THE PRESENTATIONS of the four Fine Gael presidential contenders to the parliamentary party yesterday were unofficially described afterwards as “a draw”, with no clear winner emerging.
The event took place in the legendary fifth-floor Leinster House conference room where Fianna Fáil staged many of its dramatic internal meetings in the past.
After the general election, this space was taken over by Fine Gael and it was here that the presidential hopefuls – Pat Cox, Avril Doyle, Maireád McGuinness and Gay Mitchell – made their pitches.
The final choice will be made tomorrow week at a selection convention in Dublin attended by TDs, councillors and members of the party executive.
About 60 Fine Gael TDs and Senators were in attendance yesterday.
The contenders spoke in alphabetical order and, as each was speaking, the other three waited in an adjoining room. The addresses were about seven minutes long.
Each of the speakers received a polite round of applause afterwards with one observer saying: “There were no cheers, no standing ovations”. Former European Parliament president and recent Fine Gael recruit Pat Cox was described as “quite humble” in his demeanour and he twice said that he was staying in the party, “win or lose”.
He praised one of Fine Gael’s founding fathers, William T Cosgrave, and highlighted the current opportunity for the party of holding the office of taoiseach and president at the same time.
Former minister of state Avril Doyle spoke of her “deep roots in the party”, adding that she would bring “gravitas, experience, substance, good judgment and credibility” to the presidency.
Pointing out she had fought 15 election campaigns at local, national and European level – 12 of them successfully – Ms Doyle added: “I am a good ground hurler”.
Ireland East MEP and former Ear to the Groundpresenter Maireád McGuinness spoke of the importance of farming issues.
Stressing her countrywide appeal, Ms McGuinness said, according to sources at the meeting, that supporters in the west were lighting candles for her.
Dublin MEP Gay Mitchell set out his stall with the claim that “I will carry Dublin and Enda Kenny will carry the west”.
Mr Mitchell argued that he was Fine Gael’s only hope of securing majority support in the Dublin region and that otherwise the votes would go to Labour’s Michael D Higgins.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny was not at the meeting, as he was attending the Tall Ships festival in Waterford, and party chairman Charles Flanagan presided. The contenders are to address the party’s executive council tomorrow.
This was the first time for some of those present to hear Mr Cox speak and he reportedly made a good impression – even on those who believe he has little chance of the nomination.
Mr Mitchell’s speech was also described as effective but the general consensus was that there was little to choose between the four.
One newly-elected TD said: “I was genuinely uplifted by the four of them: if you got those speeches in the dressing-room at a match you would go out to the second half with the hair on the back of your neck standing up.”
