The local in Irish politics

By Cian McCormack
Morning Ireland

There was something very striking travelling from the Glen of Aherlow to Listowel: Election posters.

Adorning every lamp post in every rural village, town, and city they ensure the passerby can get valuable face-time with candidates. It's the party branding that's astounding – especially when it's so small that it's barely visible on posters.

The majority of Fianna Fáil posters have tiny party logos, it's something Taoiseach Brian Cowen addressed when he sat down with reporters in Listowel. When asked about faint-hearted Fianna Fáilers, his message was clear: They should have thought about this before they ran in the election.

The arrival of Brian Cowen to Listowel was an interesting illustration of what makes Irish politics tick. He arrived to the Listowel arms, greeted by a small number of grassroots supporters. It was the collision of two different, but interdependent, worlds – national and local politics. While national issues dominate the agenda when you talk to people about local election issues on the street, local issues are never far away.

Our day in Listowel revealed how potholes in the town have become a main talking point of the town council elections.

Local publican and writer Billy Keane pointed out that any politician who can get a letter from the National Roads Authority guaranteeing the resurfacing of Church Street could top the poll. And local issues are never too small for the leader of the country to deal with.

Lixnaw man Gerry Buckley talked to Taoiseach Brian Cowen about the collapse of the Ballinagar bridge in 2007, and how it hasn't yet been replaced. He didn't get a commitment on funding for a new bridge, but he said it showed how Irish democracy works.

A country farmer can get to meet the leader of Ireland about a local issue. Surely, when the leader of the country can deal with things like this, you have to be convinced that all politics is local.