THE WINNER stood tall, penned in by the pungent embrace of his overheated supporters.
Lucky man, Pearse Doherty TD, able to rise above the sweaty thicket of overjoyed Sinn Féiners and take the cooler air.
Beside him, Gerry Adams MP/MLA and aspirant SF TD, who hopes to join his new deputy Doherty in the Dáil after the general election. Jarry’s pristine shirt glowed white, despite a day of glad-handing and back-slapping and countless perspiring republicans excitedly pawing him.
After the triumph, the Shinners slid off to celebrate in the Cúirt Hotel above in Gweedore, Pearse’s homeplace. Or maybe they went by toboggan. The roads were treacherous. Locals in Ballybofey reckoned the journey time, which usually takes an hour, might take twice as long because of the conditions.
This might have suited the 33-year-old politician, who was having difficulty keeping his eyes open at the end of the last hectic day of a hectic three-week campaign in Donegal South West. At least he might have had a snooze in the car.
An interesting day in the Finn Valley Athletic Club gymnasium. For the victors, it was an historic new beginning.
For the vanquished, it was the “illogicality” of byelections and means nothing whatsoever in the overall scheme of things.
It was clear from very early in the day the Sinn Féin candidate was likely to take Pat the Cope Gallagher’s vacant seat with relative ease.
Before midday, a procession arrived down the Millbrae Road towards the gates of the club. This was winning, Sinn Féin-style. Jarry Adams, Martin McGuinness, Mary Lou McDonald, soon-to-be-deputy Doherty, the candidate for the byelection in adjoining Donegal North East, sundry bigwigs and attendant supporters marched through the gates.
Joe Costello seemed to be the most senior man Labour could muster, and he did his best to talk up Frank McBrearty’s less-than-impressive performance.
“He’s not devastated,” said Joe on radio, “he’s disappointed.” Brian Ó Dómhnaill, Fianna Fáil’s candidate had the Tánaiste and Minister Ó Cuív in his corner with a wet sponge and bucket of water. They did their best too to see the good in his disappointing showing. A drop from 50 per cent to just a point above 20 per cent was bucking the trend in the opinion polls.
Ten more years!
Fine Gael’s Barry O’Neill, who came in a distant second, was also left gasping in the Doherty’s wake.
Interviewed by RTÉ’s Fran McNulty (33) in the early afternoon, he took exception to his suggestion the tallies had him beaten into third place. “I don’t know where your schoolings (sic) came from, young man,” harrumphed Barry (36).
Labour’s Frank McBrearty pitched up in the afternoon, just after the first count. “This government should pack their bags and go!” he bellowed. “This won’t be the end of Frank McBrearty and the Labour Party in Donegal.” But he was going on a week’s holiday first.
Jarry stood shoulder to shoulder with Pearse and Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin. The candidate from next door was also carefully placed in the frame. Jarry turned to the candidate and said something, whereupon Pádraig Mac Lochlainn burst into Óró Sé do Bheatha ’Bhaile.
A Drimnagh activist, Padraig McGovern, knew all the verses. “The Dubs bring a bit of Gaelic to Donegal!” As the announcement neared, Caoimhghín handed his clipboard to somebody on the sidelines for health and safety reasons. The cameras crowded in. The crowd pulled tighter around Doherty and Adams. The scrum became more pungent.
Finally, the result. It took the best part of two years and a court action for this moment to come. They cheered their man to the rafters and lifted him up in the same direction. “Sinn Féin! Sinn Féin!” they chanted. But interestingly, no Tricolours were unfurled.
The returning office declared Pearse elected. “Get used to it!” whispered the Drimnagh activist.
Pearse hugged his wife Róisín, who cried tears of joy. Then he embraced his Mammy Gráinne, while his father Micheál looked on, tears in his eyes. “I’m over the moon” said Gráinne. “I always had faith in Pearse.” “I’m absolutely blown away,” said the new TD in his acceptance speech.
“We will not bow to the IMF and hand over our sovereignty,” he thundered, to rapturous applause.
The struggle never ends . . .
