GREGORY’S BOY
Jan 3rd, 2009 by Sean Baite
[ Tony Gregory in 1986 with Moore St. Traders - from RTE Obituary Gallery ]
Tony Gregory’s death comes straight out of the blue for me - as, from down here in France, I wasn’t even aware he was ill. World by Storm over at Cedar Lounge has posted far more eloquently than I ever will on Tony and his leaving us : ‘Tony Gregory’ by WBS especially so as he had travelled some part of the road with the man (starting out on the East Wall Road).
There is a sad irony that just as economic circumstance forces us to all of a sudden remember that times like the early eighties ever happened at all - Tony Gregory passing away will bring us to reflect on the Gregory Deal. If ever there was a Mephistolean bargain struck - this was the one. Even as a 12 year old, I was a bit miffed that out of 166 TDs elected - just one could hold so much sway. In retrospect, I had to concede that no constituency ever did (or ever will) need it more. I suppose it was somewhat akin to a lottery win or that once in a lifetime treble bet that comes up. Except that the no. 1 gangster didn’t hold onto power long enough to make all the pay out - and the selfsame constituency returned the no. 2 gangster every election since.
Not wishing to be lacking in charity or anything - but a few seconds reflecting on the career of the same Mr. Ahern is sufficient for me to measure the immense value of what Tony Gregory brought to us. Compare and contrast, I think they spoonfed us in the Leaving…
I don’t wish him on God’s right hand side (as they say as Gaeilge) - but on the left hand of Larkin and Connolly - he’d probably be more comfortable there.
With Irish public life infested with people shamelessly, no, proudly, on the make, one of the few who truly understood public good and public service has to die. It’s a sad day for all of us.
I think Gregory was the only TD who didn’t, at some point, make you feel a bit sick when he appeared on the TV news. I always liked him, and admired his independence. He’ll be sorely missed.
Thanks for the comment FP. The bloody cancer doesn’t seem to be too discerning about who it takes. Might be the age I’m coming to - but I get the feeling it gets first choice on all of the dacenter people.
Donagh - true enough - and by Jaysus, there were a few in the same constituency as him where the mere mention of their names got me retching.
God knows where the seat will go in a Bye-election too - is there any chance it will stay on the left ??
The poverty of the 1970s, especially after the world oil crisis, plunged Tony Gregory into community activism in Dublin’s inner city. The containerisation of commercial shipping had drastically reduced jobs down on the docks. This created a huge blight of unemployment among traditional docker families in the Sheriff Street area and elsewhere. The resort to drug taking and the willingness of drug pushers to supply a market horrified Tony, who saw the human costs at first hand. (Conor Brady, not yet editor of the Irish Times, had a series of three well researched articles on the social blight of the north inner city sometime around 1979, I think.) Tony Gregory was also aware of the decayed slum tenements that people lived in and the Corpo’s slow rehousing programme. I admire Gregory for his commitment, not least for having lived physically among the people he so well represented in a dwelling on a narrow street off Ballybough Road. I’ve lived away from Dublin for over twenty years, but was involved quietly for a few years in the late 1970s in social campaigning activity based in Buckingham Street. Please post more information and photos relating to his life and campaigns. The people of no property or power in Dublin have lost a great champion.
God knows where the seat will go in a Bye-election too - is there any chance it will stay on the left ??
Every chance, I would have thought - looking at the result at the last GE gives a figure of 15, 131 for ‘left’ candidates (Lab, SF, Green, Gregory and Ciaran Perry) and 19, 510 for ‘right’ candidates but, and its a big but, the latter includes 12k for Bertie, which won’t be there next time. Given the state of the government, this should be Labour*’s to win; they can attract transfers from all the other left groups AND at least some from FG.
*I realise some won’t necessarily see that as a ‘left’ win.
Thanks Sean. I can’t really describe how flat I feel about all this. It’s a bit like being winded. And I know all his organisation feel much the same. Anyone who met him will confirm he had a remarkable presence, he was a small wiry man with an incredible focus and intensity. Not easy to get along with on occasion, but well worth talking to and even more worth listening to. And an intuitive grasp of politics that saw him remain when other figures on the left (many equally good in their own ways) fell by the wayside.
As to the future. Well, in addition to Labour, MLM will be fighting hard for SF. Perry may well go forth again, but his vote is largely restricted to Cabra. The Greens might give it a shot with their guy up towards Drumcondra. I have no idea whether the Gregory organisation will put forward a candidate. I can think of two who might go for it. Remember Maureen O’Sullivan was recently co-opted as his Councillor on DCC.
But being a pessimist I suspect this is FF’s to lose since the left vote will be so fragmented.
Don’t mention it WbS - bad way to start off a year that was looking pretty shite all on its own. From what you and SOS say, the left vote looks to be a bit dispersed alright. All depends whether or not those 12,000 Bertophiles turn out and still vote for the Sodgers of Destiny.
Would be an absolute shocker if the Sodgers took advantage of his passing away to win another seat in the constituency.
Gar - ta for the comment and take from the time you were in Dublin (and I was just beginning to drink me wy through me communion money). For photos and documents and other material on TG - I’m not in a very good position - as I too am no longer in Dublin (10 years away). Conor from this parish and WbS over at Cedar Lounge are far more efficient and dedicated at putting up archive material like that - hopefully one or other will put some up.
MLM will be fighting hard for SF.
MLM (or any other SF candidate) has no chance in a bye- election - they are, as someone said on Slugger, ‘transfer repellent’ (remember its not first past the post, even though only one TD is being elected, it’s single tranferable vote still, so the winner has to get 50%+1).
Obviously, the ‘right- wing’ vote i quoted above represents a commanding lead, but remember, 3,000 of that is FG, which won’t transfer to FF, and about a 1,000 odd is, variously, Christian Solidarity, Immigration Control and other loopers (and a PD). Unlikely to transfer anywhere much.
The ‘Left’ vote on the other hand, is at least possibly transferable to one candidate in some numbers - Costello, Gregory and Christy Burke when he was the SF candidate used to swap substantial numbers of votes, I think, and while Patricia McKenna is unlikely to run, she got the guts of 2,000 votes last time, which in this constituency is definitely a leftist vote, whatever about the Greens’ credentials elsewhere.
I wouldn’t be so bold as to predict a Labour win, but it’s definitely winnable
You make a good argument sonofstan. I’m nearly convinced. That said I still think we’re looking at FF, an impression confirmed by the enormous turn out of FF pols at the removal this evening in St. Agatha’s.
Re Gars point, the Left Archive has some IRSP stuff from the 1980s which relates to Tony’s campaigning, but I don’t have (ironically enough) any of Tony’s early stuff. I’m sure Conor would be grateful for any donations, as would I.