FF faces the polls with mixed prospects

BERTIE broke bread one last time with his candidates ahead of the Meath and Kildare North by-elections yesterday. Or, more accurately, he broke pancakes.

The Taoiseach had summoned the candidates, Shane Cassells and Aine Brady, to his political heartland in Drumcondra for one last photo-shoot over breakfast before voting in both by-elections begins tomorrow.

But there was no traditional Irish fry-up. Instead, it was pancakes all round at Café Chicco D'Oro, Bertie breaking his in two before wolfing them down.