Mixed emotions as Fine Geal's Charlie Flanagan at Laois count

There were mixed emotions for Former Minister and TD Charlie Flanagan at the election count centre in Portlaoise this afternoon. 

For the first time in 35 years the former Fine Gael Minister doesn't appear on the General Election ballot paper in Laois. His father Oliver J Flanagan had been first elected to the Dáil for Fine Gael in 1943 and also held Ministerial positions, so Mr Flanagan is no stranger to election counts. 

“I have many mixed memories over the years, politics being as I have said on many occasions, a bit like a game of snakes and ladders. You are up one day and down another,” he said.     

“I am delighted personally for Willie Aird, a man I have known personally all my life and I am delighted professionally for Willie, who has been a hard working member of Laois County Council and who I know will continue to engage in that hard work in Dáil Eireann for the and on behalf of the people of Laois.  Also, I am delighted that the Fine Gael seat here will be returned in a formidable way,” said Mr Flanagan. 

“It is a time of mixed emotions. I have stood here in this count centre over nine General Elections for myself and then I was director of elections for my father in the three elections of 1981, 82 and 82 so that’s 12 elections. 

My first count was 1969 when my uncle Charlie McDonald was a candidate along with my father. In 1973 Fine Gael won three out of five seats in Laois Offaly with my father and Tom Enright and Charlie McDonald. That was a cold February night here at the count centre in Portlaoise, 1973. I remember it well,” he said. 

It is different to be here as an observer and an activist rather than as a candidate and I am pleased with my decision not to contest on this occasion. I felt it was time for a fresh face and I am pleased that the people of Laois have awarded Willie with what appears to be a very sizeable majority,” he said.  

Mr Flanagan described the election as “a mixed bag” nationally for Fine Gael and said he felt it was quite low key. “The issues that appeared didn’t really manifest themselves on the door, unusually. I didn’t get too many complaints,” he said. 

“Ultimately it appears that we are going to have a Fine Gael Fianna Fáil government, indicative of the fact that while of course there are problems in society and in the economy, they weren’t such as to agitate people into a change of government. That seems to be coming through although it is early days,” said Mr Flanagan. 

He said he had three objectives in this election. Helping Willie Aird win a seat in Laois, that  John Clendennen would take a seat in Offaly and as Fine Gael director of elections for the new Wicklow Wexford constituency, to get Brian Brennan elected. 

He is hopeful that all three will be elected, “so three out of three ain't bad,” he said.