1933 – Fianna Fail’s Glee After Election ’33

Clonmel Chronicle 4 February 1933

In comparison to days gone by, the aftermath of election counts in Ireland these days are fairly tame affairs. You spend the evening on the couch, battling valiantly not to nod off, watching Brian, Sharon, Sean and John crunch the numbers as they trickle in from bleary-eyed reporters in sportshalls up and down the country. If you are of one particular political persuasion or another you will haul yourself off to bed at stupid o’clock in the morning either delighted that your crowd has made it or despondent at the thoughts of five years of “that shower”. Most of us won’t care enough to either celebrate wildly or feel sorry for ourselves for a few days. This wasn’t always the case. In the 1930s, not only did political parties celebrate with gusto, but they did it in such a way as to nearly rub their opponents’ faces in their victory. When Eamon de Valera called a snap election in 1933 he caught the opposition unawares and strengthened his grip on a majority in the Dáil. The local newspapers were full of the reports of the Fianna Fáil celebrations in the county, this report from Ballyporeen and Ardfinnan being a typical example. And, not only was the National Anthem sung, but it was belted out bareheaded.