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Speakers Corner The safe option on
General Election day, an option the rest of the country ended up
taking, was to return a Fianna Fáil led Government to ‘finish the job’
“Rabbitte must have had some sleepless nights before deciding whether or not to throw his lot in with Fine Gael”
Speakers Corner Michael Duffy ON May 24 last, the Mayo public took a big gamble. The safe option on General Election day, an option the rest of the country ended up taking, was to return a Fianna Fáil led Government to ‘finish the job’. Ten years at the top table had not been enough for Bertie and after months of uncertainty about his political career, the Fianna Fáil leader pulled off his greatest political achievement with a resounding victory. However, Mayo gambled on Enda Kenny becoming the next Taoiseach, and Pat Rabbitte becoming the next Tanáiste. In sober reflection, in what was basically a two horse race, we backed the wrong horse. This week, the first casualty of that failed attempt for Government was Labour leader Rabbitte. He candidly admitted in his resignation speech that his own ‘gamble’, when he threw his lot in with Fine Gael eighteen months prior to polling day, had failed. It failed by a ‘narrow margin’ - but it still failed. Modern day politics - much the same as the English Premier League - is a cut throat business. There can be no doubting that Labour had progressed under the Ballindine born leader but that rate of progression was supposed to yield places at the cabinet table and in the end it didn’t. To put it in Premier League terms, Pat Rabbitte brought his team from mid table mediocrity to the verge of Champions League football. However, he just fell short of the ultimate goal and when weighing up the whole situation, he felt someone else would be better placed to take his team to the next level. Although he probably won’t admit it at this stage, Rabbitte must have had some sleepless nights before deciding whether or not to throw his lot in with Fine Gael. Many within his own ranks, most vocally Tommy Broughan, felt that it was time for Labour to go it alone. But 18 months before a General Election, Pat Rabbitte felt it was time for the people of Ireland to be offered a viable alternative to the Fianna Fáil/Progressive Democrats coalition, a coalition which was under considerable pressure at the time. Both the Fine Gael and Labour leaders felt they shared enough common ground to convince the public at large that there was a secure and bankable alternative. They felt it made sense to put their cards on the table well in advance and it was an admirably brave decision so far in advance of an election. However, their failure to form a Government is ultimately the reason why Pat Rabbitte will be returning to his constituency work in Dublin South West rather than working at the coal-face of Irish politics as a leader on the opposition benches. Enda Kenny will be left to fight another battle as his party gained twenty seats, but Pat Rabbitte was seen in many quarters to have let down his side of the bargain as Labour had no net gains to show when the votes were counted. And in an honourable way, so often lacking in Irish politics, Rabbitte, in his resignation speech, accepted the fact that as Leader the buck stopped with him and ultimately he was responsible. The Party have hugely important Local and European elections to plan for and he felt a new leader should be given ample time to make an impression ahead of polling day in June 2009. He also correctly pointed out that although the core values of Labour are timeless and immutable, the party as a whole must accept that Irish society has changed and the party, prompted by a new leader, must change in how they relate these values to the modern electorate. His resignation means that three of the four leaders who appeared on the pre-election debate on RTE (where Rabbitte so memorable called Michael McDowell ‘a menopausal Paris Hilton’ - a remark he later withdrew) are now no longer at the helm of their parties. Only Gerry Adams remains in situ, the man who most commentators felt finished fourth out of four in terms of performance during that entertaining debate. Pat Rabbitte must now content himself with a seat on the backbenches but there is no doubt he will continue to be one of the most respected and committed TDs in Dáil Éireann.
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This one-woman show stars Brídín Ní Mhaoldomhnaigh, an actress, writer and presenter who has several screen credits including her role as Katy Daly on Ros na Rún, and the award-winning TV drama Crá
Breaffy Rounders will play Glynn Barntown (Wexford) in the Senior Ladies Final and Erne Eagles (Cavan) in the Senior Men's All-Ireland Final in the GAA National Games Development Centre, Abbotstown
Breaffy Rounders will play Glynn Barntown (Wexford) in the Senior Ladies Final and Erne Eagles (Cavan) in the Senior Men's All-Ireland Final in the GAA National Games Development Centre, Abbotstown
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