Kenny backed by fair winds from polls

ENDA KENNY breezed into the new Limerick (county) three-seat constituency yesterday with Fine Gael sails billowed by the fair wind of the latest opinion poll.

First port of call was Bruff, and even with a spring in his step, the party leader could hardly keep up with 85-year-old Tom O’Donnell as he strode down the main street.

Outside Clancy’s pub, Tom, who was Fine Gael minister for the Gaeltacht from 1973 to 1977, recalled: “I served in the Dáil for 26 years and I started out on my first campaign here in Bruff.”

Mr Kenny placed a hand on the shoulder of Dan Neville, one of Fine Gael’s three candidates, and hailed his perseverance in placing mental health and the issue of suicide at the centre of healthcare. And there it would remain, he promised.

Mr Kenny continued to turn the screw on Labour by referring to their ads in newspapers yesterday, hitting out at Fine Gael’s various pledges, elicited the response: “I am disappointed to see where Labour have drifted here, and I’m not sure whether that smacks of panic or desperation. But I just want to say that I have no interest in misleading advertisements.

“People are far more concerned about asking the parties ‘what are you going to do for me? What are you going to do for my country?’ That’s why Fine Gael’s answer is, we will deal with this specifically, credibly and objectively in a cost-effective manner in our five-point programme.”

Éamon de Valera first began to wrap the green flag round himself as a boy when he was reared in Bruree. After being brought back from New York where he was born, he lived with his relatives, the Colls, in the village until his late teens.

Enda Kenny stopped off at Bruree to embrace the national colour and unfold his plans for a Green Food Island. Fine Gael, he said, intends to target Ireland’s high-quality food production for new support and attention.

At the food centre in the village, he said: “Ireland has a unique position to offer in the field of food production. Fine Gael will make sure that we maximise the potential we have to offer, as a uniquely positioned, low-carbon grass-based food producer. We can lead the market in high quality products with maximum traceability, and strong environmental and animal welfare standards.”

Agri-food proposals include reducing red tape without compromising food standards, a single label for Irish produce, maintenance of existing stock relief, fair prices to producers and the creation of a single food safety agency.

As the band wagon moved west towards Kerry, a sign in Bruree pointed to the de Valera Museum.

Open, but empty.

Bruree, like every enclave in the land, is pre-occupied trying to figure out the best way forward.