One TD is upending Mayo politics as we know it
"He has cornered a niche, intent on building his vote"
The politics of Mayo is being upended.
There is an upstart in the room who is getting in the craw at each and every sensibility, playing to the masses impeccably.
He can definitely dish it out but there is a sensitivity to dear Deputy Lawless that he cannot receive the same lashing he metes out to many others.
Undeniably he has cornered a niche. Intent on building his vote, he has noticeably stretched west like a true pioneer in the quest of hoovering up more votes.
His encampment in Newport is fascinating. Not content with a spin or two on the dancefloor at a traditional music weekend, he has championed each and every cause from the Clew Bay town.
A mere 120km round trip from the Basilica in Knock to Brannan's Bar on the west coast, Lawless has made sewage schemes and seaweed a cause célèbre, identifying an area for prudent vote getting.
His latest public meeting in the area is sure to rile councillors and representatives of all hues who view the west of the county as their domain.
Still, he is a Mayo TD and Lawless has as much right to be in Newport as Minister Calleary has to be in Kilmaine and vice versa.
The former soccer player is attempting to widen his base throughout the county, a colleague to join him on the ticket, most likely his sister, Councillor Deirdre Lawless, who if elected at the next locals could see a joint Healy Rae esque voting map introduced into this county.
Where the incumbent asks voters to pledge their vote in his immediate geographic area of south east Mayo for Councillor Lawless while the deputy asks those elsewhere to vote for him.
The independent candidate Stephen Kerr vacuumed up plenty of urban votes for the eventual successful Lawless campaign, and strategy will be part of his forte in 2029, that is for sure.
We're seeing it play out already.
Is the established cohort of Mayo politics prepared to out play him? That remains to be seen.
What I find most fascinating as opinion poll after opinion poll shows a national rise for Social Democrats, they are a party without any purchase in this constituency, despite the free avenue considering a lack of Labour, People Before Profit or Green Party councillor or even contender in Mayo.
Mayo votes in tandem with the rest of Ireland. We're no Roscommon, we rarely stray away from the national trends too often. Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin's vote share of their two candidates almost literally mirrored the results nationally, Fine Gael's 4 candidates for 5 seats skewed the results, showcasing a 35% vote share.
So where is that left of centre/anti-FFG vote going to in Mayo or is it being left on the table?
Opinion polls will not cause too much excitement for government parties, but if they are to be believed, their worthiness is perhaps only weighted by recent trends - there is a growth in support for alternatives that aren't Sinn Féin.
Independents such as Harry Barrett and Patsy O'Brien of differing hues and histories will be intriguing figures in the future tale of a Mayo general election and their posturing in recent months has shown men keen to taste higher office.
That contentious final seat will be all to play for, just as it was two years ago.
Meanwhile, outgoing Mayo County Council housing director Tom Gilligan spoke at the most recent Housing SPC that they had received, in his words, "numerous" representations from modular facility owners in the aftermath of calls from representatives to visit sites.
A planned site visit is yet to come to fruition but it will not please certain councillors until there is an opportunity for the local authority to directly build a housing project.
Direct build would be the quickest route with modular, but will there be a true cost saving from traditional build?
If the OPW estates built for beneficiaries of temporary protection are anything to go by, why go for modular if the cost equals the same or potentially greater than traditionally built homes, plus the added headache of the lifespan placed upon the property?
Overall, new rules by the Department of Housing has mandated that 25% of all social and affordable projects are to have modern methods of construction built in. We're yet to see such plans forwarded in Mayo, but it's something to keep an eye on over the coming months.
With Mayo's housing figures almost doubled under this period compared to the previous minister's targets, speed may be key.
Combined with the harrowing stories of housing distress rising by the day, one would suggest now is the time to pilot a project or two.