THE POSTERS are flapping in the breeze, the images, for many, the ghosts of shattered democratic dreams.
It’s tea time at the tallies at the count centre at Limerick Racecourse and by now a lot of those new to the game of politics have learned that all those doorsteps, where people promised a first preference, were just Irish voters being Irish voters – too polite to say anything else.
One woman who has no illusions but has never lost her passion for politics is Labour stalwart Jan O’Sullivan.
The first thing the former minister ha to say to the Limerick Post about the election is: “I’m glad I’m not a candidate this time”.
“We’re happy with our local election because we feel all our candidates are going to come in third-ish so they should be safe. Considering where we are in the national polls, that’s something to be happy about. They all worked really hard”.
Despite not being in the political spotlight herself, Jan says she is still “completely invested” in the grit and the glory of it all.
“I met one young woman who told me she is going to study politics. I told her, ‘I want to warn you when you get into it it’s not easy to get out of it’.
“But it’s great to be part of it. It’s important. It’s democracy”.
