Brady facing into strong headwind to retain seat

The young lady in black was angry. She was furious she had, just a week previously, lost her job. Annoyed that the first social welfare cheque she had received that morning was "a miserable €180". How was she going to live on that, she wondered? As well as being angry, she was also articulate and in possession of a range of facts and figures that tripped off her tongue with a flow that would have done justice to any Dail frontbencher. She had her list of grievances ready and was not shy in expressing them. She would certainly not be voting Fianna Fail, she told FF Meath West candidate Johnny Brady as he canvassed a housing estate in Ballivor last Thursday looking for votes. With him was Seamus Murray, a former FF county councillor who lost his seat in the last local elections, yet who still clearly enjoys plenty of goodwill within the local community. One man who stood outside his house said "I'll vote for you", pointing to Murray. He didn't appear to recognise Brady, who was standing beside him. This is Johnny Brady's fourth general election - and, without doubt, the toughest he has ever faced. He says so himself. He knew when he started out on the campaign a few weeks ago it would be like rolling a stone up a hill. And he had braced himself for a right old pasting on the doorsteps. And to make matters worse for him, constituency boundary changes have undermined his support base in Kells and other parts of north Meath, with his local town of Kells moving into Meath East since the last general election in 2007. Ballivor was new territory for him, and way outside his old bailiwick. Now, with the election campaign drawing to a close, he says the reception he has received on the doorsteps has not been as bad as he expected. There has been the odd tongue-lashing yet people have been generally polite - and as he walked around Ballivor, he was bolstered by the belief that his core vote is holding up well. "People might be annoyed and vexed, but they're sticking with us," he added defiantly. Brady's election bandwagon rolled into Ballivor just after lunchtime. He was soon joined by a little group of local party workers, including Gerry Dempsey, uncle of former FF Minister Noel Dempsey. Also there was Billy Growney, Hugh Morris, Murray and Michael Dempsey, Noel's father. Michael Dempsey has been observing elections since the 1930s and admitted that this was the "toughest" election of them all for Fianna Fail. "They're all against us now," he added. Growney, who has also worked his way through various elections, said that he wasn't going to abandon the party now. The men split up into little groups of twos having decided what areas they would take. Brady and Murray headed off on foot for a housing estate nearby. Generally, they were cordially received, especially Murray, who appeared to know everyone as if they were his own next-door neighbour. "You won't forget me," said Brady as he pressed the flesh like the seasoned campaigner he is. Some said they would vote for him; others said they wouldn't; most were uncommitted. A middle-aged man stood at his door and said he never liked the idea of the Greens being involved with Fianna Fail. Both Brady and Murray agreed that, if they had their way, it would never have happened. A retired man was adamant he would vote for Labour. "The sole reason I won't vote for Fianna Fail is because Micheál Martin is a Corkman and he's in there now," he elaborated. Johnny Brady says he still enjoys the hurley-burly, the cut and thrust of campaigning. "It's in the blood," he adds. He admits his recent assertion that he found it hard to live on his TD's salary of almost €100,000 plus expenses didn't do him any favours. He said his words were "twisted" and used against him by his opponents, although he got no vilification for it on the doorsteps in Ballivor. Most people he met were polite and good-humoured. Even the lady in black mellowed after she had vented her lengthy list of grievances. By the time the sitting Fianna Fail TD was walking down her driveway she was laughing.