Independent Republican Candidates Take A Fall

national | politics / elections | opinion/analysis Wednesday May 11, 2005 10:56 by Jarlaith Kelly

Barry's no Paddy Power

An article by Barry, Thursday 21 April, predicted an "interesting diversion" would be provided by the "independent" republican candidates standing in the Norther elections. However, his soothsaying seems to be a little erroneous. Polish that crystal ball mate.

The premonitions, forcasts, ominous forebodings and betting dockets of our "independent" republican comrades can now be consigned to the waste paper basket of, erm, non-history, as Barry's stable of republican fillies and stallions for the Northern Local Elections have all fallen at the first fence.

We will now cast our minds back to the nebulous, halcyon times of April 21 2005. Were you surfing Indymedia that day? Did you witness the greatest blunder of electoral predictioneering of our times. Barry, in his dissertation on nasty Shinners and their impending comeuppance, Independent Republican Candidates Take A Stand
(http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=69501&search_text=independent%20republican%20candidates), had predicted a number of successes for the disenchanted and disgruntled.

What follows is their names and their by no means uniform fates:


"Sitting Newry and Mourne councillor Martin Cunningham recently parted company from Sinn Fein in a bitter dispute concerning republican prisoners." – Eliminated: Sinn Féin gains.

"Also standing in Antrim Town are Aine Gribbon and Tish Murray." - Eliminated: SF elected three.

"In North Antrim well known local activist Bertie Shaw is standing as an independent republican in the loyalist stronghold of Larne." Eliminated.

"Another prominent candidate standing in Armagh City is former blanketman and H Block hungerstriker John Nixon. A commited socialist and former INLA POW. " - Well, whatdaya know, eliminated.

"In Co. Tyrone independent republican Paul Gallagher is standing in the nationalist stronghold of Strabane," ELIMINATED, "while in Co. Fermanagh Kevin Barry Nolan also stands on an independent republican ticket " - ELIMINATED!

"Finally, a hard fought battle is expected in Derry city as local republican Gary Donnelly takes a stand in the cityside ward which encompasses the Creggan and Bogside." ELIMINATED!!

"They represent the forgotten constituency." Indeed they do.

"It now seems that this constituency is larger and more widespread than many had assumed, simply due to the fact it had been successfully kept out of sight." very successfully indeed it would seem. A pyrrhic victory.

"An interesting diversion from the tug of war within the constitutional nationalist establishment of Sinn Fein and the SDLP." Well, for me it was, but did anyone else notice?

For those of you appalled at my triumphalism, it must be noted that rubbing salt into the wounds is standard electoral practice.

I know that Barry readily admits that there are committed socialists within SF, although he (rightly) points that they are not representative of the entire party at times, but would he not concede that, to invoke a bawdy proverb, it might be better to be in the tent pissing out, than outside pissing in?