Gowl mugs, viral videos, stroking ponies, and celebs – Limerick's political digital influencers

IT’S THE 2020s, the decade we will see our candidates evolving and engineering their voter bate on social media to maximise their chances of getting a seat. 

But unless you have someone like Cambridge Analytica (RIP) on your side, you’ll have to do a lot more than just throw money at machine-learning datamines to be assured of a seat in the 33rd Dail. 

Yes, getting that €90k-plus salary will mean meeting real people, shaking real hands, and maybe making real promises. 

Social meeja was not really a thing back in the 2016 elections, but in the 2019 Limerick local elections, the average dough thrown at sponsored content on social was in the region of €250, and that was mainly on Facebook. 

One independent candidate spent over €1,100 on Facebook and Instagram and was still unsuccessful. So, there you have it, the safest algorithm is counting all the number-ones you’ve been promised at the door. 

But it’s not a case of No Country For Old Men, as the seasoned few appear to be the clear winners here. So the youngins better take notes. 

So, here are the awards for Limerick’s best performers on political social media.

Best Motion Picture – Cllr James Collins

Since he launched his campaign more than 12 months ago, Cllr James Collins has been working on his inner-Scorsese with his cinematic promo videos. His latest video, starring James Collins, features subtle clip segues, intimately framed shots, and appropriate camera panning. February 9 will determine the sequel.

Best Pillow Fight — Cllr Daniel Butler and Cllr Emmett O’Brien 

Where there’s an election, there’s a social media spat, and councillors Daniel Butler and Emmett O’Brien are clear winners, when a disagreement about Michael Healy-Rae’s pro-seal culling led to Butler having a pop at the barrister’s council attendance, and concluded with O’Brien saying: “When yer out of government ye might lighten up...” Cllr O’Brien definitely has more time to engage in this trash talk now that he’s not running this time ‘round.

Wow. Yes seals are the problem not the fact humanity has over fished the oceans on an industrial scale for decades and emptied plastic and more pollutants into it. https://t.co/dlt2su9fjY

— Cllr Daniel Butler (@DanielButlerFG) January 28, 2020

Best Doggo Award — Hoopy The Dog 

Though not a candidate, this accolade goes to the late Hoopy, Maurice Quinlivan’s furry friend of 16 years who is now in Good Boy Heaven, the Sinn Fein TD announced on Monday. 

Queen B Award — Sen Maria Byrne 

Like the Queen, Senator Byrne loves her hats, and it’s douze points for her modest brown bowler cloche hat (I’m a man, I could be wrong about this) and psychedelic scarf, which stood out in her posts while canvassing Gouldavoher.  Michael Noonan's Beanie, worn like a Russian fur hat, also caught the eye

The Rockstar — Jenny Blake

Usually you throw a party when you win an election, but the Social Democrats’ sole Limerick hopeful, Jenny Blake, wanted to throw a friggin’ concert at Dolan’s last week. Why not, like. It was, in fact, a fundraiser for her election campaign, which had some star guests and performers. 

Can’t Even Award — Jan O’Sullivan TD

When the election announcement was looming, the hair-trigger Labour TD Jan O’Sullivan took to social media to say “Ready when you are, Leo” while waving one of her posters in ‘boomerang’ format. Kicking off the campaign as modern as you can be. 

The ‘I don’t need no party, I’m a strong independent’ Award — Cllr Richard O’Donoghue

Judging by all the selfies with members of the public and fellow canvassers, things are going well on the campaign trail, proving he could throw a spanner in the works for all those coveted number ones and twos for his outgoing Limerick opponents, Niall Collins, Tom Neville and Patrick O’Donovan. 

Most Missing Poster — Cllr Frankie Daly 

The game of taking down opponents’ posters is one of the most ineffectual, yet weirdly sinister, acts in the heat of an election. But in Frankie’s case, his posters have ended up in West Belfast and Donegal, which he has pointed out on Facebook.

The ‘Gossip Girl xoxo’ Award — Mary Cahillane 

Good morning, Limerick City East Siders. It’s the thing that has all the tongues wagging at the start of the campaign as the brazen Solidarity-PBP candidate, Mary Cahillane, cuts down Leo Varadkar’s election poster because it is blocking a BreastCheck sign. The video went everywhere, getting over 410,000 hits.

Best Celebrity Endorsement — Niall Collins, Tom Neville and Patrick O’Donovan 

Niall has two past and present hurling giants at his side, Cian Lynch and Ciaran Carey, according to his Insta. But Tom and Patrick had their boss, Leo, in the village to extol their virtues. 

The Guru — Willie O’Dea 

He may be a pensioner at age, but he is a millennial digital influencer at heart. Aside from taking a picture at nearly every local shop and petrol station for a quick snap (not sponsored) with his team, Willie just has that extra touch (literally) on social media. Hugging constituents, petting Shetland ponies, and drinking from a mug that says “I’m voting for Willie, you gowl”, he’s in his comfort zone. But as we all know, unless there’s Russian interference, Facebook ‘likes’ seldom translate to first preferences in the ballot box.