Aisling Moran has successfully contested two elections – but she has never been looking for votes in this part of the world before.
In the latest of our On the Canvass series, we join the Independent candidate on a cold but dry Saturday in Mountrath.
It is far removed from her home area of Ballylinan and her electoral district of Graiguecullen-Portarlington where she won a seat in 2019 and in June of this year in the Local Elections.
Moran and her team of canvassers had already been in Castletown before we joined her – two areas that would traditionally be considering ‘Sean Fleming heartland’.
The first thing that strikes you about it all is the sheer size of the team that Moran has assembled – ‘The A Team’ as she calls them.
A team of 30 or more descended upon Mountrath equipped with hi-viz jackets and flyers.
They are hoping to be part of history as Laois has never elected a woman to the Dail before.
And among them are what could certainly be described as ‘political heavy hitters’.
A few weeks ago, Moran revealed that she had secured the support of fellow Laois County Council Independents Ben Brennan, Tommy Mulligan and James Kelly.
Offering ‘support’ can sometimes be a hollow gesture but all three were out in force with Moran on Saturday and have been throughout the campaign.
Mountrath is Kelly’s hometown and where his business is located – and he led operations on Saturday.
Killeshin man Gavin Deering is Aisling’s Director of Elections and has been by her side since her Fine Gael days.
While she has also acquired the services of John Whelan – a former Labour Senator who contested the General Election in Laois himself in 2016 and prior to that in 2011 in Laois-Offaly when he polled very strongly.
He looks after her public relations and all of the above plus many more supporters were out in serious force for this canvass.
Cllr Kelly said: “I have been supporting Aisling for the last five years in the Council chamber.
“We all have to throw our shoulder to the wheel here if we want change in Laois. Why should we always be so predictable?
“Aisling is not afraid to ask hard questions. She had to leave Fine Gael because they tried to stop her from doing so.”
The first stop when we join the canvass along the main street in Mountrath is Gabriel’s Kitchen.
Among those enjoying a cup of tea are two teachers who quickly quiz Moran on her education policy.
With the struggles of St Francis Special School topical at present, children with additional needs and a lack of teachers are high on the agenda.
Back on the street, a lady with Down Syndrome, Mary Kissan, asks Moran to prioritise services for those with disabilities.
As has been repeated in previous On the Canvass articles, the reception towards Moran and her supporters from those she encounters is warm.
A stop at Martyn’s Centra sees Aisling meet a mother who describes herself as ‘extremely and totally disillusioned’.
She says she has two children – one living in Sydney and the other in Dubai – and there is ‘no chance of them coming home’.
She said: “Housing is a massive issue and people just can’t get one.
“I had to move out of my rented accommodation and back into my family home. Look at what money they spent on the bike shed, the children’s hospital and more, there is no accountability.”
Moran engages and empathizes with the woman and the interaction ends by her saying: “I wasn’t going to vote for anyone, but after listening to what you have to say, I’m going to vote for you.”
Spar and Conroy Pharmacy are other stops on the way but before we leave Centra, owner Ann Martyn pulls Cllr Moran aside.
She is very concerned that Mountrath is losing all of its services and is worried in particular that the local post office may close.
Ms Martyn also explained how people come into her shop and tell her that they simply cannot get to see a doctor in the town.
Her fear is that people will not want to live in Mountrath as the services to sustain aren’t there.
She also asked Aisling to sign a pledge that if she is elected, she will support continued government funding to secure the future of the post office network – which she did
‘Our Future, Your Choice, Make Moran Your Voice’ is Aisling’s slogan and she says that the more she travels around the county, the more she believes that people want change.
She said: “The response I have got so far has been brilliant and I really do think that people want change.
“It has been very positive on the doors and I have to mention my team, The A Team, there must be 30 of them here today.
“Getting Ben (Brennan), Tommy (Mulligan) and James (Kelly) with me has been incredibly important.
“They have been supporting me since day 1, even when I was with Fine Gael and wasn’t getting the support from them, the lads supported me and helped me to get motions passed.”
What are the main issues that she has encountered during the campaign so far?
Aisling said: “Health, small businesses, housing, cost of living – people just can’t afford to live anymore and we have to change that.
“But if you keep voting for the same people and the same parties, you are going to get the same thing, the same result – so you need change.”
As we departed Mountrath, The A Team were heading for Rathdowney.
They intend to cover every inch of the county before polling day on November 29.
