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It’s about the candidate, more than the political party, for a battle-hardened group of women who have come together in a unique way in Kilkenny.
Nore Dragon Paddlers, based in Kilkenny city, has 70 members from around the county, all of whom have come through breast cancer. Currently an all-women group, despite efforts to recruit male participants, the paddlers’ maiden voyage was in May 2016.
The amateur sports team meet twice a week, weather and season permitting, in the shadow of the medieval Kilkenny Castle, to exercise and chat about their concerns, and about the state of the nation – and, of course, to encourage each other in their health challenges.
Holding 22 paddlers at a time, their boat, a traditional Chinese design typically decorated to resemble a dragon, is a colourful sight on the river Nore, which cuts through the city.
Five paddlers, ranging in age from 48 to 68, shared their views on the election and the issues that will determine how they vote on Friday. A common theme is that, for them, old party political voting patterns no longer seem to cut it.
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Catherine Carroll (60), a mother of three from Callan, says the choice of who to vote for will be made based on individual candidate rather than on party lines. She and her boating companions cite housing-related emigration, the cost of living, health, the environment, immigration and rural transport as the issues high on their agendas.
“Once I got sick I prioritised living; living is under extreme pressure due to staples rising such as food, electricity and, of course, housing. My son faces ongoing problems getting planning permission despite trying to build on our own land, and that all costs money,” she says.
“My daughter has emigrated to Canada and even as an engineer she just feasibly couldn’t approach getting a house. My other daughter and her partner are facing the same problems due to lack of availability [and] massive rents here. Resources are being stretched so much due to a rising population along with immigration.
“Our children are leaving in their droves because of this, which is affecting farming, teacher and nursing numbers, for example. There may be jobs but there are not enough houses and adequate public transport to help with creating more homes in the country.”
The average price of a home in Kilkenny is €308,000, according to a Daft.ie report in September, 40 per cent above what it was at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Chairwoman and co-founder of the group, Marie Treacy, who lives in Ballyragget, 17km from Kilkenny, reiterated Carroll’s dismay about housing and soaring living costs which, she says, are creating a “massive divide”, with “no middle ground” between those who have few financial concerns and those who are struggling.
“I’m originally from Kilkenny city and moved out to Ballyragget and there is no way I could afford to buy a house in the city if I wanted to move back in,” says Treacy. “It seems to be all social housing and not enough affordable builds.”
She adds: “In tandem with that is the sharp rise in living costs, such as food. Even supermarket own-brand prices have risen in price. It is very difficult to support local food businesses when costs are so high.
“Surely costs could be impacted on when it comes to cutting the use of plastics when buying fruit and vegetables? All we hear about is a circular economy on the issue of recycling but the sheer amount of plastic on these healthy food items is crazy.”
Noreen Lally (56) who lives near Jenkinstown, north of the city, says her cancer diagnosis and the ensuing pandemic showed how important the State’s health system is and how vital it is that it is improved.
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“I’m a cancer survivor and our group are the lucky ones but healthcare gaps need to be addressed, while complementary medicine such as acupuncture and reflexology need to be given more support by the Government,” says Lally.
Also one to favour individuals over parties, she longs for more female representation in the Oireachtas. “I’m more open to the individual now more so than a party. While I’m glad we have had strong female politicians such as the late Fianna Fáil’s Mary O’Rourke and Labour’s Joan Burton, we need more women,” says Lally.
“When it comes to housing problems, while I don’t have children I listen to members of the paddlers and many of their children and grandchildren have emigrated across the globe due to the housing crisis here.
“They can’t save to buy a house if they are paying huge rent along with living costs. For a rich country, we are going backwards and it’s like going back to the 1980s when there was so much emigration due to lack of jobs. Now it’s because of housing problems.”
Paula Fleming (60) is a mother of three who lives alone in Kilkenny city. “And why do I live alone? It’s because my two sons and daughter have emigrated, two to London and one to Australia because they simply cannot get on to the property ladder here, due to house costs and astronomical rent,” she says.
“All three of my children are in their 20s, all graduated from college during the pandemic but yet can’t afford to buy or even rent,” adds Fleming, a school special needs assistant.
“I went to London in the 1980s to work … and came back in 1999, but never thought I would see my children in the same boat.”
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