BERTIE AHERN stayed put in his home patch in Dublin Central yesterday except for a brief morning journey to Dublin 4 to record an RTE radio interview.
Afterwards he had lunch with his local party workers before he moved on to St Dominic's School, Ballyfermot, to launch a booklet for the local "Beyond 96" youth club.
Ballyfermot is a stronghold of the sitting Fine Gael TD, Mr Jim Mitchell, who is aware that Mr Ahern is doing everything possible to ensure that he gets his Fianna Fail running mate, Senator Marian McGennis, elected.
"I'm telling people you are all right for a seat," said Mr Mitchell with a broad smile when he greeted Mr Ahern, who was accompanied by his daughters, Georgina and Cecelia.
"Help me, Jim," replied Mr Ahern, who is leaving nothing to chance in any constituency in the State.
Pauline McBrien, the club secretary, and Sister Liz Smyth, chairperson, with a group of locals, welcomed Mr Ahern and thanked him for his interest in the club, which is teaching leadership skills to local young people and initiating contacts with similar groups in the North.
The election campaign might be generating the kind of intense heat provided by the sun yesterday, but Mr Ahern studiously avoided turning the occasion into a political event and was careful to refer to Mr Mitchell and the other local representatives when he addressed the gathering.
Afterwards, he had a glass of water and signed autographs for the local children. On the wall, behind a table containing wine, soft drinks and food, there was a notice which read like a wellchosen piece of advice to every election candidate: "The most precious time you will ever spend is the time it takes to make a friend."
Media interviews on the lawn outside the school, and some words about the current state of Dublin hurling, completed the public part of Mr Ahern's schedule yesterday. One local man declared that Mr Ahern's next visit to the school would be as Taoiseach, surrounded by members of the Special Branch.
Mr Ahern just smiled, taking nothing for granted, as has been the case throughout his campaign, recalling that he had once come within 11 hours of achieving the office only to lose it.
