Hollystown Campaigning Sunday 17th May

By John Carroll

We visited Hollystown on Sunday [17TH May] afternoon last, as part of our ongoing door to door campaign and despite the continual downpour of rain, without exception we were welcomed by residents, who while being genuinely appreciative and polite in the reception they gave Iggy and his team, where none the less forthcoming in their viewpoints and concerns with regards the issues affecting both their community and that of the wider Blanchardstown/Mulhuddart community.

Issue they raised ranged from;
• Rathoath Rd Traffic volumes and speeds
• Lack of adequate Traffic calming measures
• Lack of Public Transport services
• Lack of safe pedestrian & cycle pathways
• Concern with aspects of proposed developments both locally and in relation to Snowtopia
• Youth initiatives or a lack thereof to a localised youth centre/facilities

Most of the above issues it would seem, regardless of where the community is situated are common priorities for families and their community.

One of the most telling moments for Iggy, came unsolicited from a very unexpected quarter; at one of the houses visited, the father told us that his son (approx 12yrs old) was a fan of Iggy who he’d heard and read about, thanking the father for his attentiveness and interest in our campaign we moved on however, as Iggy was walking across the road this young boy came running out of his house and went straight to Iggy and gave him a hug and said, ‘I can’t vote but I told my mam and dad that should vote for you’, he’d heard of Iggy from some of his friends and read about him, it was the spontaneity and sincerity which really knocked Iggy for six. ‘It’s one thing to have adults express support and goodwill for my campaign but something else altogether for a young person to come up to me like that, I am so moved’ said Iggy genuinely moved by the encounter.
This wasn’t the first time this happened however, because last week in Clonee when we knocked at a door, a mother and son opened the door and no sooner had Iggy introduced himself that the boy said, ‘mam that’s him, you give him your vote’, the mother and Iggy were as perplexed as each other and all she said was, ‘if he says he likes you that’s good enough for me, you have four votes here’. We had this type of reaction to Iggy in Tyrrelstown which we attributed to him being active in his community with the youth but we then encountered the same response in Mulhuddart/Ladyswell.

Another encounter in Hollystown really affected Iggy as well, a young girl [10yrs old] was so affected by a cyclist who had been hit by a car that she took it upon herself to draft a policy proposal inclusive of research material and statistics as well as projected environmental commentaries in relation to cycle and pedestrian infrastructure. This little girl won recognition and an award from Meath County Council yet was ignored within Fingal/Blanchardstown and no local paper even mentioned this. Iggy has promised to raise this within his campaign as he is of no doubt that young people like this should be encouraged and acknowledged by the community at every opportunity, these after all are positive role models for both young and adults to contribute positively and constructively to the community.

The impact Iggy seems to be generating with the young is a telling factor wherever we go and is probably the most surprising [and refreshing] feature to how his campaign has unfolded.