CARTY, John FF The Political Interview
Michael Commins michaelcommins@mayonews.ie FORMERLY a bastion of Fianna Fáil political representation, the constituency of Mayo is now a troubled territory for the Republican party. It was once the norm for four of the six elected representatives in the county to be from Fianna Fáil, but now they are facing into Election 2007 with just one of the five outgoing TDs representing the party. That representative is John Carty. He has had to carry the mantle as Mayo’s only Government TD in his first five-year sojourn in Dáil Éireann.
This time around he is part of a three-man team (along with Frank Chambers and Dara Calleary) flying the flag for Fianna Fáil and, as the incumbent, is perceived to hold most of the aces. Yet, he is under no illusion as to the task that lies ahead. He says there will be a ‘blood-bath’ for some of the Mayo seats, such will be the ferocity of the battle on this occasion.
Ten years ago, John Carty scarcely ever imagined he would find himself defending a seat in Dáil Éireann.
“I had been around the party for quite a number of years and would have been one of PJ Morley’s right-hand men for a long time. I thought at the time that it had passed me by. The opportunity had never arisen. Then PJ came to me and said he was not going forward at the next Council election. So I let my name go forward, got the nomination, and headed the poll in the Claremorris Electoral Area.
“They started looking at me from the top then and asked me to go forward for the nomination for the General Election. I knew it would be a battle but there was always a tradition in this part of Mayo that there was a TD returned to the Dáil going back to the days of Dick Walsh in Balla, Micheal Ó Cléirigh in Ballyhaunis, Sean Flanagan in Aghamore and PJ Morley in Bekan.”
Despite a major MRBI Opinion Poll less than a month before the General Election of 2002, showing him on seven per cent and sitting TD Jim Higgins (Fine Gael) from nearby Ballyhaunis on 18 per cent, when the votes were counted it was Carty who was ahead and Higgins who narrowly lost out.
Carty’s job as an Agricultural Officer with the Department over the years was to prove hugely beneficial on the campaign trail. Many were the homes he was used to having the cup of tea in and sitting down around the fire chatting to people from all sides of the political spectrum. It was a major plus in Carty’s success.
“The job got me out there among a lot of people right across Mayo. I got a good personal vote outside of Fianna Fáil. Since I was elected, it has stood me in good stead as well as I was involved in agriculture over the years. I have a very good working relationship with Mary Coughlan (Minister) and work closely with different farming bodies.”
With two candidates on his patch this time as opposed to one the last time out, Carty knows he is in for a serious challenge.
“It definitely puts extra pressure on me. Gerry Murray in Charlestown is standing for Sinn Féin and John O’Mahony in Ballaghaderreen is standing for Fine Gael. I would hope that here in south/east Mayo that they would realise I am in-situ here and I have done quite an amount of work. If they want to elect another TD in Roscommon, that’s their job, if that’s what the people want, but I have worked hard since I got in.”
He admits the decision of Councillor Annie Mai Reape not to seek a nomination was welcome news for him.
“The fact that she now lives in Swinford would have put extra pressure on me. There’s no doubt at all about that. Having said that, Swinford people are very loyal and I’ve worked hard in that area as well. With all due respects to Annie Mai, she represents Ballina and that’s how it would be seen by many.”
As the sole Government TD for Mayo, Carty has been able to announce a lot of good news in recent months. One senses few have given him as much pride and satisfaction as the decentralisation programmes and the recent €27 million allocation for Knock Airport.
“Prior to the last election, Charlie McCreevey came down and launched my campaign and I built up a very good relationship with Charlie after I got elected. In the end, we got three decentralisation programmes in Mayo, in Claremorris, at Knock Airport and the Pulse operation of the Garda Síochána in Davitt House in Castlebar, which replaced jobs in the agriculture sector which would otherwise have been lost.
“Two years ago last August, Brian Cowen came at my invitation to open the Sailing Club in Westport. When he had his work done, he said ‘will you travel back with me to Knock, I want to discuss Mayo with you’. And he said to me ‘what’s the most thing you need to help Mayo?’ and I said to him ‘the jewel in the crown in Mayo is Knock Airport’.
“I then rang Liam Scollan at the airport and we spent four hours there. He spoke about the plans they had and the vision they had for the airport. Eventually, a package was put together and the rest is history. I was very happy to be in a position to announce €27 million for Knock Airport two weeks ago.“
For John Carty, perceived by some within the political arena as being one of the old-style politicians that places a lot of trust on the personal touch and knowing his constituents on a first-name basis, this is his first time defending the title of TD which he won five years ago. And with the able and politically-astute Sean Egan as his Director of Elections, he is well prepared for the battle ahead. The groundwork is being laid for a big campaign.
“There is always tension coming up to an election. There will be ‘border crossings’ and all of that. It’s good to have some tension as it gets people up and out. It’s part of the cut and thrust of politics. We in Fianna Fáil will be going all out for three seats. You have to aim high and see what happens after that. There’ll be fierce excitement when they open the boxes in Castlebar. No one can call this election with any certainty.”
On the record
John Carty on... > the destination of the five seats “I honesty think the first two seats will go to Michael Ring and Enda Kenny and after that it will be a bloodbath for the next three seats. I think I should be in there myself and I also think Ballina should elect a TD this time. If that happened, somebody has to lose. Who will be the loser? Who can foretell?”
> Beverley back in Fianna Fáil “You never say never in politics. But, at the present time, I don’t see her back in Fianna Fáil under Bertie’s leadership. I don’t really see it happening.”
> the next Taoiseach “I have no doubt in my mind that Bertie Ahern will be the next Taoiseach, whatever the combination will be. It could be a number of possible combinations but he will be the kingmaker.”
> the next FF leader after Bertie “I think Brian Cowen will be the one to replace Bertie. I have to say we have two excellent female ministers in Mary Coughlan and Mary Hanafin and down the road they could well be the ones to lead the party. You also have Dermot Ahern, a man with a lot of experience. I have no doubt but that Brian Cowen is the front runner at this stage to be the next leader of Fianna Fáil after Bertie stands down.”
> TDs he admires “Outside of Fianna Fáil, one of my favourites in Dáil Éireann is Michael McDowell (PD Leader). I find him to be a very personable type. He’s great company and I think he enjoys us rural TDs in a special way. He’s very down to earth and enjoys listening to the stories from the countryside. In the Labour Party, I get on very well with my two fellow Mayo men, Emmet Stagg and Pat Rabbitte. I work with Brian Hayes (Dublin) from Fine Gael on the British-Irish Parliamentary Group and we also get on very well.”
> the future of Knock Airport “I think the future now looks very bright for Knock Airport. The recent funding we announced will form part of the €45 million development plan that is being put in place at over the next four years. It will have a major impact on Mayo and the rest of Connacht in the years ahead.”
> mixing politics with family life “I have eight children, three are now working full time and five are still in school or college. All of my family are very involved in sport so my wife Kathleen in constantly on the road at training or matches, I’m lucky that she likes to be involved, I suppose the burden does fall on her. When I’m in Dublin, I always meet up with my two sons who are living up there, Cathal and John Henry. It can be tough, because when you’re a TD from Mayo, you can’t help but spend a lot of time on the road.”
