High-flying Fine Gael leader takes to the skies for electoral tour

Look up - it's Fine Gael

Look up - it's Fine Gael. The party may not be soaring in the polls, but its leader, Mr Enda Kenny, has decided to take to the skies in a bid to kick-start Fine Gael's local and European election campaign.

The party has chartered a plane to take him on a six-stop, 48-hour, 1,300 kilometre tour of the country to "rally the troops" and maintain the momentum arising from what was seen as a successful Fine Gael Ardfheis last weekend. Over the next two days he plans to visit Cork, Clare, Mayo, Donegal, Sligo and Waterford where he will meet and greet various local and European candidates and their supporters.

The barnstorming trip began yesterday afternoon at Weston Aerodrome in west Dublin, where the Fine Gael flying machine awaited its leader. Mr Kenny arrived at the airfield in style - by helicopter - accompanied by Leinster MEP Ms Avril Doyle, fresh from an afternoon's canvassing at the races in Punchestown, and were greeted by the party's Euro candidate for Dublin, Mr Gay Mitchell.

As is the form with election transport, the plane, an eight-seater Piper Chieftain aircraft, had been customised with the Fine Gael logo on its nose. Indeed the plane's livery was the point of some debate, with some observers hoping that it doesn't take a leaf out of the party's recent electoral book by taking a rapid downward trajectory.

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With blue skies and few clouds, it was perfect weather for flying, and the Fine Gael bird touched down at Cork in strong cross winds less than an hour after take-off from Dublin.

Awaiting Mr Kenny was the party's Munster candidate, Mr Simon Coveney and a Fine Gael cavalcade, to take him into the Metropole hotel in Cork city centre for the formal launch of the Cork TD's campaign, and the party's city council election campaign, where it is running 11 candidates.

Speaking to journalists at the launch, Mr Kenny said that Fine Gael's objective in the European elections was to retain its four seats, "one in each constituency". This would be a victory considering the number of seats have been reduced from 15 to 13.

He also reiterated his belief that the local and European elections were "an opportunity for a citizen's referendum on the current Government".