Making up the Numbers: Smaller Parties and Independents in Irish Politics

by Dan Boyle

At a time when global politics is being reshaped, the accountability of those we put in power has never been more vital. In Making Up the Numbers, Dan Boyle, former chairman of the Green Party, applies his first-hand experience of non-traditional politics in Ireland to assess the role of minor parties in government and in coalition. This book is an essential contribution to our understanding of the ‘others’ vote in Irish politics.

320 pages, Paperback

Published November 27, 2017

Reviews

[Ben Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an Irish politics junkie this book was fantastic. I read it alongside an academic analysis of the history of minor Irish parties and found it both better for someone wishing to look more into the sort of groups present, past and present, in the Irish party system in a personal or academic capacity.

The book follows a sort of loose narrative moving from election to election (each roughly being a chapter) talking about the difference groups, discussions and happenings between these cycles and the formation and demise of political groupings to the activities of.. flamboyant independents. It also goes away to contrast a prevailing view that the history of the state has been one of Fianna Fáil and Gael dominance with Labour playing second fiddle with this reality only really beginning to become true in the mid-1950s.

One thing to note is there are a few typos and mistakes littered throughout which I can only count to just a fairly limited budget. At times I also find the Dan Boyle's language a bit jarring but I think that' personal preference more than anything and it doesn't take away from the book at all.