Is this a record? Between Thursday and Friday of last week, the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, managed 28 official engagements. He started Thursday with a meeting with his officials, received the Bulgarian foreign minister and had discussions with the Tanaiste before taking the order of business in the Dail. Then he flew to Limerick, where he visited Shannon, Abbeyfeale, Newcastle West, Dromcollogher, Rathkeale, Kilmallock and Limerick city. He called into factories, hospitals, schools and churches, canvassing and shaking hands all the way, ending up as guest speaker at the Limerick Chamber of Commerce dinner that evening.
On Friday morning he started at Young Munster Rugby Club, then went on to more factories, housing projects, Limerick university and city hall before departing for Dublin at 4 p.m. He addressed the SIPTU Dublin regional conference in Jurys that night before nipping round to the Burlington for a photocall for the ISPCC annual ball. Officially he stopped there, but it is believed he put in some constituency work in Drumcondra before crossing the road to Kennedys for a few pints of Bass. Even old FF hacks stand back and wonder - is there an election in the air?
Quidnunc can be contacted by email at rholohan@irish-times.ie