Sinn Féin's Thomas Gould setting the pace in Cork North Central

There’s a statue of Jack Lynch sitting on a bench in the Blackpool Shopping Centre, in the heart of Cork North Central, the first Cork Taoiseach’s old constituency, and on a brisk weekend morning, Sinn Féin’s Thomas Gould is canvassing inside the main door.

Mr Gould was elected in the constituency in 2020, topping the poll with 13,811 first preferences, nearly 27% of the vote. As he canvasses in the foyer of the shopping centre, he seems to know everyone, and everyone seems to know him.

Anne Field, a carer from Larchfield who has looked after her parents, says she has will be penalised in her pension because, as she was unpaid, she has no stamps.

Carers

Mr Gould says that under Sinn Féin’s policies for carers, abolishing the means test will be a priority.

“For a lot of carers, it’s so invasive, they want to know absolutely everything,” he says.

Ms Field agreed. “My husband as well, he’s self-employed, he pays his tax and his stamp all down the years, he’ll have to be means tested as well because of me, which I think is a disgrace.”

Mr Gould says she is her own person and should be treated as such.

“She’s worked all her life, she’s raised her kids, she’s looked after her parents, and now her husband has to be means tested, like, that can’t be right. Where is Anne’s equality?”

Brian Crean from Farranree said the cost of living is a huge concern for people.

“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, they have to go, because the cost of everything is just gone ridiculous,” he said. “My house insurance went up, no claims, my car insurance, petrol went up again. I had to stop the health insurance, it’s just gone too expensive.”

Asked if it’s fair to blame all of this on the Government, he asked how the cost of living can affect health insurance, and says he’ll be giving Mr Gould the number one: “I always do”.

Former city councillor Mick Nugent says he believes Sinn Féin has a shot at two seats in Cork North Central if they can get the vote out.

“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael had it for 100 years, propped up at times by Labour and the Greens, and now is a chance for an alternative.

“We have 71 candidates, we can lead the next government if you want change.”

Joe Peyton has worked for the Alzheimer’s Society for the past 16 years and feels TDs need to remember to look out for people with dementia. “It’s a serious epidemic at the moment, and we need to get more support from Government for people with dementia,” he says.

Let down

Andrew O’Brien from Onslow Gardens says he feels the northside has been let down by successive governments.

Mr Gould says the recent announcement of €1m in funding for Castleview AFC was very welcome, but questions its timing.

“Why did they wait till a few weeks before the election, why didn’t Castleview get that money five years, 10 years ago?”

Mr O’Brien agrees. “The money is being pumped into the southside. Look at the difference between the South Ring Road and the North Ring Road. The northside is not getting its fair share at all,” he says.

The TD says he is hearing the same issues over and over. “Housing, the cost of living, health, homelessness, there was a man there talking about diesel prices going up again, people hit by energy prices again.” 

“Fine Gael has been in government 13 years, Fianna Fáil has been in government eight years with confidence and supply, and they’re trying to say that they’re going to do it now. Why haven’t they done it already?”

Surgery

Taking a break from the canvass, he brings The Echo for a cup of tea and a slice of cake in O’Brien’s, where he reveals that he had major surgery in the Mercy University Hospital, only five weeks ago.

Describing the care he received in the Mercy as “unreal”, he says he was “overwhelmed” by the kindness and well wishes he has received from friends across the city.

Delighted to be on the mend and focused “200%” on the election, he says he wants to put his illness behind him, adding that “it shouldn’t be a big deal”.

As we part company, The Echo asks Mr Gould for a photo of him sitting beside the statue of Jack Lynch. He considers it, smiling, and for a moment it looks like he might, before he shakes his head and says “I suppose not”.

He heads back on the canvass, laughing.