Presidential debate fails to inspire much hope

AS the presidential candidates gathered for their first set-piece debate of the campaign, one person stood out from all the others as the perfect head of state.

The poise, the intelligence, the no-nonsense empathy that would combine to make an excellent President were all on display — but unfortunately those attributes belonged to moderator Olivia O’Leary, who has ruled herself out of the race.

So, instead we were left with the lack-lustre bunch of Áras wannabes trotting out the same old self-obsessed cliches and usual self-loving eulogies.