North Belfast school friends battle it out in election

The Class of '98 in 2019 - Carl Whyte, Mal O'Hara and John Finucane

In the lunchtime rain in the grounds of St Malachy's College three men stand and reminisce about their school days.

It has been more than two decades since they studied the same subjects and played sport together. They were part of the class of 1998.

That summer, just weeks after the Good Friday Agreement was signed, Mal O'Hara, John Finucane and Carl Whyte finished their A-levels.

Life was about to take a dramatic turn away from the streets of north Belfast.

John Finucane headed to study law in Dundee whilst Mal O'Hara left to go to the University of Central England in Birmingham.

Carl Whyte travelled to Dublin to continue his studies at Trinity College.

Since then jobs have taken them in different directions, but in recent weeks their lives have collided.

This week, as the council election polls opened they, found themselves on the same ballot paper.

The schoolmates are now hoping to represent the Castle area on Belfast City Council and in Thursday's election they stood for different parties.

Mr O'Hara was the standard bearer for the Green Party, Mr Finucane stood for Sinn Féin, whilst Mr Whyte flew the flag for the SDLP.

Mr O'Hara recalls his two political rivals at the school on the Antrim Road.

He told the BBC Northern Ireland's The View: "I have fond memories of both of them.

"I played Gaelic football with John and I was in Carl's class for a number of years. We did A-level French together. It is good to rekindle that friendship."

The three candidates are former pupils of St Malachy's College

Mr Whyte said, looking back, his classmates were destined for politics: "I am not surprised that John and Malachy are on the ballot paper.

"I think there is a good tradition in St Malachy's of political engagement across the board.

"Also a key thing we were told at school was that we had to contribute to school and our society.

"So John, Malachy and myself are all doing that by running for election in the area that we live."

Mr Finucane said he remembers his time with Carl and Mal well: "They were good lads and we all got on well at school.

"We discussed politics and everything else you would expect us to discuss at that age."

Wry smiles

The fact that three former students from St Malachy's have appeared on election posters has sparked much interested in north Belfast.

Mr Finucane says it has provoked a few wry smiles.

"I have a friend who I bumped into last week and he was giving off that he seems to be the only person from our year who was not on a lamppost," he said.

"It has been good fun and it is something light-hearted in the election, which is always welcome."

So will we see these ex-students become councillors? Win or lose, Mr Whyte said he loved the experience of being a first-time candidate.

"I have enjoyed it. It has been exhilarating to be out and talk to people on the doors," he said.

"They might be apathetic about some political parties, but people are not apathetic about politics."

Doorstep campaigning is nothing new to Green Party activist Mr O'Hara, who has contested elections before in north Belfast.

The three men are hoping to be elected to Belfast City Hall

He would love to be elected, but knows it will be tough: "A good result for us is increasing the vote across Northern Ireland as a Green Party."

Mr Finucane, who now runs his own legal business, said his background has prepared him for a life in politics.

"I have professionally been helping people for a very long time. I think a councillor is an extension of that," he said.

A former Westminster candidate for Sinn Féin, he rejected any suggestion he is being tipped for a leadership role at Belfast City Hall.

"No. That is very early to say for things like that. I would be a councillor for the first time," he said.

"I would very much be going in with a good team, an experienced team around me."

This weekend, when the votes are counted at Belfast City Hall, all three men will discover if their political bids have been successful.

Back in 1998 when the Good Friday Agreement was signed Carl Whyte, Mal O'Hara and John Finucane left school.

Twenty-one years on they are now hoping to write their own political story.