The best and the worst for the senate

The Senate election is the most 'insiders' of all Irish elections and it has one underlying theme - survival. It is essentially an underground campaign with the deals and double-deals, the back-stabbing and character assassination carefully hidden from media and public view.

For most of the twenty deputies who lost their seats in the General Election, the Senate offers the only real possibility of staying in politics and staging a come-back at the next election. A defeat in the Senate as well as the Dail could be the final write-off for such as Tom Nolan, Flor Crowley, Alice Glenn and Eileen Lemass.

The campaign which is now under way and ends in early April is all the more vicious because the competition is almost exclusively within the parties. There is almost no crossing of party boundaries by the 800 councillors so that candidates generally concentrate on the councillors in their own parties and on undermining their running mates from the same party.

Each Senate elections throws up some of the worst hacks and hangersson in Irish politics. Many of the names on the ballot papers mean little or nothing to the wider public and appear because of the crazy and irrational sysstem of nomination which allows a variety of arbitrarily selected bodies the right to nominate candidates.

The fact that so many of the names are unknown or borne by politically worthless individuals robs the election of any wide appeal - but even still the public must be waiting anxiously to see if Ruairi Brugha can claw his way back into Irish politics through the Senate or if Noel Mulcahy can win at least one election in a decade of trying.

To lift the cloak of secrecy from this election Magill has prepared a list of the best and the worst candidates seeking election. Brendan Halligan does not appear on either list because he failed even to get a party nominaation and Gus Martin has had to be exxcluded because he couldn't distinguish Wednesday from Thursday.

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THE BEST

AGRICULTURAL PANEL:

Michael Smith, one of the few talented and effective Ministers of State appointed by Charlie Haughey, robbed of his seat in Tipperary by the greedy incompetence of the one-man bland from Brussels.

Bernard Durkan of Kildare - whose hard work earns him another chance. Mark Killilea - because he is Mark Killilea.

INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE:

Ulick Lanigan of Kilkenny, for his intellectual honesty and irreverence -

qualities not in large supply in Fianna Fail; Sean Fallon of Athlone, another bright and honest Fianna Failer.

CULTURE AND EDUCATION:

Mary O'Rourke who in spite of being Brian Lenihan's sister is a hard worker and good debater. Tim MeeAuliffe, one of the great survivors and a man of great integrity and compasssion who still manages to stay in the Labour Party.

ADMINISTRATIVE PANEL:

Two outstanding candidates here.

Katherine Bulbulia , a feminist with a sense of humour who has survived several hatchet jobs from Eddie Collins TD in Waterford and racialist smears from troglodytic councillors. Jim Higggins, courageous in East Mayo on his opposition to Knock Airport and one of the best members of the outgoing Senate. Eileen Lemass, for being one of the outstanding members of the outgoing Dail and a feminist as well.

LABOUR:

John Carroll - one of the few truly vocational Senators who has a genuine contribution to make.

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THE WORST

Flor Crowley - racist, boorish, iggnorant and a thug. Myles Staunton Ðlong-winded and irrelevant. Patsy Lawwlor - spoke once (for 25 seconds) in the last Senate. Strong advocate of hanging and supporter of the US line in EI Salvador. Tom Nolan - should be allowed to retire gracefully" John Blennerhassett - who? Yes, he has been in the Senate since 1973 without making the slightest impact. Jim Dolan - makes Myles Staunton look concise and sensible. Ted Russell - making a comeback at 75.

There is also the University Panel at least some of the public have some say in these six seats.

TRINITY:

As usual an extremely dull line-up where it looks as if there will- be no change. Shane Ross may be an appalling person but he has made an effort to get across the Unionist point of view in an open and non-apologetic way and for that reason alone represents a genuine position.

Mary Robinson is bored with the Senate and deserves a rest but will get back as will liberal Catherine McGuinnness, the best woman member in the entire Oireachtas.

NUIPANEL:

Gus. Martin might have made it back. John Murphy and Jim Dooge are certainties and the third seat is up for grabs. Best of the contenders are the courageous Donegal hotelier Dermot Walsh and Prisoners' Rights campaigner Joe Costello.

A final note on the outcome of the 43 Panel seats which is as predictable as a Northern Ireland election. Fine Gael will win 19 seats; Fianna Fail will win 19 and Labour will win 5. In fact, might it not be as easy to let the parrties make their nomination now and save the cost of the entire exercise? Nobody would really notice anyway .•