Fine Gael's chances of regaining a seat in Kerry South are "better than previously", the Fine Gael leader has said during a tour of the constituency. Unlike the campaign in 1997 which was dominated by division, the two candidates this time were "pulling together", Mr Michael Noonan said.
Party spokesmen in Kerry are saying the geographical balance is right this time - Mr Séamus Cosaí Fitzgerald (39) a farmer, comes from the west of the constituency and Ms Sheila Casey, a hotel manager, is from Killarney in the east. The gender balance is also right, they say.
It could help the party regain the seat held from the foundation of the state until 1989. "We have a realistic chance of a seat this time round, but we are not targeting anyone's seat," Mr Noonan said.
The party is banking on a tight transfer of votes between candidates. The three sitting TDs, the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue; Mr Jackie Healy-Rae (Ind), and Ms Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Labour) are running. As well as the two Fine Gael candidates, there are two independent candidates.
Mr Noonan also hit out at "bogus" in-party polls being taken seriously by the media. They were not objective and were being fed by Fianna Fáil in particular, he said.
On the ground the reception was a lot warmer than portrayed by these party polls and the media. "There should be a health warning with party polls," Mr Noonan said.
He said Fine Gael's sporting theme "Munster passion - All-Ireland vision" in the area was because "Munster had more passion than the other provinces in a lot of their activities including sport".