Alan Dillon and the Mayo team behind his political success

His constituency office operates like clockwork

by Dr. Richard Martin

This is going to be a monster of an election.

The soul of the country is at stake.

Since the foundation of the Free-State in 1922 our nation has never been as fractured, divided and polarised on issues such as immigration, housing and health.

Ultimately, democracy is about equality and everyone will have the chance to have their say at the end of this month.

Let's hope common sense prevails.

The story in Mayo is complex.

The competition for the five available spots is intense.

It's highly unlikely that any candidate will be elected on the first count.

The total valid poll will be between roughly 70,000 and 75,000 votes. That means the likely greatest lower bound for the quota will be 11,667 and the likely least upper bound would be around 12,501 votes.

Last time out Rose Conway-Walsh got a FPV of 14,633, Dara Calleary got a FPV of 9,163 and Alan Dillon had a FPV of 5,198. I don't think any of the three outgoing TDs will be reelected on the first count.

No-one will break the 12,000 vote barrier on the first count. Every candidate knows that they are in the fight of their lives to retain or win a seat.

To be elected in the upcoming GE of 2024, a candidate must break the 8,000 FPV barrier to be sure of getting over the line on transfers. 4,000 FPVs is a lovely vote, but it won't get you elected.

The serious contenders know this. Alan Dillon knows this. His FPV in 2020 will not see him re-elected. It needs to increase by 4,000. Will he do it? Has he the work done?

Those are the big questions.

I wanted to find out more and I wanted to meet him so I made it happen.

I called into his office on Linenhall Street and met Orla and Majella.

Orla is his sister-in-law and his parliamentary assistant. Majella is his political assistant. Both women are employed by the Oireachtas. I made an appointment to meet him for an interview on Friday evening.

I found the two women warm, welcoming and friendly. They're professional. Very professional.

I was curious about the work they do on a day to day basis. I keep hearing regularly on the street that it's a 'great office' and 'very efficient'.

How does a constituency office operate on a day to day basis? I noticed that there were at least 50 'Thank You' cards on the architrave around the door leading upstairs.

What's that about, I asked. Orla said that's nothing. “We've boxes of them upstairs!” I laughed and said ‘you're doing the work so’.

What is it you actually do though? Orla took a deep breath. And spoke.

"Richard, we have clinic days on Monday and Friday. We could have 20 to 30 people booked in on those days as well as walk ins.

"The list of requests from the constituents varies daily, and no two days are ever the same. We deal with application forms that some people may struggle to fill in like medical cards, social welfare, fuel allowance, housing adaptations grants, passport applications and delays, hospital appointments and services for children and CDNT."

I got a bit dizzy listening.

I asked them both were they nervous about the upcoming election. “Very.” They replied in virtual unison.

"It's not just Alan's job that's on the line, it's our jobs as well. We're a team. Everything is on the line. If he gets over the line we get over the line. If he loses we have to make other arrangements," they explained.

Do you enjoy the job? Both laughed. “It's tough but we love it,” Majella said.

"It's the small wins that keep us going. An emergency passport delivered. A medical card approval. Securing a new home through social housing. Those small and big victories keep us going. We're here to make a difference. A positive difference," Majella elaborated.

In my view the rise in the far right is worrying and dangerous. It is an existential threat to the State from within. There is a substantial subset of our society who are so frustrated with the status quo that they are prepared to throw the grenade into the ballot box and vote for anarchy.

I asked the two ladies how they felt about it. Concerned. Very concerned.

Said Majella: "We treat everyone respectfully Richard. Anyone that comes in that door is treated fairly. We treat them all the same.

"Alan always reminds us on a weekly basis that he was elected by some for all. It's his job to represent everyone."

If some of the far-right candidates get elected, what kind of office would they run? Would they even have an office? Do they understand what the job entails?

Listening to them brought home to me that politics is just brutal. It doesn't do sentiment. It's not just the candidate whose job is on the line. It's a tough game. The winner takes all.

The bottom line is if we (the people of Mayo) reject Dillon, we reject his office.

Talking to them it dawned on me that it would be very foolish of the electorate to reject Orla and Majella at the ballot box. It would be foolish but it is possible.

I would be of the view that there are very few constituency offices of its calibre in the country. Castlebar needs local and national representation. We have it in Dillon.

I remarked that FG seem to be all on the same page. It was patently visible at the count for the local elections when Ger Deere, Cyril Burke and Donna Sheridan were elected.

It was an endorsement of the Dillon office and the hard work the two ladies do on a day-to-day basis. It was clear that the torch was handed over from Kenny to Dillon with grace and goodwill.

John McHugh. Brendan O'Dowd. Darragh Loftus. Adrian Coady. All staunch members of the Kenny machine - now all pledge their allegiance to the Dillon regime. Henry Kenny was visibly delighted as he stood humbly in the background.

Orla smiled and nodded as I made all those points.

"Yes. We're a family. We love the challenges that come our way everyday. We get on. We work together and we win and lose together.

"When our councillors got the massive mandate from the people in June it gave us a massive boost. It was a clear sign that our hard work was being recognised and rewarded by the electorate," she outlined.

The two ladies were snowed under with phones ringing and I could tell they were under pressure. I thanked them and left the office and went home for a few hours.

I pottered about in the house and reflected on my encounter with Orla and Majella.

Dillon is shrewd. Having the two women representing him in the office was a good move. If you want to be successful in modern day Irish politics you must move with the times and run a first class, efficient, professional office.

Delegating and empowering people is real leadership.

Dillon was smart enough to understand from the outset that if he was to retain his seat he had to run a good constituency office.

Micheal Ring built his power base on one ingredient. Work. Work. Relentless work. And more work.

You have to respect the mandate that was bestowed upon you and deliver for the constituents. In that regard Dillon and his team are cut from the same cloth.

You cannot retain a rural seat in Irish politics if you don't do the bread and butter constituency work.

RCW got 3,000 votes from Castlebar in 2020. She won't see that again anytime soon.

Aside from the far-right, I'm also a little bit contemptuous of what SF have to offer. RCW hasn't darkened the streets of the town since the GE of 2020. No office. If you want the Castlebar vote, earn it.

There is another candidate in the race but she's not on the ballot paper.

She's a poll topper but she's not featured on any poster. Who is it, pray tell? Orla's sister. Ashling. Ashling Dillon. Alan's wife.

She commands universal popularity and respect across the town. Self-deprecating. Glamorous. Humble. Modest and nice.

I regularly meet her at the corner of the Mall with her two lads as she dashes into Rua or Swirl for a coffee or a salad. Go, go, go. Mother of two young boys. Businesswoman. Wife of a government minister.

Later that evening I asked Alan is she his ace in the pack? He threw his head back laughing and said: “Yes, she's my best advocate.”

I put it to him that they are in some sense a reflection of the new Ireland. Both work. Both parent. Both equals. He agreed. As it should be.

When did you meet? I asked. "School. Davitt College. I was in the year ahead.”

And that was it? He smiled and nodded firmly in the assent.

"Yes. That was it. She was the one. She was there for me all through my career as a Mayo footballer. I had to make huge sacrifices to play inter-county football. Diet, nutrition, rest, recovery, hydration.

"My whole life was focused around playing for Mayo and she was with me every step of the way."

But that goes both ways right? I replied.

"Yeah, sure. We're a package deal. Aisling started her business Glo Beauty Clinic in 2008 at the start of the recession. It survived and went from strength to strength. I was with her on every step of that journey too."

I asked Alan how he felt about the upcoming election.

"No seat is safe, Richard. No seat. It's a fight right through to the bitter end. I've worked hard ever since I got elected and I don't take the responsibility that the people of Mayo gave me lightly.

"I represented Mayo for close to 20 years at all grades on the football pitch. This is where I live and I wouldn't live anywhere else. I could never live anywhere else for that matter.

"I was lucky enough to be employed by Allergan for 11 years and I'm duty bound as a public representative to protect the major American business in our county and country.

"Allergan, Fort Wayne Metals, Baxter, Coca-Cola, Meissner and Hollister are all foreign multinationals providing employment in Mayo.

"Our county would collapse if we lost them. We need to keep what we have and strive for more. We need to develop Knock Airport and develop the infrastructure around it.

"We can't stay still. We are the only English speaking country in the EU, we have low corporation tax, we have a highly educated workforce and we have stable government. Those are the key ingredients in attracting major American multinationals.

"The current political climate does worry me at times."

I asked why.

"Well, if big multinationals see societal unrest shall we say they would be less inclined to invest in this country. Political stability and consistency is crucial to our economic growth," he replied.

Talking to Alan I'm always taken aback by his humility.

After all he has achieved on the field of play - a double All-Star, an icon of Mayo football, 100 plus appearances for his county - he's just a humble regular lad.

I returned home to Castlebar to live during Covid, I rented a flat in Rathbawn. I'd regularly walk from Pavilion Road across town to my flat at night. Walking through Linenhall Street at 10 or 11 at night I'd regularly see the light on in his office. Sometimes we'd bump into each other and chat on the street. The red flag went off in my brain from the off. He's a worker.

We didn't know what we had when he was elected in 2020. We do now. He was an unknown entity as a politician. In the GE of 2024, Dillon will be placed in the top three and subsequently reach the quota. He, along with his team, deserve it.