Sinn Féin Surge not the end of the two-party system; it’s been gone for decades

Sinn Féin Surge not the end of the twoparty system; it’s been gone for decades.

By Paddy henry

A political head scratcher of monumental proportions, the commentariat stunned into relative silence, nails scraping on their scalp the only audible noise. In the midst of Storm Ciara, thunderous wind and rain-filled surges rocked the west coast, while, simultaneously, the Sinn Féin surge rocked the county.

Running 42 candidates and picking up 37 seats is both phenomenal and inconceivable. To put things into perspective, the party won in 88% of seats they contested and arguably would have won more had they predicted such a performance.

Few were more surprising than the election of Mairéad Farrell in Galway West. Having lost her council seat in May, most would have written her off before a ball was even kicked.

May seems like an awful long time ago now, as the Parkmore woman swept aside her competition reaching the quota on the eighth count. Applause aplenty and tri-colour aloft, her election, along with many similar scenarios nationwide, saw the jaws of the political establishment collectively drop.

While Storm Ciara was predicted to be the fine gale that saw the end of Fine Gael, nobody expected it to be The Wind that Shakes the Barley. A republican display of lethargy with the status quo, and a hunger for change.

Yet, the talk this election being the final nail in the coffin of the two and a half party system simply is not the case. Neither the Fine Gael collapse, nor the Fianna Fáil failings, were down to Sinn Féin alone. The figures paint a more accurate picture. A picture of a steady decline of the two parties who have dominated Dáil Éireann since 1922.

In the 1987 general election, the pair took home 84.6 % of the vote. Last week, they could only scrape together 43.1% between them. In fact, rather than the much-discussed Sinn Féin surge, what we saw on the 8 th of February was a continuation of the decline of the parties that have ruled the roost between them for almost a century.

The perception that Sinn Féin have broken down the door of the political establishment and stolen the keys to Leinster House, is simply untrue. It has been done before. In 1992, the Labour Party romped home with 33 seats, doubling their total from the previous election, and while they hadn’t broken the Fianna Fail, Fine Gael stranglehold, they had certainly pried the door open ever so slightly.

In 2011, Labour were at it again, and ready to take the hinges off the door this time around. They floored Fianna Fail and swooped into position as the second largest party, with 38 seats, a haul higher than Sinn Féin’s last week.

January was just a trial month, new year new me starts in February!

By Ewelina Szybinska

The phrase ‘new year, new me’ is the motivation for personal change as the new year approaches. Some follow this, while others don’t take much notice. The ‘new me’ idea doesn’t have to mean significant change. This varies from eating habits, to taking up new commitments such as starting the gym, making it on time to meetings or simply making your bed every morning! It’s difficult to pick an exact time for a change. If you follow this idea and January didn’t quite work out for you, see it as a trial month.

February is still very much a fresh start. I don’t make many new year’s resolutions and if I happen to stick to something, I ensure it’s achievable. Sometimes, people quit after January, as it was a quick start without much planning, so start your new year in February. Just think about it, you’re after leaving the holiday season and you’re trying to make all these changes without taking a breath! You’ll try to take on new habits, leave the bad ones behind and tackle new obstacles without really reflecting on the year that just passed. Take January as a break from all that has happened while preparing yourself for the year to come. Not only will you recharge your batteries, but you’ll have time to carefully decide what it is that you would like to change and perhaps how will you go about it.

This approach might not be approved by everyone, as some may argue it’s like starting your week on a Sunday, but think of the benefits. When everyone else is dropping their resolutions, you’ll only be starting! The chances of you quitting whatever it is you choose are smaller. After all, the year is a long, long marathon and not a sprint!

That is not to say you can’t start approaching your goals in January. Bit by bit, aim to do small things to prepare yourself for the bigger change. What can you do in January? Start a journal! Not only will it help you to focus on your goal, but it’s a great way to look back on some previous achievements and things that didn’t quite go as planned. It’s a good month to start planning and most importantly you’re being productive, and you can safely say that this trial month is not wasted!

Clean, clean, clean! Clear out your wardrobe, the cupboards or some documents. A clean slate come February. This might not be a new year resolution but a great way to start the year.

Get ready! January can be the month for gathering any tools you’ll need for the new year. You will often find cheaper memberships, great deals for almost anything and everything. Whatever it is that you need to help you pursue your goals.

If you were hoping to apply this to your new year and don’t see the changes coming anytime soon due to personal reasons, just remember you can make a change any time. Waiting for a new date in the calendar does not have to be a reason to stop you. It’s a great excuse but is it worth it to waste the time?

Yet, to confine the Mary Lou tsunami to the insignificant would be wholly wrong in itself. They have to their regard made history, becoming the first party other than the big two to win the popular vote. They won the election and had they seen the surge coming, would have swept home comfortably. However, the perception that last week signalled the end of the two-party state is a false one to make. It has been falling by the wayside for almost 40 years. Labour doused the establishment in petrol years ago. Sinn Féin lit the match.

Sinn Féin’s Mairead Farrell celebrates becoming a TD for Galway West. Her election to Dáil Éireann, along with that of many more Sinn Féin TDs, came as a surprise to some political commentators.

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