Martin machine rolls in behind first-time candidate

Kate Martin ticks so many boxes for the Fianna Fáil party in Cork City that it was a no-brainer to put her on the ticket.

If you live or work in the city, you can’t help but notice the posters with the markedly young and pretty candidate who bears the Martin name and is running in the South-East ward.

Remember that, while her Uncle Micheál may inspire vitriol in other parts of the country due to his high ranking in Bertie’s cabinets, he still topped the poll in Cork South-Central with 10,715 votes, little more than two years after the bank guarantee.

Kate’s father, Sean, is the second member of the Turner’s Cross family to be a Lord Mayor and is a sitting councillor in the South-Central ward.

So, as far as box-ticking goes, the third Martin to seek nomination to the city council has: Name recognition, youth, the female factor — and here’s the final ace — she’s a nurse at a local old persons’ hospital in the heart of her constituency.

Steering the Kate campaign is Aunty Eileen, a formidable woman who “caught the buzz” when first canvassing with her brother, Micheál, in 1985.

To the left of Eileen is Joe Murphy, another Fianna Fáil stalwart in Cork South Central. Joe is very much old Fianna Fáil, the kind who didn’t flee the sinking ship the last time around but openly admits “we lost the run of ourselves” — just the person. in that case, to coax out that core Fianna Fáil vote, one election on.

Kate, a former vice- auditor of UCC’s Ogra, has been canvassing the ward since January and when she does a slow canvas on the South Douglas Rd yesterday, a number of householders remember her. She introduces herself as “Kate Martin, who lives in the local area and a nurse at St Finbarr’s Hospital”.

“Aah, you’re Micheál’s kid,” says one man in his 50s. “No, Sean’s,” she corrects with a smile.

“Every good luck to you,” says the man.

The response isn’t so warm at the next door, with the owner shutting the sliding door as soon as soon as he realises the young girl is Fianna Fáil.

At the next door it’s another smile. “Ah, you were here with Micheál a few weeks ago? So you’re finding your ground? You’re looking grand anyway,” from a man in his 60s. Again, you can just hear them saying “lovely girl, lovely girl”.

Around the corner, a man who won’t indulge canvassers at all. His van says he’s a painter/decorator and he tells them that he won’t engage with any party.

“I’m just trying to keep paying the taxes,” he says wearily. “Just trying to keep going. I’m working anyway, that’s one thing, but I used to have 15 men with me,” he tells those around Kate, a team whose experience the 26-year-old defers to.

A smartly dressed young man in his 20s is also canvassing hard for the first-time candidate. Turns out it’s her boyfriend and that it’s a true Fianna Fáil love story; the pair met while canvassing for her dad.

This is an afternoon canvass, so lots of the householders in this area are retired. At this time of the day, they could also be unemployed and angry but this is a mature estate.

One elderly man. snoozing under a parasol in his front garden on this gloriously sunny day, cocks one eye open when he hears his front gate creak.

In walks the young girl in a tangerine blouse and sandal pumps, Again she says her name, that she’s local and works at St Finbarr’s.

“I won’t give you my number one, but I might give you a vote as I might depend on you in hospital,” he smiles warmly.