Independents and the political hangers on around them.

In light of the recent discussions about Barry Heneghan and Gillian O'Toole, I’ve been thinking about the role of independents in Irish politics. I’ve noticed a trend where some independents are starting to function almost like small parties. They endorse a few council candidates, and sometimes even people running in other constituencies.

Take Sharon Keogan, for example—she chose not to run in the recent Dáil election (I'm guessing she's planning for a senate seat instead), but she endorsed Gillian O'Toole, Kevin Callan, and some other candidates in the LEA. Except for Callan, all of them were elected. Despite still calling themselves "independents," these candidates all use the same branding on their posters, refer to themselves as "Team Keogan," and show up together for photo ops with her and other “team” members.

It’s not just Keogan—I've noticed similar setups with the Healy-Raes and Veronica Murphy. Is this a common trend in Ireland? Are they forming small parties or just attracting hangers on. Are there other examples I’m missing?