Simon Coveney wins the Clap-o-Meter test as candidates sweat it out

Just as well Leo Varadkar provided water — and no charges, says Lise Hand.

The O’Connell Suite (named, presumably, after the Liberator Daniel, rather than Fine Gael’s fiery deputy Kate) in the Red Cow Hotel had never seen anything like it.

There was a polite but fierce ground war raging inside and outside the hall. Simon’s black-and-yellow busy bees were distributing stickers, banners, and T-shirts to arriving party members.