Kenny’s letter to Ó Cuív: Give me your support

HE has already caused ructions in Fine Gael after looking for money from developers on the golf course. But as Enda Kenny continues on the quest to raise party funds he has started to look in the most unlikely of places.

He hasn’t just held out the begging bowl to a Government minister, but the Fine Gael leader has delved directly into the Fianna Fáil bloodline in search of money.

Eamon Ó Cuív — grandson of the founding father of Fianna Fáil, Éamon de Valera — is used to dealing with pleas for financial assistance and welfare payments as Minister for Social Protection.

But Dev Óg must have been shocked when the postman delivered the most recent begging letter addressed to him with the words “Fine Gael National Collection” across the top.

The letter was addressed to Eamon Ó Cuív, Baliedoolagh, Corr na Mona, Co Galway and when he opened it the minister found a beaming picture of Enda Kenny looking at him with the words: “We need your help preparing for the next general election”.

The letter stated that “the one message that is clear to me from meeting the public is that they want a change of government, as soon as possible,” Mr Kenny wrote.

“We have the people and the message needed to remove the current Fianna Fáil/Green Government from office but this will not occur until the next General Election,” the letter stated.

Not only was Enda looking for money, but he was also soliciting support for his bid to be taoiseach.

The minister did not wish to comment last night but is believed to be more amused than anything by the correspondence.

It appears it was not delivered by mistake, but possibly as a practical joke as it was directly addressed to him from someone at Mayo County Council and carried the photos of Fine Gael members of Castlebar Town Council and Mayo County Council just up the Corrib from Mr Ó Cuív’s north Connemara home.