Eamon Ryan has always attracted a loyalty amongst many members of his party. Many have a genuine respect and admiration for the man who they see as unwavering in his commitment to the green agenda.
He became leader in 2011, after the party had been wiped out in a general election which was dominated by fallout from the financial crisis. With just three councillors left within the party’s ranks, many credit Ryan with building it back to where it is today.
Outside of the Green party fold, however, opinions of Eamon Ryan can swing from one extreme to the other.
On one end of the spectrum, you have those strongly opposed to several of his policies, such as Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary, who recently described him as a “dunce” due to his stance on the passenger cap at Dublin Airport.
One of the most consequential politicians of his generation
Others, however, even in other political parties, believe history will be very kind to the outgoing Green leader.
Fine Gael TD and former Tánaiste, Simon Coveney, posted on social media on the day Mr Ryan announced his departure: “When the political history books are written he’ll be one of the most consequential politicians of his generation. Always a conviction politician and a really good person.”
While many of his Green political colleagues are disappointed to see Eaman Ryan go, there’s a view too that this could provide the party with an opportunity to reboot ahead of the general election.
Nominations for the upcoming leadership race are due to close tomorrow. At present it seems most likely that only two candidates will contest the election; Minister for Integration Roderic O’Gorman and Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Pippa Hackett.
The party has around 4,000 members and each vote for leader is equal, unlike in other parties where the votes of elected representatives can hold more sway.
“We have to burst the idea that we’re Dublin centric,” says one Green TD, who is backing Pippa Hackett in the contest.
The same Green TD, while an admirer of Roderic O’Gorman, fears the Integration Minister carries too much baggage due to the controversies surrounding various aspects of his ministerial brief.
When asked what the departure of Eamon Ryan might mean for the party, he’s unsure as to whether it could have a positive or negative effect on its poll numbers.
From this TD’s experience of the most recent elections, he found that many voters had a negative view of Eamon Ryan, but not necessarily of the Green Party as a whole.
“It doesn’t mean they’re right. You hear other people who have huge respect for him!,” he insists.
Another Pippa Hacket supporter is Green Party Senator Róisín Garvey. “I’m sick of defending why I’m in the Green Party,” she laments.
Senator Garvey believes the party as a whole needs to combat much of the negative “rhetoric” that’s directed towards it.
“Rural independents are afraid of us because they know we’re right,” she insists. Ms Garvey says her party’s policies are intended to support rural Ireland.
On the departure of Eamon Ryan, she’s sorry to see him go. “He never sold his soul to populism,” she says.
‘Re-energise the grassroots’
The Green’s Waterford TD Marc Ó Cathasaigh is backing Roderic O’Gorman in the leadership battle. He doesn’t worry that the Integration Minister is Dublin-based.
Marc Ó Cathasaigh believes there will be an immediate requirement to “re-energise the grassroots” and engage in manifesto development ahead of the election.
“It’s the difficulty of the second album,” he said. There’s no point in reminding people what’s been done, the party has to look forward, he believes.
Mr Ó Cathasaigh is also of the view that positive analysis of Eamon Ryan’s contribution to public life since he announced his resignation could benefit the party in the polls.
Ciarán Cuffe, the party’s former Dublin MEP, is hopeful that new leadership could improve the party’s prospects, although he won’t declare his preferred candidate.
He also hopes the new leader will bring the same level of commitment to decarbonisation as Eamon Ryan did.
Mr Cuffe, who is known for his love of Dublin, even conducting his own walking tours of the city on occasion, is of the view that the party will have to broaden its base outside of the capital.
The overwhelming sense amongst senior members of the party is that they would be happy to see either Roderic O’Gorman or Pippa Hackett win.
Unlike in 2020, the new leader will contest the next general election without a green wave of support boosting their polling numbers, as was seen in many parts of the world.
Ensuring that the Green Party can hold its own in the next election will be a difficult challenge.
Members and leadership candidates insist they’re up for it.
