Talk of Pat suspended as PDs’ chief rallies the flag-waving troops

WAVE your flags for Ireland, for the maiden speech of your leader, for Pat watching us at home.

This was the PDs’ national conference, with deputy leader Liz O’Donnell ushering on her party chief Michael McDowell to triumphant flag-waving in scenes reminiscent of US presidential rallies.

The ghost of the Labour Party leader, simply referred to as the “Johnny-Come-Lately to tax cuts”, had lingered over the conference until this moment.

After almost 24 hours of referring to the conversion of Pat, the hypocrisy of Pat, the incredibility of Pat and the audacity of Pat, the maiden speech by Tánaiste at 8.30pm on day two of the conference signalled an end to all direct talk of Pat.

The omission had been promised in the Tánaiste’s opening speech on Friday night in which he criticised the “slump coalition”.

But on Saturday night, for 30 uninterrupted minutes before his delegates, the mass media, the public and Pat at home, the man who would be Tánaiste was only referred to within terms such as “the others”, “some people” and the “Johnny-Come-Latelys”.

All weekend, where Mary Harney went, a standing ovation followed. Where Liz O’Donnell and Michael McDowell spoke, talk of needing to “roll up sleeves” normally ensued.

When Labour was accused of “auction politics”, the PDs explained their substantial pension plans and tax cuts as simply “financial prudence”.

Introduced by Liz O’Donnell as the meat in the party’s sandwich, the Tánaiste finally silenced all talk of “them and Pat”.

This was to be his moment in history.

On each appraisal of Mary Harney, the tricolour flags were raised. When he told Junior Minister Tim O’Malley to “keep telling it as it is”, they roared in harmony. When he talked of his own justice portfolio and his bravery before Sinn Féin and the IRA, and hit the dramatic line of “We haven’t gone away, you know” they screamed in ecstasy and waved their flags.

But when he mellowed his tone and told them of his passion for Ireland, his ambitions for Ireland and how he hopes to be able to look his family in the eyes one day and truthfully say: “I gave my best to Ireland” the audience almost soared forward, wanting simply to hug their leader.

And finally, when he told them that “the best is yet to come” one young delegate said simply: “I wonder what Pat made of that.”