Sep 14, 2026 · 1 hr 10 min · 10 segments
Through The Chair | Ep. 04 Hey folks! We’re your hosts, Brian O’Donoghue & Ben Ward. You probably know the two of us from around Tullow usually wreckin’ someone’s head about a footpath or standing…
Neale RichmondGuest
Brian O'DonoghueHost
Ben WardHost
I often found that some of the party members who would never ever run for election would be far more passionate about the party than some of the elected people would be.
And I think it's always going to be that way because the politician has to be willing to go to the door and listen to the Sinn Féin supporter, the Labour supporter, the People for Profit supporter and be willing to engage and hopefully somewhere down the line get the two or the three or the four or the five or the six.
And I've stood at doors with people who are so into the party and they're happy to get into a row And they can't understand how anybody wouldn't vote for the party they're supporting.
I canvassed for Pat Dearing, right? And it gave me a complete false sense of canvassing because like that, the crash was absolutely...
And every door he knocked on, it was like Pat was being hugged at the door because it was like anyone but in particular around the Tullow area, Pat was being welcomed with open arms.
And I was going, wow, if this is what politics is like, you know, it was my first kind of insight into proper electoral politics and And I would be interested to get your thoughts on, so you mentioned like, so 2009 versus say the 2024 general election and the different, like, so no smartphone, very little social media to now.
I think that's something that we, as practicing politicians, need to catch ourselves on a bit.
And especially this, in the summer months, people will think something's huge on social media.
And the amount of people I get who are like, you must be under so much pressure over X, Y, Z.
I often found that some of the party members who would never ever run for election would be far more passionate about the party than some of the elected people would be.
And I think it's always going to be that way because the politician has to be willing to go to the door and listen to the Sinn Féin supporter, the Labour supporter, the People for Profit supporter and be willing to engage and hopefully somewhere down the line get the two or the three or the four or the five or the six.
And I've stood at doors with people who are so into the party and they're happy to get into a row And they can't understand how anybody wouldn't vote for the party they're supporting.
I canvassed for Pat Dearing, right? And it gave me a complete false sense of canvassing because like that, the crash was absolutely...
And every door he knocked on, it was like Pat was being hugged at the door because it was like anyone but in particular around the Tullow area, Pat was being welcomed with open arms.
And I was going, wow, if this is what politics is like, you know, it was my first kind of insight into proper electoral politics and And I would be interested to get your thoughts on, so you mentioned like, so 2009 versus say the 2024 general election and the different, like, so no smartphone, very little social media to now.
I think that's something that we, as practicing politicians, need to catch ourselves on a bit.
And especially this, in the summer months, people will think something's huge on social media.
And the amount of people I get who are like, you must be under so much pressure over X, Y, Z.
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