Enda in the trenches ‘ploughing difficult fields’ for the budget

Enda Kenny had one foot in the trenches as he ploughed ahead with plans for another austerity budget. He even had a go at linking the ploughing championships with next month’s spending cuts.

Asked by organisers if he would try his hand at guiding ploughing horses along the muddy stretches, he said: “I’m ploughing difficult fields at the moment.”

There was certainly no lack of welcome for the Taoiseach after he arrived on site. And it was just as the sun came out too, leaving his handlers and accompanying party officials smiling from ear to ear.

Previous championships saw taoisigh — most recently Brian Cowen — heckled by protesters. But there were no placards, yells, or chants for Enda, despite the Coalition’s current drubbing in the polls. The only stern words were for the photographers to steer clear of the ploughing plots. “Don’t interfere with them, it’s a serious competition,” warned one lady.

There was also serious competition for farmers and attendees young and old to get close to the wandering Taoiseach.

Though he was busy high-fiving school-children, Kenny stopped and, in his own words, gave a “póg beag” to his party MEP Mairead McGuinness, who no doubt is wondering where she might stand in the redrawn European constituencies.

The Ireland East MEP was later seen at Fine Gael headquarters buttering up her party leader — asking him: “Would you like some more milk in your tea, Taoiseach?”

As for Enda, it was all jokes and smiles back in the fields. Louth plougher Gerry King told him about his French horses.

By the time Enda was back inside the party HQ, a group of children in Tipperary football tops were nearly screaming to be photographed with him. It was left up to party chairman Charlie Flanagan to sum up Enda’s task for the party faithful. He said supporters would be eating chocolate biscuits when the recession was over, not Rich Tea. He added: “Austerity is a means to a better future.”

Try ploughing that furrow with people after next month’s budget.