Irish music biz activist Charlie McNally has entered the political fray in the upcoming General Election in Ireland. A showbiz entrepreneur who released an early Irish rock compilation featuring U2 and who promoted gigs by The Jam, The Stranglers and The Boomtown Rats, as well as Philip Lynott and Bob Geldof's offshoot outfit, The Greedy Bastards, Charlie was also involved in working behind the scenes on Jesse Jackson's campaign for the democratic nomination, in the run-up to the US Presidential elections of 1984 and 1988.

McNally is operating as Director of Elections for John Kelly, the Labour Party candidate in Roscommon-South Leitrim, where he is going head to head with the cannabis reformer Luke "Ming" Flanagan, for the final seat in a three-seat constituency which is certain to deliver two Fine Gael seats. “Politics is just Showbiz for ugly-looking people," McNally told Hot Press, quoting Bill Clinton (or is it Jay Leno?), "so I looked in the mirror and decided to become Director of Elections for John Kelly, the Labour candidate in Roscommon/South Leitrim.”

McNally has been using Twitter and YouTube effectively during a campaign which has seen Kelly's local stock consolidate. “An interesting twist is that all the other Parties are now advertising on John Kelly’s video clips and they are paying us ad revenue," he volunteered. "How sweet is that?”

McNally also made a dash to Dublin last week to meet Jesse Jackson, who was invited to speak in Ireland during the election campaign by the Equality and Rights Alliance. “Everything I ever learned about election campaigns and politics." McNally said, "derives from the rough and tumble of an American Presidential campaign, especially the long and grinding days watching a candidate work harder than everybody else.”

In his address to the ERA, Jesse Jackson was critical of the skewed priorities of a Government that would take money from the people to save the banks.
"In this bailout," Jackson said, "the people for the most of it who drove us in this hole because of greed or lack of vision and lack of oversight, they are being bailed out and the victims of it are still being left out. There lies the inequality and human rights struggle."

In a week's time, as the votes are being counted, it will become evident whether or not McNally's involvement has paid the ultimate dividend for John Kelly. In the meantime, McNally has made clear his reasons for getting involved in what will be a hard fought constituency battle.

"The people of Roscommon/Sth Leitrim really need a man of integrity, with both drive and energy to represent them in Dáil Éireann," he said. "I would not waste my time on the highways and byways of these beautiful counties, unless I believed resolutely that John Kelly will be the first ever elected Labour TD, for and from Roscommon, in the history of the State.”

In a battle that is likely to go down to the wire, Luke Flanagan may yet have something to say about that!

Photo: Charlie McNally with Jesse Jackson Pic: Bowlane Pics