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Charlie ditches wellies for Dáil
08.03.11
FIANNA Fáil's stock
won't see a bull market for some time but the
party's future could lie with a young breed of TD
like livestock farmer, Charlie McConalogue.
Thirty-three year old McConalogue, from Inishowen
will ditch his jeans and wellies for a sharp suit
tomorrow, to take one of only 20 Fianna Fáil seats
in the 31st Dáil.
The 6ft. 4in. farmer and local councillor has been
busy trying to organise help running the family farm
while he's in Leinster House during the week.
He has 40-head of Charolais cattle on a 70-acre
holding at Carrowmore, Gleneely, near Carndonagh. As
the eldest of six, he took over the farm following
the death of his father, Willie Joe, five years ago
and specialises in the suckler-to-beef market. He
sells his animals through Carn Mart or directly to
the meat factory in Carrigans. McConalogue intends
being a "full-time politician" but will be hands-on
at the farm whenever he has spare time back in his
constituency. He clearly wouldn't say no if offered
the role of Fianna Fáil agriculture spokesman. |
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Newly-elected Fianna Fáil TD.,
Charlie McConalogue feeds his Charolais cattle at
the family farm in Gleneely with help from his
lively collie-setter, Jess. |
Meanwhile, he believes
his party must reconnect with its grassroots
including farmers.
“Farming as a sector wasn't given the recognition it
deserved in recent years but I think it is coming
back. It is an industry that has grown despite the
international recession and I think that is going to
continue. There is a good future for Irish farming.”
McConalogue, admits he was surprised to take one of
the three seats in the Donegal North East
constituency on February 26 given the punishment his
party took nationwide. His election, on the ninth
count, created the constituency of the ‘Three
Macs’with Sinn Féin’s Pádraig MacLochlainn and Fine
Gael’s Joe McHugh taking the other two seats.
McConalogue’s meteoric rise from county councillor
to TD in 18 months, came after he and local
supporters pressed party headquarters into a
two-candidate strategy only for him to become the
sole man standing following the shock withdrawal, at
the eleventh hour, of sitting TD, Niall Blaney.
Supporters put his election down to him being
perceived as far removed from the financier-courting
set, as young, new and down-to-earth. He drives an
eight-year old Ford Mondeo when he’s not in his
ageing tractor.
"Fianna Fáil weren't as in touch with the membership
as they should have been and did become detached and
we paid the price for that in this past election."
He now wants to help rebuild the party from the
grassroots.
"In Donegal North East we are encouraging as many
people as possible, in every parish and every
townland, into the party to try and grow it here and
make it a model for what needs to happen in other
areas.
“That's what the party is going to have to do, to
get back to a level where it is in government again,
representing communities and giving people faith
that it can do good for them." |
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