An electrifying speech — pity it wasn’t Cowen’s

THE speech sent an electric pulse through the Ard Fheis, the passion was palpable and the connection with the audience intense, unfortunately for Brian Cowen, the speech in question was delivered by Noel Dempsey.

Mr Dempsey burst onto the stage like he had just exploded out of the national grid. He was meant to be merely the Taoiseach’s warm-up, instead he set the hall on fire.

Even though Mr Cowen did raise his game and deliver one of his better appeals for national unity, there was no way he could compete with Nuclear Noel’s white-knuckle ride of anger — it was like U2 opening for Daniel O’Donnell.