The little people ready to show how many they are in saturdays water protest

“We’re the 'little people’ - and the 'little people’ are starting to rise up,” says Barry Carr, one of the organisers of this Saturday’s protest march in Mullingar against the water charges.
It would be unfair to say he “declares” it, because this is all new territory to Barry, a Mullingar postman, who has never protested about anything before in his life, and to whom this role of organising and motivating protesters is all untrodden ground.
As it turns out, there’s not much motivating of people required: already, just short of a thousand have committed on Facebook alone to attending the Mullingar march, which begins at 2 pm at the carpark at Penneys.  That takes no account of those who don’t use social media, or who haven’t declared on social media that they are attending.
“And we have groups joining us too from Rochfortbridge, Raharney, Moate, Rathowen,” says Barry.
Also coming are groups from Killucan, Rathwire, Kinnegad and Castlepollard.
The response has been phenomenal, to the extent that once the march was announced on Facebook and in The Westmeath Examiner, offers of help; free use of sound systems, free printing of posters came in - and when they approached local shops apologising in advance for any disruption to business on Saturday and asking them to display posters, overwhelmingly, says Barry, the shops responded with the message: “no problem: we understand”.
The organisers are asking that families turn out for the occasion: they’re even asking that kids come in fancy dress.
But most importantly, they want participants to bring with them their Irish Water application packs, “for disposal”.
A number of people have been lined up to speak at both Penneys carpark, and at their eventual destination, the town’s Market Square.
“They’re all 'ordinary people’,” he says.  “No politicians. Politicians are welcome to come, but not welcome to speak.”
Barry himself will speak, as will Peter Rogers from Rathowen, Jimmy Duffy, representign Killucan/Raharney; Dermot Murphy, the Mullingar man who is taking Irish Water to court; Benny O’Connor, Elaine Farrell, Mary Walsh from the Congress Centre, and Nicola Lonican from Rochfortbridge.
What the protest will call for is for people not to pay their bills when they begin arriving in January, says Barry.
“That will be the end of Irish Water,” he says.  “They keep rowing back: even there at the weekend, they said you can pay it weekly!”
“This is all a step too far.  I’m a postman, and I can say I honestly can’t afford this, and what I’m terrified of is if they break away and become a private company, what then? They’re not getting my PPS number!”
Motivating all is the belief that coming hot on the heels of the water charge will be the new broadcasting tax, intended to replace the television licence system. The organisers have heard rumours that that could be as high as €300 per household.
Barry, a lifelong Labour supporter, feels betrayed by Labour over the water charges issue, and can’t see himself ever voting for them again.
“But then who else is there?” he asks, expressing the hope that a new movement started by Dermot Murphy - which has 24,000 Likes on Facebook to date - may run candidates when the next general election comes around.
He believes most of those preparing to attend Saturday’s march are much like himself - people who’ve never protested about anything before.
“We want the ordinary people to walk together, as a family unit. After six years of austerity, we can’t take any more.  [The government] have to listen.”

• Saturday’s protest march kicks off at Penneys at 2 pm.