“WALESA IS the name and Walesa is the man”. Okay, so no one was asking Enda Kenny for a password when he visited the Treaty City yesterday to seek support for Lisbon, but when a young woman told him she was from Poland, Enda seized his chance.
Fine Gael, through its membership of the European People’s Party, had invited founding member of Solidarity Lech Walesa to lend a helping hand on the issue of workers rights.
And Lech had not been founding wanting, he revealed. “He’s a champion of democracy in eastern Europe, an iconic figure in Poland. As a man who spent his whole life defending workers’ rights, I think he will make a difference speaking out for workers in not being afraid to defend Lisbon,” he said.
But Lech doesn’t come until Friday and yesterday the Fine Gael leader had to rely on a phalanx of young Fine Gaelers in yellow T-shirts along with a couple of wily veterans to negotiate him around the streets of Limerick in search of support for Lisbon.
His predecessor as leader of Fine Gael, Michael Noonan TD, led the way with his constituency colleague, newly elected TD Kieran O’Donnell, also doing his bit. Former MEP John Cushnahan brought up the rear of the campaigning troupe.
In effervescent form, Kenny was quickly into the fray, putting his arm around a bewildered woman who had stepped outside a shop for a smoke, only to be urged to vote Yes for Lisbon.
The woman murmured agreement before Enda was off again, accosting a couple pushing two buggies with two little boys, which provided a photo opportunity for the leader of Fine Gael and possible – or should that be probable – next taoiseach of the Republic.
“We’re from Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh,” said Lynn Woods, who along with husband David and children Jake (3) and Lewis (11 months) was visiting Limerick.
“I didn’t know who he was and no – we don’t have a vote on Lisbon – fortunately.”
Undeterred, Kenny pressed on and met Kay Lonergan from Caherdavin, who admitted that she had voted No on the last occasion but was undecided this time, even though she still had some concerns.
“I haven’t decided yet – I’m happy enough with the EU as it is – I’d be a bit worried that we might be a little overpowered in everything if we vote Yes, but I know the young people need jobs,” she said.
Over at Limerick City Hall, former Fine Gael TD Tom O’Donnell was looking sprightly as he extended a warm welcome to Enda to Limerick and recalled the day that the young school teacher was first elected in a byelection in 1975.
“I was minister for the Gaeltacht at the time and did an interview with Raymond Smith of the Independent on the night of the count, and the next day, the headline ran, ‘How the West was won by the minister for the Gaeltacht’,” recalled Tom.
From Limerick, it was on to Listowel where local Fine Gael TD Jimmy Deenihan guided Enda around the town and down to the racetrack with all the assurance of a veteran corner back shepherding a lively corner forward away from goal.
Deenihan was a veritable one-man electoral register, instantly recognising constituents and calling them over to meet Enda – from 17-year-old Maria Dillon, who played Sive in a recent production, to Nora Relihan who appeared in the first production of the John B Keane play.
A quick introduction to John B’s granddaughters Laura and Anne followed, before he was accosted by another Enda – Enda Murray, who lost his job earlier this year, but is now travelling the country selling his book of poems, Doom and Gloom (Me A**e).
“I’ve sold 6,000 copies in the last 14 weeks,” said Enda the poet before sharing his thoughts on Lisbon. “I’ll be voting Yes – it seems the way to go. Europe has been very good for us, though at the end of the day I think it’ll make bugger all difference.”
