The intricacies of Mayo Fine Gael's battle for supremacy
by Dr. Richard Martin
The Burkes don’t lose elections.
Paddy Burke was first elected to Mayo County Council in 1979 and served in that role for 24 years and four months until October 2003. Continuously.
He never lost his seat.
He was also elected to the Senate in 1993 and served in that role until February 2025.
That’s 32 years of unbroken representation in the Senate. He successfully contested seven senate elections. The elections to the Senate are far more difficult than council and Dáil elections, politicians will tell you.
All told from 1979 to 2025, that’s 46 years of unbroken service. He is the second longest serving senator in the history of the State, David Norris holding the recorded with 36 years.
When the dual mandate was abolished in 2003, Paddy Burke was forced to resign his council seat and his brother Cyril was co-opted in his stead. Cyril went up against Eoin Garavan in the in-house FG co-option contest.
When I meet and walk with Eoin around the Mall, I frequently like to remind him of that fact. Like Paddy Burke. Sometimes I like to throw a grenade into the conversation. All in good sport of course.
Cyril has never lost his seat. He has been returned to Mayo County Council in five successive elections. As I write that’s 23 years of unbroken service.
Their father Pakie Burke served on Mayo County Council for seven years and their grandfather Patrick served for 11 years.
Along with the Flynns, Kennys and Callearys, the Burkes are a political dynasty.
But, unlike the others, they fly somewhat underneath the radar.
Perhaps, that’s their greatest strength.
A neighbour of the Burkes in Carnacon, my close friend Al McDonnell is approaching 39 years of continuous service on Mayo County Council. Al and Paddy both played on the Ballintubber team together way back when.
Currently, there is another prominent former Ballintubber and Mayo player in electoral politics - Junior Minister Alan Dillon who was elected to the Dáil in 2020.
The flies on the Ballintubber lads are paying rent, rates and CGT. I know all their wiles and ways.
If anything they are survivors. To survive in politics (successfully) for that length of time requires certain attributes.
How did Paddy Burke survive for 46 years continuously without tasting electoral defeat?
In a word. Shrewdness. Paddy Burke is a master of political tactics and strategy.
You can’t navigate the halls of the Oireachtas for that length of time without those skills.
Along with Phil Hogan, they were the key players in Kenny’s bid to survive the leadership heave in 2010.
He never would’ve become a Taoiseach otherwise. Of course, as we all know, Kenny then tried to abolish the Senate in 2013. If you want a friend in politics, buy a cat!
In retirement, you can meet Paddy in a local coffee shop on occasion, with his friend, Willie Joe, meeting and chatting with people, pushing daylight into dark corners and playing Jedi Mind tricks on poor innocent Fianna Fáilers, convincing them to vote for Cyril.
I bump into Paddy in Caroline’s the odd time. I never have to put my hand in my pocket. I met Cyril one morning for breakfast a while back. He got my breakfast and others. Another secret to a lengthy successful career in politics is decency.
I wonder what Paddy makes of the current upheaval in Mayo FG.
There is a split right down the centre. When there is a split, politicians always think very carefully about which side they should align with because, above all, they have to protect their own seat.
Cyril is very much aligned with Dillon. Dillon can rely on Deere and Cyril.
Neil Cruise is based in Foxford. Halfway between Ballina and Castlebar. He defeated John Sheehan of SF by one vote in the 2024 council election.
After three recounts he was deemed elected.
Twelve ballot papers in favour of Sheehan weren’t stamped correctly and, as such, were spoilt. Tight margins.
I’ve only met John once, and once only. He is a man of quality and substance. That being the case, Neil Cruise has a right battle on his hands to retain his seat in 2029. So who does he align himself with? Duffy or Dillon? The way things are, he can’t play both sides of the coin, he has to go with one or the other.
He needs to think very carefully, which is the way forward for his own political survival?
Alma Gallagher is based in Ballyhaunis. She is the anointed successor and long-time protégé of John Cribbin. Old school FG. She may be the most powerful FG councillor in the county. Why? Her location.
Gallagher and Cribbin, along with John Prenty, were backing Team Keira Keogh in the 2024 general election. That won’t change going forward.
Senator Mark Duffy has a strong working relationship with Alma Gallagher. If he intends to take Paul Lawless on in the next general election, Mark needs Alma's support.
Who does MEP Maria Walsh align with? She was with Team Keogh the last time. That won’t change going forward.
The Ringer will make sure of it.
So, as of now, the battle for supremacy in Mayo FG is ongoing and undecided.
And it is being monitored closely in Castlebar party circles.
Enough said, for now.