2019 Longford local election will live long in memory

The never ending saga surrounding Brexit, Swing-gate and the unabating drama engulfing impeached US President Donald Trump are just for starters.

But while the turmoil linked to the latter still has yet to reach its political nadir, 2019 back home and more pointedly within the borders of Co Longford conjured up more than its fair share of intrigue and local governmental sub-plots.

Aside from a shifting of the guard with Fine Gael wrestling the balance of power within Longford County Council, the one overriding story to take from Election 2019 was the rise of one man - Turlough McGovern.

The man, more commonly dubbed ‘ Pott’ swept all before him by not just topping the Granard Municipal District poll, but also raking in the highest first preference vote across the entire county.

An incredible feat when you consider here was a man who had never stood before an electorate or penned his name to a ballet paper prior to May 24 last year.

And despite figures released later in the year showing the Granard native having invested the largest amount (€6,673) compared to his 37 other local election running mates, it certainly proved to be money well spent.

But as is so often the case in politics, McGovern was no sooner being hoisted onto the shoulders of his nearest supporters when he was forced into answering unnerving questions about his own reputed right wing ties.

In the midst of his election victory, Deputy Leader of the National Party James Reynolds was pictured raising the local community activist aloft inside a thronged St Mary's Community Centre in Edgeworthstown.

A post sent out by the man who dubs himself on his own Twitter page as “one of the most controversial figures in Longford farming” certainly added fuel to those rumours.
“Cllr Turlough Pott McGovern a worthy winner doing his part to making Longford great again,” he tweeted.

“Glad to have helped out in the small way that I did. Pott makes me a Proud Longford man.”

In typical ‘Pott’ fashion, those insinuations weer quickly shot down by the man himself soon after.

“He never canvassed for me,” insisted Cllr McGovern, who reiterated Mr Reynolds' involvement was purely in a personal capacity.

“He was a friend of my father's from the mart. He wasn't part of my campaign team and never was.”
And it was Pott who also managed to strike gold when it came to deciding the make up of the next council.

The Leader got wind of 'a deal' having been struck having between the three outgoing Independent councillors, Mark Casey, Gerry Warnock, Mae Sexton and Fine Gael as far back as May 7.

Details of that cosy arrangement were posted on the Leader's website on Saturday, the day after polling day.

When it emerged however that some councillors within Fine Gael were unaware of the so-called 'pact' and with Cllr Sexton destined to lose her seat, talks soon got underway to strike a new pact. The kingmaker holding all the political aces was invetibly Granard's newly elected councillor.

For others, Election 2019 brought with it contrasting fortunes.

Long serving councillors Luie McEntire and Martin Mulleady retired while Mae Sexton bowed out of the local scene after losing her seat in the Longford Muncipal District area.

But for the likes of Micheal Carrigy and Joe Flaherty, Election 2019 could be seen as a 'half term' report on both men's prospective Dail credentials ahead of a likely general election in the new year.

Just who comes out on top and whether voters learn from the Siege of Kenagh in 2016 by reinstating a Longford based TD is anyone's guess.