MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE OF A EUROPEAN ADVENTURE

NO STRANGER TO THE AMATEUR DRAMA SPOTLIGHT, GOREY FIANNA FÁIL COUNCILLOR MALCOLM BYRNE HAS HIS SIGHTS ON A MUCH BIGGER STAGE AS HE CAMPAIGNS FOR A SEAT IN EUROPE. INTERVIEW BY PADRAIG BYRNE

MALCOLM Byrne is a busy man. As he chats about his career so far in politics, he simultaneously directs the driver of his campaign bus to the best spot in yet another town centre in one of the twelve counties that makes up the Ireland South constituency.

As well as being a Fianna Fáil candidate for the European Elections, Malcolm is also keeping on top of his bid to be re-elected to Wexford County Council, should Brussels not beckon this time out.

Inexhaustible, the Gorey native has spent the last number of weeks on the road, hoping to meet as many people in town centres across the huge constituency as possible, with the goal of convincing them that he is best placed to represent them in the European parliament.

‘It’s very different,’ he said. ‘ I am enjoying it though. On a local level, I have my teams out canvassing in the Gorey area and I link in with them whenever I can. Obviously, with Europe, I can’t knock on every door. When you’re trying to cover twelve counties, it would be impossible, so we try get into the main streets and meet as many people as we can.’

Having sat on the old Gorey Town Council since ‘99 and Wexford County

Council since ‘09, it’s safe to say that Malcolm carries a decent profile in his home county. The focus on the coming weeks is expanding this profile to the eleven other counties.

With the Wexford vote being so important, it possibly provided a shock for Malcolm and his team when Independents 4 Change TD Mick Wallace decided to enter the race for Europe at the final hour.

‘I suppose I was surprised, but I wouldn’t have described it as a blow to my campaign as you did in your article,’ Malcolm laughed. ‘Everyone is entitled to enter the race. Mick Wallace has already said that he doesn’t know if he can make a difference in Europe. The thing is, I know I can make a difference. I have a long and proven track record of working with European institutions. I understand how the whole thing works. I’ve lived in Wexford all my life. I love Wexford and I believe I would be the most effective representative for the county and will deliver the goods.’

‘I come from an ordinary background I suppose you could say,’ he added. ‘I’m not a millionaire property developer. I have a real understanding of the issues.’

A native of Ramsfort Avenue in Gorey, Malcolm is the eldest of five children born to Myles and Mary. His father worked in the roads department of the council for many years, while his mother was a paediatric nurse and also worked at St Aidan’s Services in Gorey. Malcolm attended the Loreto and CBS Primary School in town before moving onto the CBS, where he laughs at the notion that he was a model pupil.

‘I think teachers would remember me as being very talkative,’ he admits. ‘I was always the one who was constantly asking questions and I suppose that has stayed with me to this day.’

Having graduated, Malcolm went on to study law in UCD and the college environment provided a real incubator for his political ambitions.

‘My own experience of education has really driven me in politics and it was always one of my goals to ensure that other people got access to these opportunities as well,’ he said. ‘It’s something I’ve campaigned for for years. In college, I got involved in student politics and the main areas I worked in were improving access to education for disadvantaged students, improvement in third level grants and increased access for those with disabilities.’

Through his study of law, Malcolm developed a fascination with how law can transform people’s lives, for good and bad. He particularly developed an interest in European law, something which could prove extremely beneficial should he end up taking a seat in Brussels.

‘I remember the first year I came back to Gorey from college, I went into the late solicitor David Warren for a chat,’ he recalled. ‘He asked me how I was getting on and I said I loved it and had a particular interest in constitutional law. He just laughed at me and said “Well that will be damn all use in the district court!”’

While the green of Fianna Fáil tends to run in the blood of some families, that wasn’t necessarily the case for the Byrnes.

‘I don’t really come from a political family at all,’ Malcolm noted. ‘My family are very involved in community things and volunteer with various organisations though. There’s a great phrase that we all utter from time to time - “somebody should do something about that”. In my family we were always encouraged to be that somebody.’

‘I suppose what attracted me to Fianna Fáil was that it’s always been an open party. It seeks to represent a cross-section of community. I would also say that Fianna Fáil adheres to the true republican principles of the 1916 Proclamation.’

In terms of political figures that provided inspiration, Malcolm lists two big ones.

‘Looking back, I think Sean Lemass was Ireland’s most transformational Taoiseach,’ he said. ‘He saw the big picture. He saw the need to invest in education, the need to open up the economy to provide jobs. He would certainly have been a big influence. Also I think John Hume was perhaps the greatest living Irish person. As a single individual, I think he more than anyone was responsible for the peace process and he saw the great potential for Ireland.’

While currently the main focus is taking a seat in the European Parliament, having been a local councillor

I COME FROM AN ORDINARY BACKGROUND. ‘I’M NOT A MILLIONAIRE PROPERTY DEVELOPER. I HAVE A REAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE ISSUES