Books on elections are usually of two kinds. The first comprises election statistics plus biographical data on the candidates and elected members; the carries more profound political analyses and commentary, often relying heavily upon what might be deduced from the basic data in the first. In Election 97 (£9.99), Sean Donnelly, sponsored by Irish Life, has produced a fine example of the first type. This, his second election study. This, his second election study, like his first, has appeared only nine months after General Election day. Given its size - no fewer than 487 pages - this is truly an admirable achievement.Although the greater part of the book - more than 370 pages - deals with the election to the Dail and Seanad in 1997, Donnelly also covers the seven by elections held during the lifetime of the twenty-seventh Dail, continuing where his 1992 book left off, plus the 1994 European elections and the constitutional referenda of 1995, 1996 and 1997. All are supplemented with appropriate historical data from the beginning of the state.
Thus, the book might justly be seen as a complete electoral handbook.That is not all. The statistician armed with a computer is tempted to become a scavenger, sometimes even verging on the promiscuous. Page 82 gives Donnelly away. "Did you know that?" - that Paddy Smith with fifty-four years' service in Cavan is the longest serving TD? - that on average TDs serve 3.8 Dail terms? - that Maria McCool is the lowest vote getter ever with thirteen first preferences in Dublin North West in 1996? - that a condom was discovered taped to a ballot paper in Mayo West? - and so on.By no means all these gems are indexed in the book. However, all that will change. A companion CD-Rom has been designed by Christopher took, of Storm, New Technology, to accompany this book. For £9.99 (plus postage and packaging), the data included in it plus additional materials are available in a form suited to interactive computers. In addition, there is also a website to accompany Elections 97 which will include updates on information in the book including by election results "and other useful resources". The mind boggles at the browser's paradise now opening up.Notwithstanding, Ms McCool, however, Sean Donnelly is to be congratulated (and commiserated with) on becoming the slave of the less computer literate student of Irish parliamentary life for whom he is providing on line an indispensable service so cheaply, not to mention a political journalist's paradise.