50th anniversary of the 1966 by-election in Kerry South

This week marks the 50th anniversary of a very significant by-election in Kerry South which took place on 7 December 1966. The by-elections - there was another by-election on the same day in Waterford - were the first held since Jack Lynch had been elected Taoiseach so there was a lot riding on them for the new head of government and Fianna Fáil leader. The by-election was precipitated by the death of Honor Mary Crowley, who had been a TD for the constituency since 1945 - the first woman ever to serve in Kerry South. Running for Fianna Fáil was John O'Leary, whose campaign was run with great efficiency and intensity by the legendary campaigner and Donegal TD. It was also one of the first electoral contests in which money raised by Fianna Fáil's controversial group, Taca, was put to use. In this extract from his memoirs, On the Doorsteps, John O'Leary recounts the final days of the campaign:

The rallies in towns and villages around the constituency before polling day were closely co-ordinated by Neil Blaney and he certainly put his stamp on them. He would ensure that the essential ingredients for a successful event were in place, working with the local cumann to organise everything, including the platform, a public address system, a marching band to build an atmosphere, bonfires around the area, and guest speakers to rally the crowds. Blaney was a powerful speaker at any of the rallies where I heard him – he reminded me of a missionary priest with his fire and brimstone-like approach. He had a great ability to rouse cheers and support from those gathered. Jack Lynch was a strong speaker, too, but in a quieter way. He was new to the job of party leader and Taoiseach, but he was incredibly popular. The public took him to be a very sincere, honest man. He was tall and good looking with a great presence and he got a tremendous reception at each of the rallies he addressed in Kerry South. 

 

 

The principal towns in the constituency, including Killorglin, Dingle, Caherciveen, Kenmare and Rathmore all had at least one major rally during the campaign. In Dingle, I was accompanied by the Minister for the Gaeltacht, Pádraig Faulkner, as well as Bobby Molloy, a TD for Galway West. The truck was down at the end of Main Street and had been supplied by a local party activist, Tom Fitzgerald, who was later a councillor and senator. One night in Kenmare, our rally clashed with that of Fine Gael who were holding a similar event for their candidate, Michael Begley. Members of the public would often attend different rallies or after-Mass meetings, regardless of their political affiliation and out of curiosity about what the other candidates would say, and we were anxious not to clash directly with the Fine Gael speakers. After a bit of negotiating between intermediaries, however, there was no agreement on who should go first. There was a huge crowd in town and they had come in from surrounding villages like Tuosist, Lauragh, Templenoe and Kilgarvan. We had the Taoiseach as well as Ministers Charles Haughey and Joseph Brennan in town and didn’t want to delay so we set up as planned in the main square in Kenmare while Fine Gael set up their platform in Main Street. We decided to kick off at the same time as Michael Begley did. Jackie Healy-Rae was in charge of the amplification again and he blasted the speeches out through the speakers, drowning out Begley and his guests.

The final rally on 6 December, the night before polling day, was the climax of the campaign and Neil Blaney pulled out all the stops. The platform was, as always, in College Square, and there was plenty of razzmatazz. This was the final chance to convince wavering voters but it was also a chance to remind people to come out and vote the following day. They travelled in from all parts of the constituency and I estimated that there were up to five thousand people present. When I eventually got onto the platform, I could see bodies in every direction down Plunkett Street, onto Main Street, up along College Street and towards the Friary. The laneways off the main streets were packed too. It was a cold December night but the atmosphere was electric. Apart from Neil Blaney, I was also joined on the platform by Ministers Paddy Hillery and Brian Lenihan. From the local organisation there was Chub, my election agent Donal Courtney, county councillor Michael Doherty and the former TD, John B Healy, who was chairman of the Comhairle Dáil Ceantair.

The scene at the count centre on 8 December 1966

I made my best speech of the whole campaign that night. I made a promise that I would sort out the local authority housing shortage in Killarney and I pledged that if any developer or builder wanted to build, everything would be done to facilitate him so that the local economy would benefit. I referred also to Northern Ireland; I said I hoped to see an end to partition and to see a thirty-two-county Irish Republic established during my period in the Dáil. That went down very well. Redmond O’Sullivan was the local Sinn Féin councillor at the time and he was a fairly influential man too, so part of the reason for my reference to the North was a pitch to his supporters whom I hoped to attract in the absence of a Sinn Féin candidate on the ticket. I was mobbed by well-wishers and supporters as I left the platform; men and women were approaching from all directions wishing me good luck and shaking my hand. I was getting cheers and thumps on the back. I felt that, if the reaction was anything to go by, I had a fantastic chance of being elected the following day.

(Copyright: 'On the Doorsteps - Memoirs of a long-serving TD' by John O'Leary published by Irish Political Memoirs, 2015. Available in local bookshops)