Jan O’Sullivan fights Labour’s toughest campaign
As she strode through Greenfields, Rosbrien, on an afternoon canvass, Ms O’Sullivan remarked: “In 1998 when I contested the by-election after the death of Jim Kemmy, nobody gave me a chance at the start of the campaign and I headed the poll.
“So I have been battling ever since. It’s never easy to win the left seat in Limerick. There is a strong left-wing presence in Limerick and to hold this seat is really, really important. I am very conscious of the history and long legacy of that seat and so I am fighting tooth and nail to hold it.”
Her canvass team includes 72-year-old Joe Kemmy, regarded as one of the best readers of the political landscape in Limerick.
Mr Kemmy recalled: “This is probably the toughest campaign the Labour Party has had to fight in Limerick. My first campaign was when Jim (Joe’s brother) ran for the city council in 1974 and I’ve been on the road ever since for local and national elections.”
He said Ms O’Sullivan’s work as education minister has earned her huge respect throughout the country and will yield results in Limerick tomorrow.
He pointed out that she has tackled one huge issue which has haunted parents with children seeking secondary school places in the city.
Mr Kemmy said: “For years many city families have had to bus sons and daughters to schools out the county. But Jan has given the go-ahead for two new secondary schools in Mungret and Castletroy to deal with this issue once and for all.
“Nobody had the foresight to look at the number of houses that were being built in the suburbs and decide to build more schools. Jan has tackled that problem with zeal, ending the scandal of kids from the city being forced all over Co Limerick.
“Jan as a minister has done the work and can defy the odds on Friday. There is also a feeling that the last seat is between Jan and Sinn Féin.
“We ask what has Sinn Féin done for Limerick and what will they ever do for Limerick? Having her at the cabinet table has made a huge difference and will continue to do so.”
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Mr Kemmy points out that Ms O’Sullivan and her running mate, Joe Leddin, amassed over 20% of first preferences in the 2011 general election. Labour’s vote also held up in the city at the 2014 local elections. “This can be attributed to Jan,” said Mr Kemmy, adding that predictions of Ms O’Sullivan’s seat being captured by Sinn Féin have created a new surge in support for her.
He said: “People have told us on the canvass that while they might not have been traditional Labour voters, that on this occasion they are supporting O’Sullivan to make sure she wins that seat and that it does not go to Sinn Fein.”
Kitty Liddy, one of the longest residents in Greenfields, bears a surname synonymous with Fianna Fáil politics in Limerick down the years. Rory Liddy, a first cousin of her husband, was a mayor of Limerick.
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Ms Kitty pointed out: “I’m a Barry who married a Liddy. My father was out and out Fine Gael and my grandfather, James Francis Barry was a mayor of Limerick. I have known Jan O’Sullivan for a long, long time and I am very fond of her. She has been good for Limerick and she is very approachable. Jan is not a person who will tell you she will do this, that, and the other, and build four houses in two days. She is a person of integrity.”
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