On Thursday morning Alan Kelly's supporters in his political heartland of Nenagh in north Tipperary woke up to a frosty four degrees, but even more chilled by his shock overnight resignation as Labour Party leader.
Even in his home place Kelly divides opinion. One of three women sitting in Quigley’s bakery and café on Kenyon Street said: “He’s a bit of a mouthpiece I suppose, that’s my verdict, I think he has a bit of an ego.”
However, her friend had “sympathy” for the man known locally and nationally as “AK47”, telling The Irish Times “I feel sorry for him, and although there are very divided opinions about him around the town I will vote for him again”.
Without a party allegiance, Denis Finnerty, a local pharmacy owner and the vice-president of Nenagh Chamber of Commerce, praised Kelly as a tireless worker and a "good community man".
He said he would continue to support Kelly “because he has proven himself to be a good man for north Tipperary and Nenagh”, adding that “before he was ever leader of the party he still had reaches into places that he will still have”.
"Alan Kelly has never been a silent politician. His style and his willingness to speak out haven't changed that much, and I don't think it will change."
Fran Curry’s morning talk show Tipp Today on Tipp FM was dominated by the news, with one loyal supporter, identified only as “Mags”, telling the programme “we are heartbroken in Nenagh”.
Saying that she was “hurting just as much” as Kelly after his unexpected departure, she added: “The Labour Party in north Tipperary cannot believe what has been done to Alan, it is totally unacceptable.”
Removal
The programme reflected throughout local feeling that Kelly has been unfairly treated by his Labour parliamentary party colleagues – a feeling that became evident elsewhere as the day progressed.
Local members of the party are clearly annoyed that the decision to seek Kelly’s removal was taken by the parliamentary party alone even though he was elected by the party membership.
“We hadn’t an idea that this was coming. We, the regular members of the Labour Party who voted Alan in, weren’t consulted in any way, shape or form that there was any problems within the party at parliamentary level,” said Mags.
“He has huge support in Nenagh, and he will always have that support in Nenagh. We will never ever not support Alan. Alan was not just the leader of the Labour Party; in our eyes, here in Nenagh, Alan is our leader.”
