I did vote for Kilkenny politician John McGuinness many times.
There were elections when I didn’t give my No. 1 to a local politician who is referred to by some as Supermac.
There may be food for thought in the latter.
I would find it difficult to pin a label on McGuinness. I do know that, with respect, he is as cute as a fox, as clever as a church mouse.
Were he a card player he would be excellent at the tense and often challenging game of poker.
He knows how to keep his cards close to his chest. His poker face would not be easily read and would stand to him.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin will attest to that. The pair don’t always see eye-to-eye, I believe.
The son of Kilkenny is acknowledged as being a rebel within the FF party with which he is sometimes in love but angry with at times when he rocks the boat.
With his party colleagues he supports Government motions in the Dáil.
There were times in the ago when it was suggested that he might quit the FF party to do a solo run as Independent Fianna Fáil.
I never believed that would happen. Deep down, he knew that his father Mick, a passionate FF devotee, proud leader of the McGuinness Clan would turn in his grave if that were to happen.
To O’Loughlin Road man John that move would be akin to playing hopscotch in a minefield. Risk taking would not be among his attributes.
He adheres to the traditional republican values of the old Fianna Fáil which often brings him into conflict with those pedalling a different view of the party.
He never fears fighting a lone battle. In the Carlow/Kilkenny Constituency, Kilkenny is the bedrock of his beliefs.
He stuck out his neck at another time when he bravely supported whistleblower Garda Sergeant Maurice McCabe who alleged that there was corruption within our Garda Force.
That took raw courage but it also highlighted McGuinness’s innate acumen to understand the trappings of a public conundrum that could make or break anyone involved in what was a dirty debate that divided communities.
His decision to take a shot in the dark hit the bullseye and won him many admirers.
One ponders on how he would have felt when FF got into bed with the old enemy FG and the aptly named Green Party.
One suspects that he would have been happier to be associated with a Sinn Féin Party for which I understand he has much respect.
On that score one wonders how FFers will feel if their party ends up snuggling on the same couch that fostered the unlikely romance between foes and would be akin to Donald Trump throwing a wink in the direction of Kamala Harris.
One suspects that McGuinness and some of his colleagues would prefer to be swapping spits with the Shinners than pretending to be buddies with their fellow Fine Gaelers.
But unfortunately for those who would gladly send a ‘kiss my arse’ note to FG, the chances of any changes are now but a dream because of SF’s crazy habit of scoring own goals.
But regardless of who will love bomb who when that master of self-importance Simon Harris eventually condescends to tell us, his paymasters, when the General Election day will be.
We can then tell FG to get stuffed or FF to get lost. We can choose to address the rest of the political bunch with similar sentiments.
Regardless, John McGuinness will do his thing with the same enthusiasm as he did when he was elected as a rookie county councillor in the Year of Our Lord 1979.
Members of other political parties will be far from his mind as he will do what he does best; knocking on every door, with his ardent followers reminding that as a local politician McGuinness is the best thing since the first sliced pan was toasted.
McGuinness’s roots are in local politics. If he were a clergyman he would be PP of every parish in east, west, north and south Kilkenny and in all of Kilkenny City too.
He knows every nook and cranny in his native city and county; has a special affinity with local communities and is probably most at ease when he is among his own.
Yet he will be cagey on his own turf when talking to journalists, telling them that he is getting a warm welcome on doorsteps but that one should never count chickens before they are hatched.
My prediction is that Kilkenny’s most experienced politician will be returned to the Kildare Street residence that has been his adopted home for so long.
That will make many people happy and as I alluded to earlier there will also be those who will be left disgruntled.
McGuinness won’t be fazed as he ambles his way through the to him familiar terrain of the hustings but will be naturally more relaxed if and when he again hits the jackpot of public life in a city and county he loves.
With many of our people cynical about politics and politicians there is always the possibility of shock results.
Yes there will be fallers in what is expected to be a big field of runners but even the Devil and his mother know that voters tend to cling to the status quo.
Perhaps worrying for candidates is that many apathetic voters may not go to vote.
We often point the accusing finger at politicians in public exchanges but reality is that we should all be looking in the mirror as people who fail to turn up let everybody down.
