SF victorious as clouds form over Government
The Donegal weather had its own tale to tell today, with predictions of a chilling snow storm that might stretch as far as Dublin.
As the results of the county’s by-election confirmed bad news for an already beleaguered government, the first icy flakes were falling on the Finn Valley Athletic Club.
But it was not all doom and gloom inside the count centre, as roars from the Sinn Féin ranks showed that after a bleak week, someone in Ireland at last had something to cheer about.
Days after the dreaded image of the IMF arriving in Dublin had confirmed the state’s economy was crippled, the people had their say.
“It appears...” said Gerry Adams, “they have made a stand alongside Sinn Féin.”
The result was important for his party, with 33-year-old Pearse Doherty a rising star in Sinn Féin. The married father-of-three is tipped as a possible future leader.
But he faced a Fianna Fáil opponent who had one of the hardest sells in political history in this campaign. And Brian O Domhnaill’s enthusiastic pledge that the IMF were not coming, just as they were about to touch down on Irish soil, left him cornered when polling day arrived.
Among the crowds packed into the counting hall were a clutch of young Fianna Fáilers, dressed in matching suits and overcoats, who mumbled that second place was not bad, given the times.
“It’s not a disaster,” said one confidently. “A protest vote.”
In the run-up to the election, knowing voices had warned against underestimating the strength of the Fianna Fáil tradition in the hills of Donegal.
As it was, half their supporters opted to stay at home and seethe over the bombshell of an €85bn bailout and the prospect of an austere budget that critics claim could make unemployment and emigration still worse.
The calculators were smoking as Fianna Fáil officials extrapolated how a similar performance nationwide might hit their party.
Sinn Féin, meanwhile, were on cloud nine and quickly elevating above it.
“Let me get a picture of Pat Doherty,” said one young Shinner to the party veteran.
“Why do you want a picture of me?” asked the West Tyrone MP.
“Sure it might be useful for an old memorial card some day when you’re gone!” came the response, and there were laughs all round.
A Sinn Féin election worker who was revelling in Pearse Doherty’s win, held up the palm of his hand and used it as a makeshift map of Ireland. He pointed out the corners that had turned Sinn Féin-green.
The party is top dog among Northern Ireland nationalists, but south of the border it now has only five members in the Dail parliament.
Doherty, having gone to court to force the delayed by-election, was on the crest of a wave and was believed to be “transfer friendly”.
In a PR contest, the supporters of other parties often need to give Sinn Féin their second preference to get the party over the line and in the past its been a weakness, which Sinn Féin is working on.
But a government insider, looking at the bigger picture, said: “This won’t affect the budget vote and that’s the important thing.”
The cuts are coming.
It was dark when the count was over.
“Cold night,” said an election worker in the car park. “It’s going to be a terrible winter.”
