Enda Kenny’s bid to woo the nation gets off to a grey start

It didn’t take all this talk of “rainy day funds” for things to get gloomy as the Taoiseach kicked off his campaign tour of the country.

As he arrived into Shay Murtagh Precast Concrete Solutions in Raharney, in the Meath West constituency yesterday, the sky was grey, the cement was grey, the suits were grey, and Mr Kenny’s speech was frankly... you’ve guessed it.

The only colour came from the high-vis overalls of the construction staff who sat with disinterested and baffled expressions — apart from the one worker who was franticly sending snapchats of the leader to all his friends. But Enda still went into the detail of the economic impacts of a Chinese downturn, the strife in Syria, and Brexit.

With friends like two-pint man, Enda Kenny is usually a man of the people, but over the course of this campaign his interaction with the everyday folk of Ireland will be curtailed, leading to more grey days.

The aim is to apparently bore the electorate into submission with a dull but well managed message of fiscal space, rainy day funds, and macroeconomics.

That will suit Mr Kenny’s assembly of handlers, press officers, and advisers — if you want to stick with the party mantra of keeping the recovery going, the Taoiseach can’t be let go astray.

Popping up on national television is far too colourful it seems.

Just hours into the election campaign Mr Kenny had been accused of “ducking and diving and running away from the public” by the opposition.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin claimed he was “taken aback” that Mr Kenny had not appeared on RTÉ’s Six One News and instead had put forward his “media star”, Leo Varadkar.

“The idea that we pick and choose our battles, the idea that we pick and choose the interviews we do, we pick and choose the debates we do, the ducking and diving and running away,” Mr Martin said as he hit out at a Taoiseach in hiding.

“All of that says to me that this is designed not to have a proper debate, not to have proper engagement with the public about the issues, and it’s not good enough.”

Back in the cavernous warehouse at the concrete plant there was more media managing. Although Enda did turn up, members of the press were told he would be taking limited questions.

Asked about the no show at the press briefing, where only three questions were allowed — one from print, one from TV, and a third from radio — Mr Kenny simply said he had been snubbed by the national broadcaster.

“I didn’t know I was invited to it. Obviously I haven’t access to all of the diaries here. I have a lot of interviews to do over the next period and I will participate in the debates that take place. Why wouldn’t I?

“So I am sorry that RTÉ were upset about that, you will see enough of me, maybe too much over the next couple of weeks, believe me.”

Mr Kenny added that he would be “very happy to participate” in future debates and interviews as Fine Gael have a “great story to tell”.

But the story telling will be limited as media was told he will only be answering questions once a day.

Fine Gael’s tale of keeping the economy going is very different from that of the opposition who “who wrecked our economy with 300,000 jobs lost, you have mortgage distress in hundreds of thousands of cases, thousands of our young people left, couldn’t go near the opportunity to borrow on the international markets, unemployment at 15.2%, our deficit at €18bn and then they have the gall to come along and say we have great plans, yet they opposed every growth and policy position over the past five years”, Mr Kenny said.

“So I would be very happy, believe me, to go along and explain that to both potential suitors in what they are trying to do here with and alternative government.

“Our job is to keep the recovery going” — those words again.

After a quick walk around and a lesson on pouring concrete and a slice chocolate cake upstairs with some loyal supporters Mr Kenny was back on the road and onto Mullingar for his first — well-prepared — walkabout of the campaign. Longford-Westmeath candidates James Bannon and Peter Burke kept in tow.

After greeting the owner of the Greville Arms Hotel Mr Kenny was ushered across the street to PW Shaw’s store.

He quickly sidestepped a mother with a young child in her arms and another screaming in a pram: “I only came across the road to get away from the fuss” she remarked, having found herself at the centre of the action — no baby kissing pictures for Enda there.

Inside, he was warmly welcomed by brothers Frank and Patrick Shaw, whose grandfather Peter was a TD between 1923 and 1932.

Mr Kenny was fascinated to hear the family business, which has been on the go for 135 years, was where Michael Collins took refuge a number of times.

Outside, he happened to bump into a 16-year-old in a hoodie, who was unusually clued-in to Irish politics, especially Fine Gael’s social policies. Afterwards Noel Bardon admitted his colours: “I hope we get back in, for stability because otherwise there will be chaos.”

After another snub by unruly toddler who showed Enda the other cheek, Mr Kenny finally got the mandatory ‘holding a baby’ photo op in Central Shoe Station.

Paití Kenny — no relation — was lifted up as Mr Kenny joked that he would take her nose, what a threat to make just a fortnight before the toddler’s second birthday.

It was then onto Galvin’s menswear where he was given a local history lesson from Ruth Illingworth, who was proudly wearing an FG election sticker.

There is no doubt that Mr Kenny is not afraid of a firm handshake but if his handlers get their way there will be less pressing the flesh and more grey days ahead.

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