1923

Electorate’s message

Up to the time of writing on Thursday evening, nearly half of the 153 seats in the new Dáil have been filled, or, to put it more accurately, inasmuch as the Republicans have been returned to seats which they do not intend to occupy, nearly half the election results have been declared.

It is as yet altogether too early to attempt a detailed analysis; but sufficient of the votes have been counted to indicate the general trend of opinion throughout the country.

There cannot be the smallest doubt that general trend is in favour of making the most of the Anglo-Irish Treaty. General Mulcahy, who of all other members of the Cabinet, has had his full share of responsibility for Government policy polled a greater number of votes than any other single candidate, and up to the time of writing every Minister of the Government with the exception of Mr. Fionán Lynch, whose votes have not yet been counted, has been triumphantly returned.

There is a striking similarity between the numbers and the proportion of votes cast for President Cosgrove in Kilkenny and for Mr. De Valera in Clare. No doubt the arrest of Mr. De Valera in Ennis at the opening of his campaign brought him an accession of sympathy and of votes, just as the execution of Liam Mellows and Cathal Brugha secured the election of Mrs. Brugha in Waterford and Barney Mellows in Galway.

If election results represent any declaration of policy on the part of the people they seem to us to say pretty plainly that the Irish people want the Free State firmly established and secured, but they do not want vicarious executions.

Pictured: Seán Keane (centre) with d’Unbelievables’ Pat  Shortt and Jon Kenny who helped launch his new album, No Stranger, at the Róisín Dubh on July 9, 1998.