In 2000, during my tenure as the editor for the Magill current affairs magazine, I commissioned Liam Fay, a journalist, to document a day with Michael Ring, a TD, as he ran his local “clinics” across Mayo. Upon Fay’s return, I inquired about his experience. His response was one of thinly veiled trepidation, describing a nerve-wracking car journey down a country road at high speed with a multitasking Ring at the wheel – chatting on his mobile phone and waving to locals simultaneously.
This account, given by Fay nearly twenty-five years ago, has remained fresh in my memory and perfectly encapsulates Ring’s relentless vigour. The Westport native had been serving as a TD for half a decade then, and was already known for his tireless commitment to his constituency.
The main focus of the article was Ring’s tireless pursuit of indoor toilet facilities for an aged woman in Belmullet. His unyielding efforts found him making countless phone calls and venting his frustration at the council and the complacency of officials – a recurrent theme throughout his political journey. Along the way, he boasted of his ability to attend 10 funerals on a busy day.
On July 30 that year, Ring declared he would retire after the upcoming election, drawing a curtain on his three-decade-long tenure in the Dáil and marking an end to 45 years in the realm of politics.
The TD from Westport is a distinctive breed of Fine Gael representative. He does not fall under the category of a policy aficionado or an ideologist, rather, he is a genuine spokesperson for the rural parts of Ireland. It is his potential to voice for this group, coupled with his zeal, resentment and persistence, which has propelled him from an obscure parliamentary seat to a position of significance. For anyone seeking a contemporary equivalent, he has been somewhat a Tim Waltz of Ireland throughout his professional life.
In order to visit Ring in Westport, one would journey along the striking new two-lane highway that bypasses Castlebar, which is viewed as one of his political accomplishments. Our meeting location is Ring’s office on the Quay Road, situated above the Octagon. The office composed of a maze of petite chambers, has walls adorned with numerous photographs capturing seminal moments in Ring’s tenure as a TD and a minister. These include a photo of him making his victorious re-entry into Westport after winning the Bye-election of 1994. It illustrates a Mercedes meandering through the town under the night sky, with Ring standing atop the back seat, greeting the populace with a defiant fist.
A cherished item in the office is a framed write-up about his revered great-uncle Commandant Joe Ring, who was lauded as a hero of the Westport Brigade during the Independence War but tragically lost his life in Sligo in the Civil War.
Today, Ring exhibits a reflective demeanour. The previous week had been consumed in responding to the copious well wishes for his upcoming retirement that he received. An enormous heap of cards lay on his desk, to each of which he is personally replying. A few of the acknowledging notes have admittedly reduced him to tears. According to him, the people in Mayo are grateful for his contributions. The evidence lies in the myriad of files that surround him on the shelves, each representing appeals from his constituents.
This self-made man exemplifies resilience. Born in 1953, he was one among 13 offspring raised in a council house on the periphery of Westport. His father sought employment in England during their early years, wiring earnings home every week. Upon the initiation of a textile factory in Westport in the late 1950s, his father secured a job and served there until the abrupt closure of the factory in the 1970s.
The family environment Ring grew up in emphasised the value of diligent work. With “work, work, work” as his personal mantra, he dove headfirst into the workforce upon finishing his education, securing a position selling bread. His working day, spanning from six in the morning until six in the evening, consisted of picking up fresh bread from Gavins, Keanes and Western Pride to distribute it. Business boomed, with numerous shops being accessible for deliveries. Before transitioning into the field of auctioneering in the 1990s, his endeavour had expanded to a team of three to four employees.
The year 1979 marked his initiation into political affairs. Persuaded by Patrick Durkan (who would later become a senator) and Jackie Gibbons, both activists for Fine Gael, Ring decided to pitch his candidacy for the urban council in Westport. Although he tried to withdraw his candidacy a day later, Durkan insisted he stay in the race. He secured his position with 216 votes, and subsequently, he went on to dominate in all following elections.
Durkan recognised the potential in the young bread salesman. Politics was a natural fit for Ring, who passionately fought against injustice and became infuriated when he perceived people being treated unfairly. A people’s person, he thrived in hearing their stories and had an exceptional ability to remember faces. However, remembering names often became challenging for him.
He painted a picture of his intense weekly regimen; Mondays were spent holding clinics in Westport. He then moved onto the Dáil in Dublin from Tuesday to Thursday, returning to Mayo for public gatherings on Thursday evening. He dedicated his Fridays to conducting more clinics, and every week he would rotate between different towns and villages: Shrule; Kilmaine; Ballinrobe; Cong and Claremorris; Ballycroy; Bangor Etc.
“You may not reach home until sometime between 9pm and 10pm on Fridays. At your clinics, there could be a horde of 60 people, standing in a line that spills out the main entrance. ‘How on earth do you manage this? I wouldn’t be able to do it for even a million euros,’ people often ask me.
I have a special fondness for the clinics. They allowed me to witness first-hand the disparities and injustices inherent in the treatment of people. This is not intended as a slight against public service, but there were instances where they fell short in providing necessary support to individuals. Had their jobs been carried out properly, there would have been no need for my intervention.
The topic of funerals often arises, and some view this as the epitome of clientele politics. However, I staunchly defend my attendance at these events. As a minister, I journeyed across the globe, visited cities in the UK, Scotland, and the US, and crossed paths with individuals from Mayo settled overseas, occupying high-ranking positions in major firms. They would often approach me, reminiscing about our previous encounter at their parent’s funeral.
People viewed this as a heartening gesture of respect. Their local politician’s presence at funerals was cherished, and in my absence, I ensured they received a written consolation from me.
Work, work, and more work. The termination of the dual mandate was something Ring deeply resented. This is a practice permitting TDs to also serve as councilors. He, along with his fellow worker, Phil Hogan, voiced their dissent on the disbanding of urban and town councils. In Ring’s opinion, the town councils held considerable value as stepping stones for budding politicians.
His rapport with ex-Taoiseach Enda Kenny, another Mayo TD, can best be encapsulated as ‘frenemy’. While there was a competitive edge between them, a mutual respect was undeniable. When Kenny was teetering on the verge of defeat in the 2002 elections, Ring was triumphantly topping the charts.
Upon becoming Taoiseach in 2011, Kenny accorded Ring the position of a Minister of State, initially supervising tourism and sports, eventually handing him the reins of regional development in 2016. Under Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s tenure, Ring got promoted to a senior minister in the newly instituted Department of Rural and Community Development.
Some of his significant achievements include maintaining vigorous funding for sports during times of austerity and playing a pivotal role in launching The Gathering in 2013, an initiative designed to encourage the Irish Diaspora to participate in extensive family reunions. As part of the campaign, he toured extensively in England and Scotland, personally inviting people to return home.”
He also contributed to the inception of the highly successful Wild Atlantic Way. However, he firmly believes that the pinnacle of his career was the Department of Rural and Community Development, set up for him by Varadkar.
Securing budgets was a battle, but he managed to win. He secured funding for various aspects such as towns and villages, libraries, rural renewal, leadership programmes, initiatives for social enterprises, food hubs, Men’s Sheds, walking schemes and the Tidy Towns initiative.
He concludes, “I believe I did a fairly good job”.
When asked about the positives of politics, he points to the betterment of individuals’ lives in Mayo over four decades. During his early campaigning days, he visited numerous households in rural Ireland where there was a lack of basic amenities like running water and inside toilets, and those living in poor housing conditions. This he says, is no longer the case.
However, the significant growth of online hatred and trolling is a noteworthy downside. He Warns that the uncontrolled rise of social media could have serious ramifications, particularly on young children if no action is taken to address the issue.
With the rise of artificial intelligence’s presence, distinguishing truth from falsity could become increasingly tricky. He believes this could have detrimental effects on society.
Ring mentions the online abuse Leo Varadkar received as excessive. He recounts going to meetings where criticism was rampant, but it wasn’t malevolent compared to the online abuse. He emphasises the need for safety measures that don’t force politicians to monitor their homes constantly out of fear.
He warns that these negative elements of politics might dissuade young people from joining the political world.
As for his own family, his wife, Anne, has remained a strong support throughout his career, managing his office pro bono. Suzanne, his daughter, along with Maggie Lyons, comprises his two-person team whom he praises highly.
None of his three children has shown interest in politics, a decision he believes is influenced by the changed atmosphere of politics.
Relegated to the backbenches since 2020, he has freely expressed his opinions on certain significant issues. He critiques the Green Party, which he feels is unfairly targeting rural communities. He iterates that individuals in rural Ireland necessitate the use of diesel and petrol as they have to commute to work.
“There are currently twenty-two wars actively causing harm globally. This undoubtedly exerts considerable strain on the world economy. The respective conducts of the US and China have caused considerable destruction globally. Interestingly, the Greens are upbeat about a country as small as Ireland, with a population of five million, closely equivalent to the size of Manchester. Ring takes a harder stance on immigration than his own party. In fact, for nearly two years he brought up the issue incessantly at party meetings, to the annoyance of other ministers. Nevertheless, he predicted the outcome accurately: people would ultimately end up homeless on the streets. Accepting the world entirely has resulted in a chaotic last year, causing public fury. On a personal level, Ring accepts that transitioning into retirement might not be easy for him, given his lifelong dedication to duty. He laments over the fact that the Oireachtas does not provide consultancy to retiring TDs. This is bound to be quite a shift for a politician whose life’s motto has been ‘work, work, work’.”