Sir, - I have read many letters to your paper that complain of a lack of interest and excitement in local elections. As a first-time candidate in the Ballybrack ward of Dun Laoghaire, this is anything but the case! During the campaign I have been bitten by two dogs (requiring a course of three tetanus injections) and I have done a parachute jump in aid of Ballybrack Athletic Club.
One little girl answered her door and, on seeing my election rosette, asked me "Did you win a prize at the gymkhana as well?" After knocking another door, I saw a small boy's face pressed against the frosted glass momentarily. He ran into the kitchen to report his findings. Then the door slowly opened as he proffered a bottle of milk with the sentence: "My mammy said to say she's not in and she has nothing else for you."
Having read a piece in your paper about the apathy of young voters, I had the bright idea of ringing the local school with a view to getting permission to stand at the gates and give out leaflets. I rang the principal and started the conversation with an enquiry as to how things were going for her. I was told: "Fine, except we're having terrible problems with a flasher around our school gates at the moment."
On calling to one property with six-foot railings and an automatic gate we were very pleased to find the gates open. We called to the house, which was empty. To our horror, as we turned to go down the drive the automatic gates started to close. Despite a dash, we couldn't get out in time and spent the next 15 minutes trying to clamber over the wall.
However, some people saved us the bother of calling to their door with messages printed into their doormats, such as: "Oh no, not you again!" "Not today, thank you!" "GO AWAY!" Or, "Don't blame me, I didn't vote!"
So who said local elections aren't exciting? - Yours, etc., Eoin Costello,
Abberley, Killiney, Co Dublin.
