Fine Gael rolls out royalty for Clune campaign

If there’s one thing we do well in Irish politics it’s dynasties and yesterday one of the most revered members of one branch of Fine Gael royalty travelled south to give his blessing to the scion of another blueshirt-blueblood line.

It’s rare these days that former taoiseach Liam Cosgrave makes public appearances but he arrived at Kilkenny Castle to briefly join the campaign of Senator Deirdre Clune.

Running for the European Parliament in the sprawling South constituency, the senator is daughter of former tánaiste Peter Barry, Fine Gael minister for foreign affairs during the 1980s.

“My father would be quite friendly with Liam and had a long history with him,” she said by way of explanation as to how a Cork-based candidate and a Dublin-based former taoiseach should end up in Kilkenny together.

“I met him before the campaign in Dublin and he offered to help if I wanted him to do something. He’s obviously Dublin, so because his own father [WT Cosgrave] was elected from here originally, there was a suggestion that we come and meet and take a photograph in Kilkenny Castle.”