It did not go unnoticed this week that Jack Lynch, a month after his death, has become persona grata in Fianna Fail again. The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, launching The Tallyman's Guide on the 1999 local European elections by John Mullen and Noel Whelan, quoted the former party leader. Urging young people to take part in politics, and in particular join a certain party, Ahern said he was reminded of Lynch saying "whether it be to join and support or indeed strongly oppose us, we in Fianna Fail exhort each and every young person in this State to become involved in political organisations pledged to maintain our parliamentary democracy and pledged to use the democratic machinery to defend the fundamental rights and freedoms of our people".
Mullen is a Fianna Fail research officer and Whelan, a barrister, was an adviser in the Departments of the Taoiseach and Foreign Affairs. At the launch in the EU office, Whelan said the book was for those who played, and those interested in, the bloodsport that was politics. There were subtle messages for every party in the local results. They showed that while the Ahern era had given rise to new blood, especially in Dublin, FF was very vulnerable in Connaught; FG did best in by-elections and the Euros; the Labour/DL merger will be an election disaster for the left in Ireland as it would shrink rather than increase the vote; the jury was out as to whether the PDs were viable in the long term and Sinn Fein could get anything from two to six seats in the next election and possibly be in government.
Launching the book, the Taoiseach remarked that he was not so sure about Minister Caoimhghin O Caolain, "but it would be the first time we would have a banker in the Cabinet with first-class experience".
Guests included Ministers Mary O'Rourke and Martin Cullen, the AG Michael McDowell and Alan Dukes, who wrote in his foreword that he hoped the 1999 elections had put the "local" back into "government".