IT’S PERHAPS THE political comeback of this year’s local and European elections. Paul Gogarty, AKA His Sweet Surprise, is to run for a seat in South Dublin County Council in the Lucan electoral area.
The two-term Green TD has long since left the party fold after his membership lapsed and will be running as an independent in what he says will be a “low key campaign”.
When contacted by TheJournal.ie, Gogarty says that he has not yet begun any canvassing but has already received some positive feedback from those in his local area who heard the rumours and have told him that it’s “good to see him back”.
Gogarty was the fist candidate to concede defeat in the 2011 general election which saw the Greens lose all of the six seats they held.
He says that he did consider running again as a Green candidate and discussed it with a number of members, including former leader John Gormley but ultimately decided to go it alone:
I discussed it with friends and family and it was a bit of debate, I don’t want to say that that was the primary reason for my choice but when we weighed it up it came to about 85 per cent that that was the way to go.
He added that, having been involved in his local Palmerstown community for 27 years, ” I never got votes for being Green.”
Gogarty goes on to say that the he doesn’t think the Green Party is going the right way about rebuilding it’s representation, believing that they are still too concentrated on environmental issues, adding that “people can’t afford to think green at the moment”.
He says that there isn’t enough focus in the party of building support on a community level and that it was something he regularly lobbied about while a parliamentary party member.
Apart from the recent album recording, Gogarty’s reputation for being somewhat unique amongst his peers was enhanced by his infamous expletive ridden scolding of Emmet Stagg TD in the Dáil and for reportedly blowing a kiss at opponents of the Civil Partnership Bill outside Leinster House.
Asked whether his perceived eccentricities help or hinder him when he is campaigning, Gogarty seems seems unsure acknowledging that, as a trained journalist, he understands where the media’s focus will go given the opportunity.
He pointed to the 2011 Naked Election documentary in which he was one of the in focus candidates as a time when he feels his was portrayed in a certain way.
Gogarty’s shyness towards of the media seems to extend to online after he explains that social media “won’t be a big part” of his upcoming local campaign.
He says that he “bought into the hype” of social media in politics and once even engaged in a 24-hour-long question and answer session on boards.ie but now feels that one to one engagement is more suited to Irish politics.
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