Fast-footed Enda sends alarm bells ringing

IN a hare-footed flesh-pressing exercise around a Cork shopping mall, interrupted briefly by an alarm bell, Enda Kenny had his own Winona moment.

Careering through till number four at Dunnes Stores in Ballincollig after shooting the breeze with shoppers, an alarm went off causing heads to turn in search of the shoplifter — who looked strangely familiar.

It was Enda, caught empty-handed. Laughing off the incident with the nonchalance of a would-be Taoiseach, the Fine Gael leader continued his gallop, but not before taking time to answer some pressing questions from an anxious granny. Chris Hassett, from Ballincollig, had come specially to the centre with grandson Oisín to ask Enda to explain his plans for the Irish language.

“If we can learn foreign languages, then we should damn well learn our own. I have no problem with them abolishing the Seanad, but not the Irish language,” Chris said.

Nothing would be done, Enda said, without first carrying out a proper analysis of the content of the curriculum and the effectiveness of the way we train our teachers to teach.

“So the children, as part of themselves growing up, they will say, as my own daughter said to me ‘Well tá se cineál cool’,” Enda said.

A group of students from University College Cork (UCC) and University of Limerick, members of young Fine Gael, clearly thought Enda was “cineál cool.”

Out in force to support their hero, Conor Crean from Mallow said UCC’s Fine Gael branch had put in more legwork recruiting new members than any other society this year. “500 signed up,” he said.

Jack Musgrave from Kinsale was enjoying seeing live what he is studying in the classroom as part of a course in Government.

“It’s a real learning curve and a great opportunity to see on the ground what we learn from textbooks,” he said.

Students from Coláiste Choilm, a Gaelcholáiste, were largely in favour of scrapping Irish. Fifth-year pupil Eoin Wool said it was “too hard” and “not fair on some people.” He believed it was taught “the wrong way” and should be optional.

Noreen Canty, wife of Fine Gael Cork North West candidate Derry Canty, said the going was tough on the campaign trail, but their three grown-up children had returned from Britain to help out.

Sarah O’Connor, aged 12, from Ballinore, Waterfall, was pounced upon for a photo-op. “I told him I like maths,” she said, but there was no mention of Gaeilge.

Out on main street, student Cormac Ó Mainnín said he has applied to study Law and Irish in University College Cork, but he was more exercised by Fine Gael’s proposal to scrap the air travel tax.

“The amount of flying going on is environmentally unsustainable,” he said. And with that, Enda took off in a sleek black Merc that may yet be part of a car-pool.