Electoral Competition in Ireland Since 1987 review: tribunals and tribulations

Electoral Competition in Ireland Since 1987: The Politics of Triumph and Despair

Author: Gary Murphy

ISBN-13: 9780719097669

Publisher: Manchester University Press

Guideline Price: £14.99

Something exciting is happening on the northside of Dublin. Academics based in Dublin City University are publishing at a rate of knots on communications, journalism and politics. The latest book to come out of the Glasnevin stable is Election Competition in Ireland Since 1987, by Gary Murphy.

As DCU's professor of politics, his book follows hot on the heels of Mark O'Brien and Donnacha Ó Beacháin's take on political communication (Political Communication in the Republic of Ireland, Liverpool University Press) and Kevin Rafter and Mark O'Brien's collection on modern Ireland (The State in Transition, New Island). Having a school of communications and a school of law and government in the one faculty has resulted in some engaging analysis of modern Ireland.

Gary Murphy’s latest book on Irish politics covers old ground in a new way. It’s refreshing to encounter a book about politics that is so much to the point. But while the size of the book is relatively small, the period covered – a quarter of a century – is a relatively long period of recent history. Certainly the author deserves credit for packing so much into a small book.

Murphy is frank about stating openly that this is not a comprehensive history of modern Ireland. What he successfully does is tie together the political events and personalities behind events in a 25-year period. The result leaves the reader with a genuinely good knowledge of what happened in politics and is certainly an encouragement to delve further into more detailed accounts.

It also refreshes the memory. You may come away saying, “I had forgotten that”. The read certainly jolts the memory of what happened recently, even if you were in the middle of it yourself. But don’t underestimate the skill of the writer in connecting up how political decisions affect and have real impact on people’s lives.

How often have we seen reviews of books on these pages about an individual politician, a particular political party or a specific event? Not here. This book looks at the wider picture. The writing is accessible and not particularly academic. But if you are looking for political gossip or intrigue, this book isn’t for you.

There are no new headline revelations about a colourful remark between politicians or insights into who was really responsible for this or that. In fact, the elections, referendums and politics covered will be known to most people. The real insight in Murphy’s book is how each person and event had an impact on others. While the events may be known, the context and links from one to the other are new.

There are better books about individual politicians and specific events from this period. Fergus Finlay's Snakes and Ladders (New Island) and Stephen Collins's The Power Game (O'Brien Press) jump to mind, but Murphy's book manages to string together so many of these events. It's truly some achievement.

After five years in government Fine Gael and Labour went to the polls, with Fine Gael losing a host of seats and retaining just 50 TDs. A minority government looked to be the only option. The country had dragged itself through a recession and was looking to recovery. Sound familiar? Well, this was 1987, not 2016, and is the first of six chapters.

Murphy’s chapters are thematic rather than time-specific. While the first chapter looks at the 1987 election, along with the importance of foreign direct investment and social partnership, we also see a changing Ireland and how the country grappled with social issues, such as divorce and abortion, through contentious and numerous referendums.

The book then moves on to look at the politics of coalitions. The 1989 election is credited with far-reaching consequences for our party system as Fianna Fáil entered coalitions with the Progressive Democrats. The details of the 1990 presidential election and the downfall of Charlie Haughey are set out and, while not new, we get a fuller picture now, with Murphy drawing on the many Fianna Fáil autobiographies about that period, notably those by Bertie Ahern and Albert Reynolds.

The middle chapters deal with changing coalitions, tribunals and corruption in Irish politics. It is grim reading for the optimist, not only the corruption but also the reality that stable government is often unpopular in Ireland. The reasons behind the establishment of the Hamilton, McCracken, Moriarty and Flood-Mahon tribunals are clearly explained. The circumstances of the divorce referendum and its impact are also dealt with.

With the notable exceptions of Paul Cullen and Elaine Byrne, few people have written about the tribunals better than Murphy. There is no better, briefer or more salient account of the tribunals.

The author honestly leaves us with the clear conclusion that since 1987 the voters have cared not a whit about any of the tribunal revelations or reports.

He sums up the tribunal period by highlighting the electoral success of those involved and saying this was a time where “citizens bemoaned the private influence that riddled the public policy process but did very little about it”. This is clearly something many politicians want to say to the public, but cannot say by themselves, if at all.

The final two chapters look at the “hubris” and “nemesis” of Fianna Fáil, namely the decision-making that led to the crash and the decision-making after the crash. Political clientelism lays the blame partly on voters as well as on political actors. Comparisons are drawn between the rejection of Fine Gael and Labour in 1987 and the voters’ reaction to Fianna Fáil in 2011.

Throughout, key quotes are taken from every major book on Irish current affairs of the past 30 years. Extracts from books, articles and papers by taoisigh, ministers, TDs, political academics, advisers and commentators fill the pages. In essence, this book has collected the nuggets from more than 300 books and sources, and has condensed them into one.

The author dedicates this book to his late father, whom he describes as a man who often shook his head at the nature of politics in modern Ireland. In a concise and clear way, Murphy covers not just what happened in Ireland but why. So for all the men and women who shake their heads, confused at what’s happening in Irish politics from time to time, this book is well worth a read.

Brian Hayes is a former councillor, senator, TD and minister, and is currently a Fine Gael MEP for Dublin