The difference between FG and FF in Mayo explored
by Dr. Richard Martin
I went to the Mayo Fine Gael annual general meeting in Kiltimagh.
It was held in the four-star Park Hotel just outside the town. There were roughly 80 people in the banquet room.
The AGM started at 8.30 and finished at 11 p.m. It was a long night. With lots of speeches.
Former TD, senator and MEP Jim Higgins chaired the meeting.
I sat in the back row in the right corner taking it all in. Looking around the room and watching it fill and as the meeting started and took shape I started to daydream and I asked myself what is the difference between FF and FG? Is there a difference?
If there is a difference, what is it?
In my opinion, yes. There’s a huge difference.
And the parties will never ever unite regardless of their shared approach to fiscal policy.
The meeting saw adherence to strict protocol, the careful avoidance of populist statements, the rejection of any blame or culpability for the existential housing crisis, the dash of superiority and the party of law and order. FG see themselves differently and always will.
I attended the FF convention before the general election in the Welcome Inn. The protocol was simpler.
A few speeches which took an hour or so. It was like a good rough and ready quality carvery lunch. No frills. No beating around the bush.
When the meeting ended, the whole room moved like a swarm of bees and swooned around Beverly Flynn. Whatever FF is or isn’t. She’s it. Let’s face it, in Fianna Fail, she’s the Queen Bee.
Maybe the difference between the two civil war parties is analogous to the difference between curry chips and smoked salmon. FF being curry chips and FG being the tray of smoked salmon.
There is a subtle social distinction between the two parties. FF is the natural terrain for the upwardly mobile hungry aspirational working class.
Construction. Sand. Gravel. Grit. And a shovel. Blackie being the prime example. FG is the natural home for members of the Law Library, Redmondites, big farmers and professionals.
Frank Feighan was present at the meeting and described FG as being like porridge. An interesting analogy. When the country is in trouble, FG step in to protect and save the state.
I don’t know about any of the readers but I find eating porridge fairly boring. Porridge is good for you I guess.
FF as a party historically was always more in tune with middle Ireland. Pragmatists of the centre, according to Charlie.
The great social reformers all wore the FF badge. Something which FG have always secretly envied and resented.
They won the civil war and spent 10 years safeguarding the Free State and then had to sit back and watch as Dev and Fianna Fáil assumed control and power.
Talk to a blueshirt, dig a little bit, and you will find beneath the surface lies the barbarian.
In their eyes their patron and leader was assassinated and they then had to watch on as Dev’s party took control and power. The civil war wounds still resonate deeply in the core FG support. Much more so than FF.
At one stage Keira Keogh gave a speech (which was good), and asked the audience to all stand up. I sat back and took it all in. It was a novel departure.
She asked the room a series of questions like “Sit down if you joined FG because your parents were FG”, “Sit down if you joined FG because you canvassed for a friend”, and on it went.
And wouldn’t you know, the last man standing was Councillor Peter Flynn in his appropriately coloured light blue Helly Hansen jacket.
She asked him why he joined FG. His answer was simple. Because he wanted to get into politics and didn’t like Fianna Fáil.
The room burst into laughter. Maybe that’s the kernel of the FG identity. They are defined by what they’re not much more than by what they are.
Alan Dillon and Mark Duffy both spoke. Like any profession or job it’s important to give people time and space to develop. I went to Dillon’s campaign launch in 2020.
The difference is night and day. Back then he was finding his feet. The only way to become a politician is to become a politician and he has become one. Today he is composed, steady and assured.
None of us knew when he started in politics what he was going to be like. He didn’t know himself. Was it opportunism? Just another GAA star taking a Dáil seat?
He has shown and demonstrated that that’s not the case. His office is the template for any constituency office in the country. Beverly Flynn ran an excellent office, but Dillon has set the pace.
What made former Fine Gael TD Michael Ring so successful was his office. The great politicians have a personal vote. And Ring built it up through hard work and determination.
The Ringer asked for no quarter and gave no quarter. Now Keira Keogh has a big task following him.
Because Alan Dillon's constituency office is so productive and efficient his seat will always be safe.
The tide will always swing in and out. To survive in national politics you must do the bread and butter work. By doing that you are building a moat around your operation. It’s just that bit harder to attack.
Mark Duffy spoke. FG got 35% of the vote in the last general election and returned two seats. The next GE is a way down the tracks but it’s improbable three Fine Gael TDs will be returned. Two max.
Duffy is opening an office in Ballina and has his sister Councillor Marie Therese Duffy working alongside him with her precious GMA funding.
Ballina is crowded. Rose Conway-Walsh and Dara Calleary are heavy hitters, but my sense is that Duffy is on the right track.
If I had to call it, I’d say Dillon and Duffy in the years ahead. In the town of Castlebar, Dillon and Gaughan. The town would be well served. They’re the future. Two cabinet ministers at the very least.
Peter Flynn got up at the end to speak on behalf of the councillors. Well, all I can say is if I ever get married, I’m going to ask Flynn to speak at the wedding!
Within five minutes there’d be tables turned over and rucks breaking out and the Bould Peter would be sitting back in his chair with a glass of chardonnay and a big grin. He’d start a row in a graveyard!
After two minutes of pleasantries he launched into a diatribe against Mayo County Council officialdom. There was a frisson of tension in the room.
The 'nice guy, you're great, I’m great backslapping routine' was fired out the window. Someone is actually talking real stuff.
Around the room heads dropped. Of course, I thought it was hilarious. You have to give it to him for chutzpah.
Watching Flynn in action is like watching a lead guitar player break into a solo and the other lads in the band haven’t a clue where he’s going and when it’s going to stop.
The rhythm section are trying to hold down the 4/4 beat and the bass player and drummer are looking at each other in a panic. And Flynn doesn’t give a hoot and is lost in his own world playing in a different time signature and key.
After lobbing all the missiles and grenades, when the meeting was over he scooted out the door rapid with a big grin on his face. You have to laugh.
I stayed on awhile after and spoke with Michelle Mulherin and others.
It’s all to play for in the years ahead.