This month last year was a period of intense negotiation as the victors in the June 11th 1999 local elections sat down to form alliances and divvie up the spoils in the shape of council chairs, committees, health authority places and other sought-after positions. The numerous operations were based on numbers, as when coalitions are formed after a general election, and the smallest number possible to form a majority join together in alliance to keep the others out.
"In the process last year", says Liam Kenny, the director of the General Council of County Councils, "they produced coalitions so novel and variegated as to surpass anything we have seen on a national level. All sorts of patterns were breached to secure nominations not just to chairs but to related positions."
The second round in these agreements took place this month. The pact between FF and Labour, whatever they might say about each other in the national parliament, held strong in Dublin's City Hall and FF's Maurice Ahern took over as lord mayor from Labour's Mary Freehill. In Galway, the FF/PD alliance, which reflects the situation in the Dail, saw FF's Martin Quinn replace PD Declan McDonnell as mayor. In Cork, the most progressive and unusual alliance of all, and one which could revolutionise national politics by practically abolishing the opposition, consists of FF, FG and Labour, controlling 25 out of 31 votes. Last year it was FF's turn, now its FG's P.J. Hourican and next year it will be Labour. In Limerick a Lab/FF pact saw Labour's John Ryan become mayor. These are the major cities; similar cross-party, or strange party pacts, exist throughout the country at every level.
The patterns, which will determine local government for the next five years, may have been set a year ago, but it is only with the transfer to power this month that the coalitions were tested. So far they have held.