Two senior ministers for Mayo's county town?
By Caoimhín Rowland
What exactly is the role of a single deputy, I ask you?
They attend funerals in one parish, shout from the backbenches in another, and carry no portfolio of their own - like an old braying jackass strayed upon the rocks.
Tucker Street in Castlebar is starting to resemble Kildare Street more every day. A cluster of electoral power is emerging locally in the county capital.
The recent unveiling of Senator Lisa Chambers' new constituency clinic on Tucker Street, situated between the now-closed office of former Taoiseach Enda Kenny and the landmark clinic of Minister Alan Dillon, signals her intent for the upcoming general electoral showdown.
Chambers, the leader of the Seanad, is making it clear she’s gearing up for a fierce contest.
Political rivalries are nothing new in Mayo nor is a cluster of political power distilled in unlikely locations.
The people of Erris and Geesala can attest to this, where the windswept shores brought forth a piece of political trivia that still resonates today.
In a tiny rural stretch, a mile outside Geesala, three houses are locally known as ‘TD’s Row.’ The trio were once homes to Henry Coyle, Pat Lindsay and Paddy O’Toole.
Of course Henry’s son, Gerry Coyle, now carries the family’s political banner, having been elected to Mayo County Council on every occasion since 1997, representing the Belmullet municipal district and Fine Gael with distinction.
Both Lindsay and O’Toole jockeyed from the westerly strand to claim ministerial briefs in the east.
Paddy O’Toole was first elected to the Dáil in 1977. During his tenure, he played a key role in securing the Moy Salmon Fishery for the state. He held various ministerial positions in the 1980s, including Minister for the Gaeltacht and Minister for Defence.
Lindsay, who was called to the Bar in 1946 and elected to the Dáil for Fine Gael in 1954 and 1957, went on to serve as Parliamentary Secretary and briefly as Minister for the Gaeltacht.
The times of Synge and those powerful Erris man of the past are nothing more than a distant memory, consigned to the history books or to be repeated as folklore, yet modernity has thrown up a similar story for the two Ballyheane natives.
As the people of Mayo prepare to vote, seniority is likely to play a key role in the electorate’s decision-making.
With Michael Ring’s retirement leaving a gaping chasm, the question of who can best deliver for Mayo is crucial. A ministerial portfolio, as always, serves as the clearest signal of who holds real power.
Mayo’s political standing was shaken in 2020 when the county found itself without a minister in then-Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s cabinet. Rightly or wrongly in this county we appear to hold a divine right to at least one major portfolio, junior positions just don’t cut it.
But, as this government nears the end of its term, Mayo boasts two ministers of state, Alan Dillon in Housing and Dara Calleary in Enterprise. Both are expected to be re-elected with relative ease, and if the current polls hold, they are confident of returning to Leinster House.
However, the spotlight is now on Fianna Fáil Senator Lisa Chambers.
If elected to the Dáil, it would be highly unusual for her to miss out on a ministerial position. Chambers has held important roles before and is favoured by party leadership.
Could Mayo end up with three ministers after the next cabinet is formed? Such a scenario would certainly shake the political landscape, and Diarmaid Ferriter may well have a fit.
Castlebar could find itself represented by two ministers in the next government and their clinics only separated by an auctioneers and a pedestrian crossing.
So when will we know more about when we’ll vote?
The bike-shed furore has subsided to be replaced with talk of our Apple billions. Everyone has an idea of how it should be spent, it will frame much of next month’s budget discussions despite not being available until spring.
Taoiseach Simon Harris has downplayed speculation about a November 15 election, reportedly telling his cabinet that Sinn Féin is unlikely to recover in time no matter a snap election.
We know a winter election is inevitable, the only question is whether it will be early or late in the season.
His reluctance to call an early election echoes former Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s misstep in 2016, a decision Kenny later regretted. It cost the Blueshirts a majority and paved the way for this historic Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael alliance.
Time will tell whether Harris’ gamble will pay off or if the speculation holds any truth at all.