This article is from page 19 of the 2007-05-08 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 19 JPG
ENDA Kenny arrived in Ennis on Saturday — his second visit to the town inside two weeks — with a flurry of energy. He bounded from his cam- paign car and high-tailed it to the top of O’Connell Street.
He was due to land at 12.30pm but Kenny was 25 minutes late and the crowd, gathered in expectation of a showdown with ‘Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, had largely dispersed.
They were following in the footsteps of the Fianna Fail leader who himself landed beneath the O’Connell monu- ment at Kenny’s expected time of ar- UAE
But those who did linger to see the national face of Fine Gael witnessed a man in the middle of one of the most intense campaigns. He’s been twisting through the country like a Tasmanian Devil, shaking hands and rubbing flesh. Trying to out-Bertie the Taoiseach.
You wouldn’t think it. Kenny looked fresh and casual as he grabbed a mi- crophone. A blue, unbuttoned shirt in contrast to the sharp suit of Ahern.
He got down to business almost im- mediately, setting out his vision for what he expects will be a Fine Gael- led government once the election is done with. There was a youthful zest to much of what he said.
More than once, he appealed to the young people of Clare to get out and get involved in the campaign.
“Enjoy it,’ he said. “Use your power to change this Government.”
Then he focused on the Govern- ment he wants to send packing, say- ing at various points that they were incompetent, indecisive, remote, removed, conceited, smug, arrogant and uncaring.
“We offer the people of the Banner a unique choice of candidates here,’ he said. Then, he named out the four who form the Fine Gael ticket, going through each one, presumably in the
order that he expects them to poll.
“We’re led by Deputy Pat Breen and young Joe Carey here in Ennis. And my colleague of many years, Madeline Taylor-Quinn, and also the man pictured across the motor- way coming up from Limerick, Tony Mulcahy.”
He moved into the crowd, flanked by his local supporters, and got to know the people who he says will bring two Fine Gael seats to Clare. He posed for photographs with kids. He skipped down O’Connell Street and took a right into the Market area before stopping at coffee shops, hair- dressers, bookshops, bookies and in- SLD ech eleromrereco nL Ae
The Fine Gael whirlwind was blow- ing through town.
He was asked if the decision to run with four candidates in Clare was a wise one, particularly given the open criticism of the policy by his front runner, Deputy Pat Breen.
“We have very healthy competi-
tion internally in the party in Clare and this has given us a chance to get around to every single voter in the county. I know that all these people are going to get to every house in the county and explain why they have to change this Government.
“But I don’t know what the people of Clare will do at the end of the day and it’s all going to depend on trans- fers. As far as I’m concerned, if the people of Clare return two Fine Gael TDs, Pl be absolutely thrilled.”
It was a day when the sizzle of poli- tics could have taken off in Clare, just like the good old days, but Ken- ny’s late arrival ultimately saw that it wouldn’t come to pass. No face-to- face. No gunfight.
“T heard you had a visitor just be- fore I arrived,” he said. “I’d love to have had a showdown here with Ber- tie, it would have been great excite- ment and we’d all have been talking about it for days. But, of course, we would have won it [the showdown]
hands down and maybe if I shook his hands here, I might be saying good- bye to him.”
He walked on, 1n a small circle of the town and returned again to where the day had started an hour before.
“IT am not one to stand on this Square in Ennis, where many speech- es were made over the past 80 years, by many more notorious than I, but I am not afraid to say to the people of the Banner, we will accept responsi- bility for our actions when we are in Cred crasbeelosel me
It was his parting shot.
Just before he left for Galway, a eroup of young Eire Og fundraisers rattled a box of coins close to him. OST eNVARe UCN ea macCocomn soles pOMEcI BOD ECLMmOLU LIN Ie was alerted. Joe Carey began to push a €5 note into his hand, by way of a donation.
Kenny ignored it, fished in his pock- et and pulled out a crisp €20 note. He plopped it in the box, flashed a smile and then he was gone.