Election review: It's a new Mayo now as fresh faces emerge

By Caoimhín Rowland

IN 1980, the President of Yugoslavia, Josip Broz Tito, died following a prolonged illness.

General Tito’s funeral was by all accounts the largest state funeral in world history and sources can neither confirm nor deny whether or not the outgoing former Minister Michael Ring made it to pay his respects!

The Balkanisation or splintering of the Mayo vote in the absence of the retiring Ring landed as confusingly and disparately as his party’s worst case scenario feared.

Indeed it was indicative of the trend away from a party too long in power, bereft of ideas and failing to electrify the electorate.

This election looks to be a sign in the direction that Mayo is now slowly falling in line with the rest of Ireland with increased fragmentation of votes across the board.

Aontu, like Fine Gael, outperformed the national vote share figures in this county.

Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin came in almost the same as the Irish average, which indicates that in the absence of Ring and a semblance of change comes from the words Ringer himself uttered on the plinth in Leinster House on the day Leo Varadkar resigned: “We’ve gone too far to the left with these social reforms and need to get back to the basics.” All talk was the direction of where his vote went, and credit is undoubtedly due to Keira Keogh herself. She ran a superb campaign and will be an honourable representative for Westport and Mayo.

The outgoing deputy said he will help with the transition. Of course, he’ll never be away from the office or grassroots for long. How can he?

It’s all he knows and wants to know, and nobody has a better ear to the ground than Michael Ring. His thoughts would be desired on any radio broadcast, column or perhaps a whinging podcast?

But it’s a new Mayo now, one in which fresh faces have emerged. Lawless in the east marks a significant departure, not solely on ideological grounds but also in terms of the geographic spread of representatives.

It’s well balanced on paper currently, no one can feel jilted or like they are without a local voice in the national parliament.

Those in south Mayo may have a word or two to say on that but, technically, Paul Lawless sits in their district alongside Patsy O’Brien and where Martina Jennings launched her campaign.

Politically he’ll now make himself known across that district

Things inevitably change, particularly after seismic events. Like the break-up of Yugoslavia where there was a plethora of new countries emerging onto our maps in southern Europe, we have new political parties.

What is to warn about the precursor to nations forming after Tito’s death was an unforeseen, bloody and damaging war as a struggle for power ensued.

Fortunately, our democracy will shield us from blood being shed, but this dramatic metaphor predicts a titanic joust for government formation.

For the major parties I suspect it’ll be costly for some big hitters politically, many of whom may have been happy at the weekend but will find themselves disappointed come crunch time once closed door negotiations commence.

But, in this county, it will be led by Dara Calleary to be the one to emerge as he eyes a top role and a strong say in the programme for government after his fifth successful general election.

Undoubtedly, the Balkanisation of Mayo’s vote has not helped.

Enough said.

For Lisa Chambers, it’s hard to know the direction which she takes next. Those in Fine Gael celebrated at the closing of her office even when she took a seat in the Seanad.

“She left it all open to Dillon” was a remark made by one Blueshirt party member.

But in the cut throat world of Mayo politics, Fianna Fáil will need to undertake root and branch analysis on the party backsliding in a former stronghold.

Fine Gael are satisfied - their lot will be of the glass half full mentality - but with a peakier national picture, their former government colleague and Calleary and Co. hold the whip hand in terms of government formation and programmes for government.

It’s a mandate from the people that Fianna Fáil possess with glee. The votes have been counted, but the long road to formation is set to begin.