fault — it’s all down to the appalling mistakes of 10 years ago.

But throughout the last year, he has had to manage the existential crisis of the pandemic. After a shaky start, and despite initially being compared unfavourably to Leo Varadkar, he has grown into a calm and authoritative manager. He has demonstrated a willingness to make the right decisions carefully, in the full knowledge that they won’t be popular, and he has shown considerable communication skills and a command of message.

He may never have a chance, because of the pandemic, to leave the kind of mark that some of his predecessors did, but honestly, we’ve been lucky to have him.

Before I mention the other end of the spectrum, try Question 3. (Slight link to Micheál!)

 “Became a well-known, indeed famous, building associate of Bertie’s”. (I’ll need a three-word answer.)

The other end of the spectrum? Several times this year I wrote about the greatest mystery of modern politics — the survival, even popularity, of the most complete charlatan ever to (dis)grace a world stage, Boris Johnson. His reckless and feckless mismanagement of the pandemic cost tens of thousands of lives — and that was essentially established by a parliamentary committee that had a Tory majority.

But since I wrote those pieces, loads of evidence has begun to tumble out about how genuinely dishonest and self-indulgent he is.

In almost exactly two years, he has gone from winning an 80-seat parliamentary majority to being one of the most unloved figures in British politics. That’s some achievement — and a true testament to his character and personality.

Question 4 for you (thinking caps on for this one). 

“One-time US secretary of state could work in the dark.” (I’ll take a one or two-word answer.)

Ordinary people, I said earlier. Especially after a Christmas when 150,000 people had to live in isolation (and we know what that felt like in our house), the resilience and “get on with it” spirit of most people has been extraordinary.

Many “ordinary” people, especially in public systems like health, education, and emergency services, have spent their year doing extraordinary things.

And others have done creative and really imaginative things. One man I know — I’m not mentioning his name because he prefers it all to happen anonymously — has started a little organisation centred on the notion that every kid deserves the thrill of having a decent bike. But not every kid can afford one.

So the organisation is collecting used bikes that people are willing to donate. Then they’re reconditioning them to a high standard and getting them to the kids who need them. 

Along with a few essentials — a high-viz jacket, a lock, a helmet, a pump, and lights.

He mightn’t thank me for telling you this, because the organisation probably hasn’t got all its infrastructure in place yet, but you can find out more by going to re-cycle.ie. It’s a brilliant name, and I’ve seen for myself the impact it can have for some kids.

And if there’s room for one other, an old school friend of mine, Dennis Horgan, spent most of the pandemic photographing Ireland. Not just any old way, but from a series of planes. The result is one of the most amazing collections of aerial photographs I’ve ever seen. He has captured the country in all its splendour — rugged coastlines, amazing rivers, beautiful towns, and villages.

And there are also telling pictures of urban sprawl, massive motorway roundabouts, coastal erosion. 

It’s a picture of a landscape that may be in transition — and it surely plants the thought, without ever mentioning the words climate change, that there is something indescribably beautiful here that we must protect.

Dennis’s book is called Ireland — An Aerial Journey. It’s massive — and it will give pleasure the whole year long. I’m told it can be bought in all good bookstores.

And now Question 5 (reading one of my more recent columns might give you a clue).

“Seoirse Beag O Cymru?” (I’ll need a first and second name.)

I hope you enjoy the questions. I hope you came out of 2021 at least as well and as strong as you went into it. 

And for all of you, wherever you are, I hope 2022 is the year when we all feel that we have turned the corner.