Opinion: Politics not my thing until this Mayo election

After arriving home from Castlebar on Sunday night, I felt compelled to write a few lines on an eventful weekend.

First of all, politics was never my forte, but after covering the local and general elections since I joined the Western People earlier this year, I have gained an interest in the subject, especially following the last few days.

Walking into the TF Royal Theatre on Saturday, I knew my role, and it was to keep the public updated and informed through our live blog. The blog performed brilliantly over the two days, so thank you to all for tuning in.

My colleague Paul O’Malley ran the two-day blog alongside me, while John Corless produced some top-quality video content for us to use on social, giving our digital coverage an extra dynamic this time around. Not to leave out Western People editor James Laffey and sports editor Anthony Hennigan, who were on hand to give details on tallies and counts.

The battle for the fifth, and final, seat was interesting, to say the least. One by one, each seat was taken, the gap narrowing between candidates as the day progressed.

Rose Conway-Walsh was the first elected on the sixth count, followed by Alan Dillon and Dara Calleary on the eighth, before Keira Keogh and Paul Lawless took the last two seats on the 11th, and final, count, at around 8.30pm on Sunday.

The word ‘recount’ was mentioned once or twice among the media as the evening arrived, but that, thankfully, didn’t come to fruition, with Lawless’s phenomenal performance on transfers getting him over the line ahead of Patsy O’Brien.

Speaking about the media, I have to commend all of the members present in Castlebar during the weekend. All are passionate about their jobs, aiming to give the public the best coverage possible, while also being there to provide a helping hand, if anything is missed.

Since joining the Western People last May, I have enjoyed the valuable moments of having the chance to cover events such as a general election.

Watching on from above as the counts came in and the candidates cheered and rejoiced was memorable. It is something that will always stick with me during my career in journalism.

Local politics is very important during these times, which can be tough for many families. The people of Mayo have had their say in what has been a topsy-turvy few weeks for all battling for a seat, those covering the election, and, of course, for the returning officer, Ann Marie Courell, who was efficient and effective with the counts and details on her debut.

Last of all, Mayo officially have their five TDs set for Dáil Éireann. Three are heading back, and two are giving it a go for the first time.

I wish them the very best of luck.