Keogh learning fast in battle for Westport seat

As the light rain fell in the heritage village of Aghagower, first time Fine Gael candidate Keira Keogh is getting the hang of this canvassing lark. Having spent the evening before canvassing in Kilmeena with Michael Ring she has picked up a trick of two from the master himself in the act of canvassing.

Her father Vinny Keogh, the proprietor of the well-known bar and restaurant The Helm on the Quay in Westport, is on the canvass with her and she is not shy in name dropping him. People are well aware of The Helm and Vinny, and very soon a connection is made and the engagement begins.

A self-employed behaviour consultant working with neurodiverse children, Keira has all the energy of a first time candidate as she makes her way from house to house. It is a family affair this evening with her sister-in-law, Caroline, a local, joining her alongside Vinny, while Anna Scott from Scott's in Aghagower is on hand to point out whose living where.

“I find going to the doors in twos is best but we will see how we do this evening,” Keira explains before setting off.

Keira has been canvassing since January but the weeks before polling day is when the real business is done and she is determined to go 'hell for leather' in the last two weeks.

Her sales pitch at the doors focuses on the fact she is a first time candidate who is not afraid of hard work and she will 'give it welly' if she gets in. If they have any issues she writes them down and tells people she will follow up on them and get onto Michael Ring about them.

Big issues

“When I started I thought it would be all about housing and immigration but it is not as much. It is more about the speed of traffic on the roads and childcare and playgrounds. They are big issues,” she explained.

There wasn't much sign of life at a number of the first few houses with people either not home or not coming to the front door.

“When you are Michael Ring you can go to the back of the house and look in the window, but I don't have that power yet,” she laughs as she leaves another election leaflet in the letterbox.

Keira has invested heavily in roadside signs to make her presence known and it seems to have worked.

“We can't miss you in fairness with the signs,” one woman laughs before promising Keira her vote.

As her canvass team make their way through Patrick's Well, Cloondacon and Mace, a myriad of issues are raised at the doorsteps. At one house, one man explains that his house may have pyrite and he'll have to pay a couple of thousand euro for an engineer to assess it.

Another woman who promised Keira her vote was looking for information on how to avail of funding to do up the access road for themselves and there neighbours under the LIS scheme.

“Six months ago, I didn't know anything about the LIS scheme,” Keira admitted but she is learning fast.

It’s not all serious though as at one house, the owner is proud as punch to show off her record player and his collection of Big Tom LPs.

One noticeable thing about calling to the homes around Aughahower is the number of dogs at each house and they like to make their presence known. If you have a phobia for dogs it might not be the best place to canvass but luckily for Keira she is a dog lover and is able to take them in her stride.

“The need for a dog park comes up a lot too ... well that is sort of my own agenda but it is coming up,” she laughs.

Positive response

As the only female candidate running in the Westport Electoral Area, the reception on the doorstep is positive from other women, especially mothers of young children. 

However, it is not long before Keira gets a taste of voter dissatisfaction particularly regarding the lack of housing for young people. One woman said her sons cannot get on the housing ladder and she was sick of politicians and political parties.

“All the houses are going to non-nationals. I don't mind people being housed but look after our own as well. There are houses going up in town but if you are working forget about it. If you work you will get no help in this country,” the woman lets them know.

As the evening starts to draw in, the team makes its way back to Aughagower happy with a good night's work. She may be a novice at canvassing but Keira is a quick learner. Whether it will be enough to win her a seat, time will tell.