While standing at Mitchelstown’s New Market Square on the busiest day of the week for the area, a clear and dry Thursday afternoon, locals had been strolling past the John Mandeville statue that overlooks the town, peeping across the many stalls that line up across the square.
While I aimlessly walked around the square, I couldn’t help but overhear chatter from residents, mostly local news and personal stories but also complaints following the recent controversy of the upcoming presidential election.
The mood had been the same across the town, despite the difference of political opinions that may generally polarise people and deter gossip or rumours when it comes to sharing personal views on politics, it felt there had been a shared pessimism and frustration about this year’s election campaign that led many voters to feel disillusioned with democracy, and urged people to come together and vent about the state of Irish politics, in much the same fashion as to how people would complain about the weather.
Full story in this week’s Print & Digital Edition.
