Leo Varadkar is making his way through the People’s Park in Dun Laoghaire like Jesus Christ entering Jerusalem, the crowds falling at his feet.

As her campaign team hit the streets of Ballydehob, West Cork, Holly Cairns could lay reasonable claim to having the country’s youngest canvasser on the job.

Alison O'Connor joined Simon Coveney as he canvassed at Douglas Court shopping centre in Cork over the weekend.

Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald is confident the party will defend all three seats it currently holds across Cork City and county in the upcoming general election.

Offshore drilling and the importation of fracked gas through Cork Harbour or Shannon would be banned by the Labour Party under its proposals on climate action.

The north side of Cork has been neglected by its political representatives with one Government TD not even bothering to show up for work, said Labour’s general election candidate for Cork North Central.

Leo Varadkar has hinted at a coalition with the Green Party or Labour, but again ruled out one with Sinn Féin.

“It’s a bit weird being the leader of a party at an election for the first time,” Leo Varadkar said.