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MAYO IS FINE Gael country. In 2011, the constituency elected an unprecedented four Fine Gael TDs as the party swept to power.
This time around, even on what was a dreadful day for the party, the Taoiseach and junior minister Michael Ring were easily re-elected in Mayo as Fine Gael won over 50% of all first preference votes in the four-seater.
But a poor vote management strategy saw Michelle Mulherin fail to hold her seat. She was ousted by 29-year-old barrister Lisa Chambers, who joined Dara Calleary in taking two seats for Fianna Fáil.
“Obviously I was up against it, I knew that,” Chambers told TheJournal.ie, when asked how she took a second Fianna Fáil seat in the Fine Gael heartland.
I’m in Castlebar, which is the Taoiseach’s hometown, so I was going head to head with a Taoiseach, and I had junior minister Michael Ring literally 15 minutes over the road in Westport. So I knew I was up against it.
Chambers ran for Fianna Fáil in 2011 but the party’s collapse all around the country meant she never came close to taking a seat.
However, that experience stood to her when she ran in the local elections three years later and there was no doubt about her seat on Mayo County Council. From then on it was a campaign on the ground, across local media and on social media that helped get her elected to the 32nd Dáil.
Chambers’s success could arguably be attributed to having a bit more time to knock on doors and make herself known. Fianna Fáil attributes her election and that of a few others across the country – like Mary Butler topping the poll in Waterford – to Kenny’s decision not to go to the country last November.
An early winter election would have caught Fianna Fáil on the hop in some constituencies, but when February came the hard work was largely done. All that was left was the final push.
“I know for the public it was a very short campaign, in terms of it was just over three weeks, but for myself and my team it was months and months of work,” she said.
Chambers believes Micheál Martin has done “an unbelievable job” as Fianna Fáil leader:
It was during this short campaign last month that Kenny infamously referred to people in Castlebar as ‘All Ireland whingers’. In his later clarification, Kenny claimed he was only talking about small group of Fianna Fáil councillors, which would have included Chambers.
But few believed him, including Chambers:
It was very clearly directed at the people of Castlebar. So if anybody is unsure of that just take a look back at the clip and see for yourself and make up your own mind.
“People were annoyed about that. I was out canvassing and it came up on the doors that day,” she said.
Perhaps with that in mind Chambers is not of the view that her party should go into coalition with Fine Gael and does not believe party members will vote for it at a special ard fheis if it comes down to it.
I don’t think people voted for Fianna Fáil to go into a coalition with Fine Gael, that’s the feedback I’m getting.
Despite her youth, Chambers has a wealth of experience. She has practiced as a barrister on the western circuit for a number of years. She also served in the Reserve Defence Forces for 13 years – an experience she “loved”.
“I joined when I was a teenager. It was my neighbour who was a member and she said: ‘I think this is something you’d really like.’.
Myself and my best mate went on up to Castlebar military barracks. We didn’t really know what we were joining up to. We knew it was something to do with the army and 13 years later I was still a member and loved it.
Chambers gave up the RDF when she was elected to the council in 2014, but told us that she did consider a permanent career in the Defence Forces before deciding to go into law.
Her backgrounds in defence and justice mean she has her sights set on a either of those portfolios if any cabinet positions open up in the future. Unlike most politicians, Chambers is surprisingly honest when asked about what ambition, if any, she has to lead Fianna Fáil.
“I’m in the Dáil a week, so I think it might be a bit premature to be talking about leading the party,” she laughed.
But she would “absolutely” consider going for the position if it arises in the future, before adding:
But again I am only in there five minutes, so I think I’ve a long way to go yet before I am qualified to even look for that.
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Great to see some good looking young platinum blonde women in the Dail.
Too many plain looking auld wans in Irish political life.
What a dick comment to make. Why make reference to her looks? She seems smart and competent to me and I’d like to know more about her values and vision for Ireland and Mayo
and Dublin right?
‘I’d like to know more about her values and vision for Ireland and Mayo’
Haha.
Nice one Dermot.
You had me going there for a minute.
I think her “looks” helped her get elected….Your surely not naive enough to think that this was not a factor….
About the coalition with FG she said ‘My heart and conscience says no, but my wallet says yes’
It’s not her choice.
It has to be passed by a majority at the special Ard Fheis.
No chance of that happening.
I hope she listens to her wallet, or she could find herself out of a job very shortly if another election is called.
After Mr Martin saying repeatedly on television that he would not go into coalition with fianna Gail and then to flip flop and go in would be typical of our elected so called representatives, why bother going to ghetto expense of having debates and setting out policy documents if the day after your elected on these you do the opposite. I can’t think of any other profession where openly lying is exceptable.
I always believe that politicians buy their shous one size bigger so that they can cover more ground.
‘shoes’…..
Politics is a magnet for psychopaths. Psychopaths can lie with incredible ease. They could stand in front of you, piss on your shoes and tell you it’s raining.
Aoife, he can’t go in with FG because any coalition proposal had to be passed in a vote by the members of FF.
He doesn’t have the power to veto the members vote.
Paper doesn’t refuse ink, but don’t believe what the FG media wants you to believe as the members of FF will not vote for a coalition after spending months canvassing at doors for the removal of FG from government.
The Ard Fheis vote is being ignored by the media in all of their articles.
I don’t trust them in the slightest, they’ll work it so that they won’t go into coalition but will work together on all bills and debates.they did it already by not having the debate on Irish water.
Aoife the government effectively didn’t allow any debate on Irish water. They railroaded the legislation through so the concerns which FF had were drowned out by the arrogance and expedience of FG/Labour pushing the bill through. FF certainly didn’t coalesce as their opposition on this and many other laws enacted in the last Dail were ignored such was the unhealthy majority which the government enjoyed
FG and FF or FF and FG need to coalesce in Government. The enmity is merely historical and cultural. They are both right of centre parties and they are almost identical on the neo-liberal economic policies which they espouse. It’s time for FG and FF to stop the pretence and to get on with forming a Government.
A young TD will not see that because she is immersed in the anti FG culture of her party, the tribal traditional enmity with the competitor. It will require more experienced politicians to wake up to the attraction of Ministerial salaries, Ministerial pensions and the perks of high office.
Again, you are falling for spin.
Any coalition had to be approved by a majority vote at a special FF Ard Fheis.
The members decide, not the parliamentary party.
There’s absolutely no chance of members approving a deal that allows FG into Government after campaigning against them in doors.
The PP won’t have the opportunity to get themselves ministers positions as you insinuate.
She obviously appealed to the stupid voters, who are in the majority.
“Chambers believes Micheál Martin has done “an unbelievable job” as Fianna Fáil leader”
Enough said, another leech TD to add to the collection
The bleach blonde and the 747 come to mind
Only just elected and already telling people what they want, nothing ever changes within FF. FF and FG can’t have it both ways being in governments and being the biggest opposition party. Vote management and negative media bias have saved FF but only in the short term. I may not Agree with how the Mayo people voted but I have to respect their decision. With two FF and two FG it seems all the loot from the lotto, all the money spent on tourism projects and the tens of thousands spent to improve enda Kenny image has saved Mayo from the austerity other county’s had to bear. Get what you can while it’s going will not be forgotten by those who are suffering while Mayo parties.
You’d have to wonder what possible question could FF be the answer to.
Who ruined the economy?
Lisa .. how about some real hard graft now and legislate for fair Car Tax Law.
Sign this Petition if you agree that:-
It is grossly unfair, unjust and offensive that Irish car owners of older pre-2008 cars are subsidising the road tax (and water tax) of those who can afford new cars! https://www.change.org/p/unfair-car-tax-law
The whole mess here is blamed on F.F then this past government made it worse but the fact is the Troika played the people especially the IMF.
John Perkins, Former Advisor IMF said the following recently…
“My job was to identify countries with resources that corporations covert, like oil and then arrange a huge loan to that country from the World Bank or from one of its sister organisations. The money however would not go to the country, it would go to our own corporations who would make huge profits, but the majority of the people would suffer terrible as a result, because money would be diverted from Education, Healthcare and other Social Services to pay interest on the debt.”
What happened when the IMF moved in and the debt couldn’t be repaid?
“We go back into that country and say, since you can’t pay your debt, sell your resource oil or whatever real cheap to our corporations without any environmental restrictions or, or social regulations. Privatise, sell your electric utilities, your water, sewage systems, your schools, your jails, all your public sector businesses to our corporations, and in the few cases where we failed economic hitman, the jackals went in and still do and aah, they either assassinate the leaders of the country or overthrow them in coups.”
Yes I agree the road tax on cars pre 2008 is scandalous it is hitting at the poor people that cannot afford to buy a newer car
have your say