Green Party's experience shows the limits of government formation in Ireland

Myth of pragmatism can force smaller parties to ‘pull on the green jersey’, but where is the point in going into government just to maintain the status quo

Protesters outside the Green Party Office in Dublin in October demanding that Eamon Ryan revoke action 17 of the 'Energy Security in Ireland to 2030' policy that will introduce fracked gas into Ireland. Photo: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

It is Sunday morning, December 1, 2024, and as the election count unfolds, the airwaves hum with a familiar refrain. 

Pundits, politicians, and broadcasters extol the virtues of being "ready to govern" invoking metaphors of green jerseys and ditches while lauding the so-called "pragmatism" of being a “party of government”. These platitudes, presented as wisdom, are as much about shaping the future as they are about rewriting the past.