Candidate for Europe Mary Fitzpatrick - Negotiating a political obstacle course
“I’m up against a sitting MEP, a Government minister and a party leader — and there are only three seats,” says the Fianna Fáil candidate for Europe in the Dublin constituency.
She also has to contend with the fact that her party was run out of the city at the last general election, not to mention the middle ear infection that’s making her feel a little off balance.
“If I fall over, I’m not drunk” she says.
Not drunk maybe, but certainly merry — for if ever anyone seemed to enjoy a challenge, it’s the ever-smiling Fitzpatrick.
“I’ll vote for you but he won’t,” says a woman with a look of apology for her wayward husband as the couple make their way into the SuperValu in Raheny.
One out of two might be good enough for some candidates but Fitzpatrick isn’t about to accept half measures and before Mr Wayward knows it, she has a hand on his trolley, a hold on his attention and, despite himself, he is conceding some points.
The Dublin suburbs of Killester and Raheny on a Friday mid-morning are buzzing with pensioners, retirees, and stay-at-home mums getting a bit of banking and shopping done before the weekend but unlike the commuters Fitzpatrick tackled in the city centre at 7.30am this morning, many are happy to stop and chat.
Unfortunately, much of the chat is about difficulties securing a third-level grant for a daughter or a gaelscoil stuck in prefabs — the bread-and-butter of TDs and local councillors, but not prospective MEPs.
Fitzpatrick, who is otherwise given to reciting that in Europe she’ll be “part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, the third largest political grouping in parliament and a crucial centrist balance between extreme right and left”, knows when to drop the Euro-jargon and dutifully collect details of local grievances for referral to her city-based colleagues.
It is a delicate balancing act to try to engage a voter without disengaging from the voter’s concerns. One silver-haired woman admits she’s confused by the joint European and local polls taking place on the same day.
Nevertheless, Mary, a grandmother of nine, grabs the opportunity to quiz Fitzpatrick on the reasons she deserves her vote. Grandma Mary enjoys the exchange but isn’t convinced yet.
“My family were always Fianna Fáil and up to the crash I was too,” she says. “I don’t know how I’ll vote yet. I’ll make up my mind on election day.”
There are quite a few in the same boat — formerly Fianna Fáil faithful who haven’t forgiven the party’s failings and who left it with no Dublin TD at the last general election, and no city councillors in key areas.
But it’s another delicate balancing act for Fitzpatrick, who can’t deny being the daughter of a former Fianna Fáil TD and a Fianna Fáil city councillor herself for 11 years while at same time needing to distance herself from aspects of the party.
Retiree Tommy likes Fitzpatrick but not her party and is pleased it got a kicking at the last elections. “They deserved it. They deserved a bigger boot than they got. But I like Mary personally so my mind is not really made up. Thank God more women are going in it. They’re not sitting down like bags of potatoes. They’re getting up and saying things — giving different points of view. I like Mary for that.”
On the other hand, there are voters for whom Fitzpatrick couldn’t fly the Fianna Fáil flag too vigorously. Laurence and Anne Reid feel forever indebted to Charles Haughey and their loyalty to Fianna Fáil is resolute as a result.
“I had an accident at work and I lost all the toes on one foot. I got an allowance for me and my children, but not my wife,” Laurence recalls.
“I was getting nowhere and I wrote to Charlie and he wrote me back two letters, one saying he’d look into it and the other saying it was sorted. I got a rebate and everything. Fine Gael is trying to take back everything Fianna Fáil gave us. I have voted Fianna Fáil all my life and I’m not going to stop now.”
The last major poll in the constituency at the start of May had Junior Minister Brian Hayes in top position for Fine Gael followed by Sinn Féin newcomer, Lynn Boylan, with Fitzpatrick and Labour’s sitting MEP Emer Costello joint third and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan one point behind.
With Fitzpatrick deciding not to run for city council, she has put all her eggs in one basket and isn’t clear where her future lies if her bid for Brussels fails.
She’s been knocked down before. In the 2007 general election she got twice as many first preferences as running mate Cyprian Brady but after internal rows, Bertie Ahern ordered his transfers go to Brady who was ultimately elected on Ahern’s coat tails.
Locals remember and offer a sympathy vote, at least verbal if not actual. “I hope you make it this time. You were very hard-done-by by Bertie,” says one man who stops to take a leaflet.
“Nobody will bully me if I get to Europe,” Fitzpatrick says, smiling. “It made me stronger. I’m still standing.”
Now, if only the ear infection doesn’t topple her before next Friday.
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