There was no donkey. The Little Black Ass never existed. 'Mo Asal Beag Dubh' was only a figment of the imagination - a literary animal in the rich imagination of Pádraig Ó Conaire. So let all the Leaving Cert pupils that ever were revise their education. Let them dispense with the notion of a drunkard who roamed the countryside and wrote simple and well-loved stories in Irish. The man with the hat whose statue sat in Eyre Square for so many years had many strings to his bow. Pádraig Ó Conaire was no "amadán". In fact he was a bright, and thinking, man who did a lot of work and was involved in politics - with a socialist leaning. This is the message from a book of his writings on political affairs that has been compiled by Aindreas Ó Cathasaigh, a young man from Ballaghaderreen who now lives in Dublin. Its called An tAthrú Mór and it comes out alongside another publication by the same author entitled Réabhlóid Uí Chonaire. The book was launched by Co Councillor Seosamh Ó Cuaig in Charley Byrne's bookshop in Galway city the other evening. Simple stories and complex man.

So in some ways you learn something and lose something everyday. Wasn't that a grand little picture of Pádraig Ó Conaire going around in his donkey cart and stopping here and there to write a piece in his copybook? Alright, the image of Ó Conaire with many of us was a simple one... but that did not mean he would have been a simple man. The stories we all know such as 'Mo asal beag dubh', 'Anam an Easbuig', 'Páidín Mháire' - rooted deeply in another Ireland...but well written. Capturing that life, and writing about, it is not a job for a simple man...even if he never wrote about politics. But now we are given an insight into an altogether more complex man. Ó Conaire wrote in a 'global' sense too, looking at international aspects of administration and politics. And he wanted the world to give fair play and equality to everybody. He was a strong nationalist and a friend of Michael Collins. Councillor Ó Cuaig noted that Ó Conaire sided with the Treaty with England in 1921. But a month later he came back on the anti-Treaty side.The man who sat peacefully in stone in Eyre Square saw turbulent times.

Maybe all of this is 'double Dutch' to the thousands of young people who were walking the sidewalks of Galway city as the book was being launched. The Treaty and the political writings of those times is another planet to many of them - and just as well too. For we have a better world now. But people like Aindreas Ó Cathasaigh do us a service - even if it's only a minority who will want this information. The market for books in Irish is small. Across to the Progressive Democrats

The political 'minority' was in Charley Byrne's the other evening ‹ Michael D, Clr Catherine Connolly, Clr Colettete Connolly, Clr Dermot Connolly, Mayor Niall Ó Brolcháin etc. In his remarks at the book launch, Councillor Ó Cuaig noted their presence and said he did not see any sight of the PDs "unless they were in some corner!"

Well if Councillor Ó Cuaig had a little black donkey available he would have been able to ride down to The Ardilaun that very moment and find plenty of PDs. Indeed he probably would have got down there quicker on a Little Black Ass than in a car in the evening traffic. For the Progressive Democrats were officially selecting their three candidates for Galway West that evening - Noel Grealish, Councillor Donal Lyons, and Councillor Thomas Welby. The convention chairman was Tanáiste Michael McDowell and he was talking about politics and patriotism too, though not the Civil War. McDowell said that people like the three candidates in Galway west were real patriots ‹ people who were at the heart of activities in their communities and people who created jobs. Galway, he said, was a vibrant city compared to what it had been once, but progress is not ever guaranteed. The new roads and railways alongside further developments in the city would make a great difference to the traffic flow he said. And the high tech plans for the area east of the city over towards Oranmore and Athenry would continue to propel Galway into the future. The day of the donkey - except as very likable pets - was gone into history. Who wants Ó Conaire's world?

Michael McDowell and Michael D were within a donkey's ride of each other in the city but are poles apart politically. Notwithstanding that, one has to admire what might be described as the intellectual rigour and honesty both bring to their differing political viewpoints. Both certainly add important voices to the political life of Ireland in 2007. Sean Phádraig Ó Conaire died in 1927 - all of 80 years ago. How relevant are his writings and his call for equality now? Very much so said the people at Charley Byrne's the othert evening. Equality for all is still a great goal. But what do these goals mean in practice in the county and city of Galway in 2007? And how many of us want to pay the price that might have to be paid for giving everybody a fair share of everything? And that question could be equally relevant at the launch of the Pádraig Ó Conaire book, and at the PD convention. And would those who gathered to celebrate the publication of Pádraig Ó Conaire's book shape a better city and county than the Progressive Democrats down in The Ardilaun? It could take donkeys years to find the answer to that. But in the coming weeks we will hear the arguments from all sides, no doubt.

And even if Pádraig Ó Conaire never really owned a 'Little Black Ass' let's not forget that the donkey is a major figure in the world's biggest democracy. For he is the symbol of the Democratic Party in the United States.

PS The Pádraig Ó Conaire books can be found in all good bookshops.

The View from the Hills - Máirtín Ó Catháin - Galway Advertiser 3/5/2007