Election Diary: Polling Day

Well it's been an awesome 14 months or so, but it had to come to an end sometime.

In six hours time, voters across Tallaght Central are going to the polls.

I am immensely proud of the campaign we have run. I have engaged dozens of young people in active politics, in what has been the most substantial youth-driven campaign in Ireland - in one of the largest LEA's. I have brought real Labour values and politics to thousands of residents in community campaigns and through our political messages. It is worthwhile and of itself to have put forward such a campaign, but its legacy will be stronger still with an electoral mandate tomorrow.

I am asking blog readers to do just 3 things.

1. Vote Dermot Looney #1 in Tallaght Central, and transfer to my Labour colleagues, then keep left against the government.

2. Please vote Proinsias de Rossa #1 for Europe and do likewise. If you are not living in Tallaght Central, please vote for your local Labour candidates to build the real alternative in Irish politics.

3. Choose the friends you have in Dublin 12, 6w and 24. Then text, email, call, tweet, or send messages on facebook or bebo to them asking them to vote Dermot Looney #1. Take those 5 minutes now to make the difference.

There were many events and moments on the canvass today which I would love to blog, but tiredness and the early start tomorrow mean they will have to wait. Hopefully, there may be some opportunities to post during the quiet times tomorrow. In the meantime keep your eye on www.irishelection.com - who tonight called our web campaign "ace" - for the latest news.

I'll leave you with this.

As a young child I was deeply touched and inspired by Nelson Mandela's long walk to freedom and the queues and queues of people in South Africa's first free election. Those votes were won by an incredible struggle against a racist apartheid regime that seemed untouchable. Our right to vote comes from equally noble and oft-bloody struggles, from the Suffragette movement and the campaign to extend the franchise to more than just men of property, to the independence movement in Ireland and the great democratic revolutions of trade unionism and the Land League. Building the future is most prominent in the politics I espouse, but remembering the past must provide the foundation. Be sure to vote - and use it well!

Election Diary: T-2: 29 Hours Til Polls Open

I know you're all fed up of election clichés at this stage, so I won't bore you with stories of my feet, blistered though they are, or my haircut, which the eagle-eyed amongst you might spot in before and after modes in the pictures below.

No, I'm going to tell a few other clichés.

Before I do, here's a pic of me at the Belgard Luas Stop this morning, where we have been leafleting and speaking to local people all week. An early start was compounded by the unbelievable punctuality of Enda Duffy, whose role in the campaign is everything from a transport manager to poster master and canvass director. He took this picture too - the "Maria Parodi" shot of my campaign!

(For those not in the know both Maria and my former Labour Youth sparring partner Rebecca Moynihan have hit many's the headline recently, basically because they are attractive and young women. I neglected to mention that I was featured in an Evening Herald piece yesterday on 'fresh-faced' and 'handsome' young male candidates - though, sadly, my picture and phone number were not attached.)

Enda arrived beyond promptly this morning - at 7.30 - and lasted until about 10 this evening.

Like the dozens of others who have worked their socks off for the campaign, Enda is doing so with political reasons in mind, but I do want to thank him personally for all the months of work he has put in. I once managed Enda's unfortunately unsuccessful campaign for President of UCD Students' Union, but his management and good humour are far more successful this time out, regardless of the outcome.

Those same ones amongst you with eagle eyes - or those of a hawk, like Bravestarr - will have spotted Enda in our last youtube video of the campaign. I freely admit that we had to use Enda for a 'canvass' shot as the technical side of things didn't work out on the real things, and we were under pressure for time.

Now to Cliché #1: Babies and Kids. I've been followed round the doors by kids who love shouting out my name. What can only be described as a gaggle of 20 or so of them followed me around Limekiln last night with a poster - I assume they'd ripped it down - and were looking for autographs, stickers and whatever else I had going.

These kids are a little more genuine in their support, or at least their mam and dad are. Colm, Kevin and Mark, my three Kerry nephews, are in Dublin for the graduation of their aunt and my 'baby' sister, Aisling - who from tomorrow will be Doctor Aisling Looney. Ash spent 6 years in UCD doing Medicine and the whole family are up to celebrate her graduation with first class honours tomorrow. Sadly, I won't make it out to my alma mater with the last-day campaigning but Aisling was out with us tonight as she'll be spending tomorrow celebrating. I'm very proud of her and she's a great example of why fees should remain off the agenda.

The support from my family has been amazing, from my 71 year old dad climbing up poles to erect posters, to my mam canvassing half of Tymon Park, my other sister Tara making sambos and my three brothers constantly encouraging and supporting from Cork, Kerry and Galway. They'll be delighted when it's all over and their home, car spaces and lives are back to normal!

Cliché # 2 is this fetching rosette which I wore for the first time today. We've tried to mix a bit of traditional electioneering with more cutting-edgework. It was lovely to get another mention on the front page of labour.ie today, and I know the hits were excellent because of it.

We were again all over the constituency today, from the Luas leaflets in the morning, to more traditional leaflet dropping in the afternoon, and our biggest canvass of the campaign in Greenhills this evening. I was honoured to have 25 - political - brothers and sisters out with me on the doors tonight, covering a vast sweep of an area from Perrystown to Walkinstown and deep into Greenhills Estate. This picture doesn't even tell the full story - a few had headed home by the time the photo was taken at the end of the session.

They say not to do such a big canvass, and that it's right to split them up into smaller groups. But as you all know, I'm not one for those political clichés - we're going to build it even bigger tomorrow, and fight hard for every vote we can in the remaining 29 hours, and right through then til 10pm on Friday. Hope to be blogging while I'm at it. Adelante!

Election Diary: T -3: The Fullest Days

I got to bed at 3 last night, and was up just after 7. I thought blog readers might be interested in hearing about the schedule of the campaign as we hit the last few days.

TODAY's SCHEDULE
8am: Canvassing Luas stops in Belgard and Kilnamanagh/Kingswood.

9.30am: Breakfast.

10am: Letter writing, folding, trips to the post office for envelopes, more writing, more folding, trips to the postbox, and back for more stamps.

1pm: Two out postering, four in licking envelopes.

3pm: Another canvass in the sun down in Perrystown.

5pm: A quick dinner above the Laurels.

6.30pm: 18 people on a mass canvass of Limekiln and Temple Manor.

8.45pm: A quick drink in the Traders with the campaign team.

10pm: Back at home to do paperwork and prepare for tomorrow.

In between all of these were the usual phone calls, emails, mass texts, campaign management issues and dealing with the count. I also got to check our new ads in the Southside People and the Echo which we have paid big bucks for thanks to our fundraising work. Mercifully, I'm off work for the week but having the support of my campaign team today was crucial in getting the work done.

Tomorrow and Thursday will be similar in terms of intensity, with some fresh campaign work and ideas coming to the fore. Our numbers have really been excellent but we need to push them to greater heights in the days to come. Thousands of doors still to be knocked on, and thousands of leaflets to be dropped - we can start to relax in 69 hours time or so when the polls close, and truly relax on Saturday evening when the outcome is known. All of us are looking forward to a rest at this stage, but hopefully it'll only be short-lived as we look towards an historical Council seat.

Election Diary: T- 4: The Underdog Bites Back

It's going to be tougher and tougher to blog in the last few days of this campaign, but so many of you have told me you are readers - honestly - that I do feel a compunction.

Today was most certainly a day that would give you energy. It was, perhaps, one of our best days of the campaign so far. There were more than 20 activists around at various stages - we're hoping to build that even further in the last 3 days of Campaign '09.

We started off this afternoon with a canvass in the Square Shopping Centre. There was a reasonable crowd considering the gorgeous weather, and the feeling was most definitely towards Labour and our ideas amongst the shoppers and staff we met.

We shared, for a time, the middle of the second floor with Christian evangelists, one of whom shouted "Vote for Jesus!" I thought I was being very clever indeed to call out asking for a second preference for Looney, only to read this evening a Miriam Lord colour piece in the Times with pretty much the same line being used. Great minds and all that.

I was, again, asked for an autograph, which sounds a lot more glamorous than it is when it's generally the under-10 demographic who are interested.

After ice cream we headed to Belgard and Kilnamanagh for some leafleting and a chat with a few local residents. Pat Rabbitte TD joined up with us in Kilnamanagh and seems to revel in the electioneering. We took on fluids - definitely not the traditional Bank Holiday ones - before heading back to base.

Katriona had ably (wo)manned the computer while we had been on the trail, and, surrounded by paper, ink cartridges and envelopes, she proclaimed success on some of the paperwork - as necessary, if not more so, than the exercise in the Square earlier.

We hit the canvass trail again this evening in Dublin 12 with, again, some first-time campaigners; how wonderful it is to be welcoming new members to our campaign even at this late stage. We received what one of our canvassers called a "phenomenal reception." He may have been a little over-zealous but certainly our message is being positively received - except for one nun who was fiercely angry at being disturbed - and recognition is very high.

Perhaps it would be even higher but it is sad that so many of our posters - perhaps a third of the total - have been ripped down by, in many circumstances, rival campaigns. There are some who think they can bully a campaign which is much younger, fresher and not as well-moneyed but we have fought back in the only way we know - putting a real alternative to the voters, and keeping our eye on the ball. That they feel the need to behave in this way is perhaps indicative of the threat they feel from our supposed underdog campaign. We'll see when voters hit the polls in a little over 78 hours time.

Election Diary: T- 5 - Zzzzzzzz

That's it.

I'm off to bed!

(More tomorrow!)

Election Diary: T- 6 - Sunshine Campaigning

Apologies for missing a post yesterday. I decided on an "early night" so hit the hay around 1.30 am.

The sun has certainly brightened up the campaign trail and certainly seems to put people in a good mood; perhaps Fianna Fáil are wrong in hoping for rain on Friday.

People on the doors and others we talk to are now very focussed on the election; the numbers of 'don't knows' are on the decrease and there is a strong awareness. I met a few of the other candidates and campaigners at Tallaght Hospital today, where I was attending the "Hands Around the Hospital" demo with my colleagues Mick Duff and Cllr Eamonn Maloney.

One of the discussions was around turnout; my thoughts are that it'll be around the same as the high 2004 turnout, but some of the affecting factors such as weather and final campaign swings are yet to come. A high turnout is clearly beneficial to Labour and non-Government candidates; the core FF vote will be comparatively higher in a low turnout.

Hardly a soul, if you'll pardon the pun, at the Vigil Mass in Greenhills tonight as we did one of our final church gate canvasses; fewer people in at the doorsteps today too. It'll remain like this for the Bank Holiday weekend but the work for the campaigners never stops. There's no silver bullet at this stage but we certainly want to freshen things up in the last few days. Smiles all round today from those who we did meet and a great reception to the positive message and ideas of our campaign.

We'll have the result this time next week. Let's hope we're still smiling then.

Election Diary: T- 8: Adventures Online, Offline and In the Line

This blog is getting famouser and famouser.

(Yes, I am aware that the elders of the standard English are frowning somewhere. Wait 'til they hear about the kid in my class who brang a package of crips to the hopsital for his cousind!).

Thanks to the Irish Times Campaign Watch, who took up on my press release about our online campaign. The comments to follow are interesting, including this quote from blogger and freelance journalist Mark Coughlan;

The Looney Left hasn’t just been going for a while, it’s hilariously written and very insightful. Even as general blogs go, it’s good.

Very decent of you Mark, thanks!

It's been great to make the front page of www.labour.ie again in the blogging round-up, and irishelection.com frequently post about this site in their daily campaign round-ups. They all ensure more hits to the site which we're obviously delighted with, so thanks to those concerned.

We've been popular offline too, so it seems. I posted a few days back about Fiona Looney's name continuing to crop up on the canvass; it came up again tonight in Belgard, but this time there was a real connection to me. A woman mentioned that my name had come up in the papers, and lo and behold it seems Fiona (who I know is a voter in the area) has taken a shine to me - or my posters at least. Here's the opening paragraph from her column in the Sunday Mail magazine

The Husband suggests that Councillor Michael Murphy is a spoilsport of sorts, because he is already wearing a beard and glasses in his election posters. I'm far more excited by the presence in our area of a candidate called Dermot Looney, who boasts a funky strip on the back of his posters with 'Vote 1 Looney' on it. The Boy says he'll 'acquire' one for me and I don't doubt him for a second.

The article is a general colour piece on election posters. I managed to find Fiona on twitter and let her know that she's welcome to a poster by legitimate means, so perhaps she'll take me up. The strip, by the way, appears on the back of all Labour posters.

Belgard Heights, incidentally, is known in political circles as being strongly FF but the reception we've gotten there tells us anything but. I taught briefly in the local primary school, Scoil Ard Mhuire, and was glad to meet some of the parents of the kids I'd worked with, including one man who solved the great mystery of our campaign to date. Some weeks ago, a mystery man stopped his van in traffic and walked over to a car of one of our supporters, who had a Vote Looney window sticker on her car. The mystery man told our supporter how he admired my speech on nationalising the banks at the Labour Party Conference and was assuredly giving me his Number 1. We hadn't a clue who it was until he came over and introduced himself tonight. A lovely moment.

The posters remain a source of great comedy to the kids in my current school, particularly those from other classes (my lot have their minds on higher things, like the upcoming tour to Clara Lara). I tend to meet them in their lines as they walk to class each morning or breaktime, hollering after me that their parents, relatives and even they, themselves, will be voting for me next week. Sadly their almost-universal habitation in the Tallaght South ward may get in their way.

Tomorrow is our last day together as the school is off next week, a pretty lucky break for me which'll allow me to campaign full-time over the last six days. But after the election it's straight back to work - with the infamous 'Dip Day' approaching on June 15th, just 9 days after the count. At this rate this usually-stressful time for NQT's (newly-qualified teachers) will be a relief for this candidate!

Election Diary: T- 9: Brian's Gone to Iceland

Shhh!

It's three am. Glad to say I've not been drinking, but did manage to make it into town tonight to see off Brian O'Connor, one of the most active and longstanding team members, who's heading off to Iceland (the country, not the supermarket) tomorrow. Brian's been an integral part of the campaign for over a year now and his departure, though heralded a long time ago, is still a loss. Of all the team members I'd say Brian has dropped more leaflets than anyone, not to mention his canvass record and postering abilities. I'm sure he'll have some interesting observations from Icelandic politics when he returns, and I've promised to keep him in the loop on count day, along with other supporters in Australia, Luxembourg, Britain, the US and Thailand.

Our canvass in Tallaght tonight went perfectly to plan - last knock was five minutes before the start of the CL final. Much of the rest of the day after work was spent doing up some last-minute literature and planning the campaign; our Campaign Manager Paul Dillon remains calm throughout the slip-ups and computer freezes, and has guided us over the last few months with the patience of a saint.

8 days left. Most of the candidates have upped their game in the past week. All going well for us, it should be a great final week, but then again events are always getting in the way of good plans!

PS - Forca Barca! Great game, Messi again proving his genius. My favourite player in the world. OK, work in 5 1/2 hours - oíche mhaith!

Election Diary: T- 10: Socialism and Marching In Amongst the Saints

I often check the Dublin South-West local elections thread on politics.ie to see if it offers up any titbits from other candidates. It is, of course, erroneously titled in the case of Tallaght Central which covers parts of the Dublin South-Central Dáil constituency as well as DSW.

It's worth noting that the vast majority of posters on the site are members of political organisations and inherently biased in what and how they choose to post. But the discussion today centring around 'socialism' is interesting indeed. One poster pointed out that 4 candidates in the election - Mick Murphy (Socialist Party), Seán Crowe (Sinn Féin), Pat Dunne (PBPA) and myself use the term 'socialist' to describe their politics (perhaps there are more). Predictably, this was followed by the same old critique you come to expect from elsewhere on the left.

Let me make one thing clear - and I don't speak for anyone else bar myself - I am a socialist.

Socialism is the political tradition to which I belong, and the way forward for our community, country and world. It is a desciption I use on the doors when quizzed regardless of whether I think it will gain or lose me a vote. I put it in my literature, I use it in the media, and I do not shirk when attacked from left, right or elsewhere on this. Just as there are Christians in the Church, as Tony Benn often said, there are socialists in the Labour Party. The term and the traditions are not my possessions, or those of the Labour Party - nor are they the preserve of smaller parties or other groupings.

I'd love to post more on this but now is, perhaps, not the best time. It did come up again tonight on the canvass in Tallaght where I really feel the mood has shifted leftward amongst working people. The rhetoric and analysis being put forward by voters on everything from the banks and developers to the way to win on local issues certainly sits well with the agenda our campaign is pushing. I tweeted that Tallaght was turning redder - it certainly seems to be the case. Nothing I've seen changes my mind that three Labour seats are eminently possible in this ward.

Both myself and Labour are polling well on the St Pat's Fans Forum (where I go by the name 'Greenhills Saint'). I occasionally meet Saints fans on the canvass and a lot of them have joined up through our Facebook Group. I know we have blog readers coming over from the Saints site, and I know that many of them share my regard for Bill Shankly's old statement that "the socialism I believe in is everybody working for the same goal and everybody having a share in the rewards...that's how I see football, that's how I see life." Hopefully, we'll be keeping the football and politics separate tomorrow night by canvassing early to avoid the Champions League final.

Outside of work, it's been full-on campaigning for the last 5-6 weeks for me. At this stage, only occasional episodes of the US Office are keeping me sane. I really enjoy the electioneering and am honoured to be in the position I am, as made possible by so many around me - but I'm certainly looking forward to a long sleep and a lazy Sunday when it's all over!

Election Diary: T- 11: One Down, Thousands to Go

Yesterday's cliché about wearing out my shoes on the canvass is now available in pictorial form - just to prove it!

First things first - it has been pointed out to me that the numbering system on these election diaries is confusing, and I can see why. "T-11" would indicate eleven days left, but when writing after midnight (as I do most nights) I should really take off another day.

In other words, the polls open in a little over 10 days time - the "11" refers to the day just gone, for those not in the loop. And yes, I too am baffled. But it would be even more confusing to change it at this stage.

The Echo have put online the feature with candidate profiles they had in their print edition some weeks back. The wards are a bit mixed up but many of the candidates give an account of themselves.

We paid a quick visit to St Kevin's Well, a historical site in Kilnamanagh, at the end of this evening's canvass. Here's a small group of us outside at the end of a strong night's work, with Chris "Bond Lad" Bond in one of his customary poses.

And to round up the pics we also took a visit to the McHugh's site - you'll find more elsewhere on the blog - to check out the sadly-predicted vandalism which is increasing by the day.

The boost of the day - and one of the biggest personal thrills for me in the short campaign to date - came this evening in Kilnamanagh. I was engaged in a long and at times heated canvass with a resident as our campaign manager Paul Dillon knocked next door. Paul beckoned me in as I finished the canvass to speak to his neighbour.

The man I met told me, with great pride (both for me and him) that he had voted earlier this morning through the postal vote and had given me his number one. Knowing there is at least one number 1 beside Looney, Dermot (The Labour Party) in the system somewhere is, for some reason, both comforting and uplifting. We're looking for a couple thousand more to be elected, mind you.

PS - Belated Happy Birthday to one of our most sterling campaigners, Colm Lawless, who turned the ripe old age of 17 on Sunday. Colm has been an integral part of our campaign over the last year and mixes an extraordinary political mind for someone so young with a keen sense of politics as action. He can't vote himself - despite our efforts with the Votes@16 campaign - but is gaining so much for us with his work. Lá breithe shona duit a chara - le déanaí.

Election Diary: T- 12: A Day of Clichés

I seem to be getting more and more tired at the times of posting on these election diary blogs. It's a pity because I see more and more incidents and happenings over the course of the daily campaign that I intend to blog, but have forgotten by the time 1am arrives. Those examples I can remember are detailed below.

First off, the most clichéd event in politics happened me first thing this morning. I went to put on my shoes (bought less than 6 weeks ago) only to find out that they had been worn out. The right heel to be precise. If that doesn't prove hard work I don't know what does. The cobbler in the Ashleaf was closed so I'll have to try get it done elsewhere tomorrow.

Another common event you hear about in politics is the church gate canvass. Today wasn't the first day we hit the church gates but it certainly was the most stereotypical. I have heard tales of "running the gauntlet" back when canvassers harrassed for votes right up to the polling booths, though they were before my time. This morning was a harking back to those days, or my own experiences in UCD politics where dozens of eager canvassers literally frogmarched voters into the booths with dozens of others shouting out for their own candidates. The gates of the Holy Spirit Church in Greenhills were well-marshalled; as well as myself and our team, Mick Murphy and his Socialist Party colleagues, as well as both FF camps (though neither FF candidates) and a two large posters from Pat Dunne made an appearance.

Fine Gael's Cllr Colm Brophy was accompanied by former candidate for the presidency, Mary Banotti. I am sorry to say that although I have had a keen interest in politics since I was very young, and hold a politics degree, and have about a decade's experience in the political field, I still didn't recognise her - at first. Thankfully, neither did she recognise me. Staring at my poster, as held by one of our canvassers, she remarked on the blueness of the eyes at some length. I was literally standing in front of her but the penny didn't drop. My hair is much longer than it is in the poster so I suppose, for recognition's sake, I'll have to combine my trip to the cobbler with one to the barber. Still though, the Blueshirt who admired the blue eyes...it could be worse.

The reception at the church gate was excellent, as, in fairness, it would need to be for my own local area. We spent the afternoon and evening doing various political tasks including the sorting of leaflets, some register use and paperwork, and a planning meeting. Sunday is not a great time for canvassing door-to-door so we've got a chance to catch up on some other elements of the campaign.

I was particularly delighted to welcome my old friend and supporter Conor Fitz to the campaign this weekend. Despite moving to Galway he has been a huge support in every sense of the word and it was great to have him chatting to the voters and helping out with the other elements of the campaign. Conor is a fair man in more ways than one so he didn't react too well today to the gorgeous sunshine; he's gone back to Galway tonight with a face as red as the badge he wore. Hopefully the after-sun will heal him enough in time for the trip back on polling day, which begins in just 11 days time.

Election Diary: T- 14:

Apologies for missing a day. The excellent irishelection.com said my blogging was prolific, which sounds like Gray Lineker for some reason. Sadly, I missed out last night so feel the need to post tonight despite tiredness.

Thanks to the many of you - and I'm surprised how many - who've sent me mails and messages about the blog. Brevity is not my strong point, but necessitates tonight. Just home after a chat with canvassers and supporters over pints in the Cherry Tree. Drinking and politics should never mix but a couple on a Friday night after a canvass is not the worst idea.

I've met some amazing people on the canvass over the past few weeks and months - none moreso than the young Kenyan man I met yesterday. His articulation of Irish politics - drawing parallels with the corruption in Kenyan politics - and his knowledge of a political culture he moved into just 2 years ago was breathtaking.

His support for our politics and ideas were a huge boost.

Almost as much, in fact, was Pat's huge win tonight against Dundalk in Oriel Park. Ex-Pat's player Dave Rogers was aent off because he mooned the Pat's fans. Some people never learn - in politics and in football.

Pat's recovery aside, I was hugely encouraged by the reception tonight in Dublin 6w. Some very interesting discussions on the doorsteps ranged from Enda Kenny to Labour's position on the public sector and the Ryan Report on Industrial Schools. The area we canvassed tonight would be considered middle class but the anger was fierce from many. The important point, I stressed to many, is to turn that anger into action, not only at the polls on June 5th, but in politics in general.The universality of the anti-FF response is truly encouraging; from working class to middle class, young to old, public to private, across the board. Our challenge is to build that alternative, and the response has been very positive indeed.

Election Diary: T- 16: Canvassing and the Commission

Sorry to mention the weather again, but tonight was the first night in a week that it didn't rain on the canvass, and while it was still wet we were thankful of the break.

We're hoping for dry and calm conditions on Friday fortnight to ensure a maximum turnout. Every politician claims to hope for a large turnout but our need for it is pretty clear; the more who show, the more anger is vented against the Government. A low turnout would be beneficial only to Fianna Fáil, whose diehards would retain a higher proportional impact.

Again, tonight, there was a noticeable shift to Labour from those who formerly supported Fianna Fáil - particularly middle-aged and older people. The sheer numbers of those deserting FF is heartening but I sincerely hope their trust in Labour is repaid. Those of us on the left who are such critics of FF politics sometimes forget how many of those who vote FF or FG we will need to convince, along with new voters, in order for us to really 'win' elections.

I was deeply moved by media coverage of the Report of the Commission to Inquire Into Child Abuse today (good coverage of it in the Irish Times here). Vincent Browne's show tonight was awesome, powerful, tearful TV. I watched it, post canvass, with two other yappers and none of us muttered so much as a word. I did some research and study into abuse in residential institutions and industrial schools in college and remember the physical sickness I felt reading the "Suffer the Little Children" book by Mary Raftery and Eoin O'Sullivan.

The 165,000 victims of this despicable regime - many of whom are now dead, some at their own hands after experiencing such neglect, abuse and trauma; others of whom have left Ireland forever - are those most let down by this country at the nexus of crucial institutions; Church, Government, education, healthcare, the judiciary and others. Politics too let those children down; no more can deference to people in or ideas of power dominate while children suffer. The conduct of the Christian Brothers' during the report - and similar ones - has been disgusting, with non-cooperation at their core of their attitude to the present day. It is disgraceful that over 100 national schools remain in their stead with practically no influence by the State in terms of safety or care.

I look forward to the day when schools are run, like all public services should be, by the people and for the people. The current model, still based on a 19th century idea of non-interventionism by the State and the deference to the two main churches, is just not sustainable and helps neither the children nor the churches themselves. And local government, as far as I am concerned, should be empowered to provide leadership and planning for educational needs in Ireland, as it is elsewhere.

Election Diary: T- 17: Fiona's Singing Cousin

I said last night I'd be quick, and wrote hundreds of words. Tonight I'll be more than quick - tiredness beats verbosity every time.

It's a happy tiredness. Canvass tonight went really well. Met a lot of Labour supporters and a few old family friends on the doors. Only once did the usual bizarre question arise - "Are you anything to Fiona?" Frankly, if Fiona Looney ran in Tallaght Central, she'd be a shoo-in. Everyone knows her! My promise to start pretending I'm her cousin has not yet been taken on.

Glad to be hitting the front page of labour.ie too. It brings new readers to the blog, and my fame for the Red Flag (alternate version here) seems to be spreading. I successfully proposed a motion two years ago at the Labour Party conference to adopt Jim Connell's song as the anthem of the party, and I've sang it at the end of the last two conferences. My brother in Kerry was canvassed by a Labour Cllr tonight who wasn't sure of me until the party anthem was mentioned. "Fair play to him for bringing it back" was the response, though views are mixed - Cllr Aodhán Ó Riordán blogged that the singing is "embarrassing" (sadly Aodhán's blog doesn't allow comments, so I can't defend myself there!)

Got the ballot sheet layout today. It's a tiny point, but I disagree with alphabetical order in PRSTV elections when so many studies have shown that those near the top of the ballot do well. Surely a random draw would be fairer? Only Simpsons reference "Aaron A Aaronson" could be unhappy with that!

Election Diary: T- 18: WORKing on a Dream

Very quick post tonight as the bed awaits.

The first phone call of the day came at 8.30 a.m. and the last an hour or so ago. Any serious candidate at this stage is pretty much electioneering as a full-time job; though, as I blogged yesterday, I do have one of those too!

Nominations closed on Saturday and candidates had until today to withdraw - so, this evening, the full list of runners and riders went up on the South Dublin County Council website. No surprises for Tallaght Central - 13 candidates for six seats; 3 Labour, 2 FF and FG, one each from the Greens, the Socialist Party, the People Before Profit Alliance and Sinn Féin and two independents. We must be one of the few LEA's in the country in which Labour is running more candidates than anyone else; an indication of the ambition we candidates and our party share for three seats and a serious vote to build Labour's alternative.

Canvassed tonight with one of our biggest groups yet in the driving rain in the Osprey and Willington areas. Those of you from the area will know local residents and politicians alike sometimes refer to this area as "WORK" - standing for Willington, Osprey, Rushbrook and Kennington. Just like the PD's launching a manifesto some years back in Prosperous, Co Kildare, it might make a good location for Eamon Gilmore to push our jobs policy in the time ahead.

Pat Rabbitte TD - celebrating his 60th birthday - joined us once more along with Cllr Eamonn Walsh and the support for Labour on the doors was very strong indeed. Thankfully, we brought enough brollies to save our canavssers and their paperwork - the weather has been awful but at this stage of a campaign you've gotta press on regardless.

That said, my attempts to sing Rihanna's Umbrella (the Manic Street Preachers version I hasten to add) on the way home were cut short by those around me. I suppose bringing the guitar out on the canvass tomorrow is probably pushing it too far...

Plenty of interesting stories on the doors too. Local issues such as the infamous Burmah Garage site, the Orwell roundabout and worries about Tymon Park came up frequently, as they have done since I began campaigning in the "WORK" area many months ago - but national issues, and jobs in particular, remain to the fore.

I was most heartened by one middle-aged man who paid a lengthy tribute to our campaign for bringing so many principled young people to the doors.

Tonight's team included canvassers in their teens, twenties, thirties, forties, fifties and sixties - our seventysomethings were otherwise engaged - but overall, our youthful campaign has been noted across the ward. I've blogged before that engaging so many young people in our campaign is my proudest achievement to date; I want to give them something to be proud of come count day.

Election Diary: T- 22: Dereliction of Duty, Tales of Posters and a Busy Day!

Very quick diary tonight as I'm pretty wrecked!

Great canvass in Greenhills tonight, despite the heavy rain. Pat O'Connell, a stalwart of more than 50 years in the Labour Party, turned up with only a suit but hard man though he is, I had to lend him my raincoat!

The amount of older people on the doors in our area who've voted FF all their lives but are now turning to Labour is astonishing.

Some of those I spoke to were part of the first group to settle in Greenhills in 1959 - literally a half century ago. And they're disappointed not only with a Government who have wasted a society, but with a local area becoming more and more derelict. The mix of the local and the national is very common and many people are articulating it in terms of political culture. I had a quick scan over Michael D Higgins' sociology texts on gombeenism recently and a lot of what people say to me regarding the failure of politics and politicians boils down to that analysis.

Managed to get up to West Tallaght to sort out a couple of posters incorrectly placed in Tallaght South where Labour's candidates Mayor Marie Corr and Cllr Eamonn Maloney are contesting. The boundary at Rossfield seemed to have confused some of my poster team, who in fairness have done amazing work in often dangerous and miserable conditions.

Some of the low hanging ones have been vandalised. One includes with an incorrectly-drawn swastika; I caught a youngfella with a marker nearby today and did my best teacher impression, which comes reasonably natural! On a more positive note, a big blue scrawl proclaiming "I Want You" can be seen on a poster in Greenpark; nice to be noticed I suppose!

Made it, too, to the Scouts Table Quiz in the Traders to say hello to a lot of the great stalwarts of community activism in our area. All capped off with the greatest toasted soda bread I've ever tasted - with real butter - and a cupán tae at the Kelly home on St Peter's Crescent. Not bad for a night's work :)

Election Diary: T- 24: First On the Ballot

Huge apologies for the lack of posts of late. I've decided to regularise my blogs by posting a 24 Day Countdown - no Jack Bauer here, just 24 days of candidate blogging.

At 10am on Saturday morning I was delighted to meet with the Returning Officer and staff of South Dublin County Council to lodge my nomination papers. I have been officially nominated by Councillor Eamonn Walsh, who has been Labour's voice in our community for more than a quarter of a century - and a Councillor for 18 years. Eamonn, as you may know, is stepping down from the Council this June and is fully behind my campaign for election. It's a huge and genuine honour to have his nomination for election and I hope to do him proud in the fight ahead.

I was accompanied by Eamonn and my Campaign Manager, Paul Dillon and as well as meeting the friendly and welcoming staff, we also bumped into a number of candidates and agents including our old UCD colleague, Paul Murphy, who is working behind the scenes for Cllr Mick Murphy of the Socialist Party.

I met, for the first time, Arthur Doohan - the Green candidate in Tallaght Central - and Baby Pereppadam, an Independent candidate in Tallaght South, who had a huge entourage with him to register his papers.

Getting on the ballot was by no means easy, given the tough selection process for any significant political party, particularly for such a young candidate. But now that we're on it, we're pushing hard to have as many "1's" beside my name as possible.

For what it's worth, here's the pic that'll appear on the ballot.