ELECTION CANVASSES CAN be revealing.
Micheál Martin’s walkabout with Jim O’Callaghan in Rathmines today was one such event that gave an insight into the lifestyle of the Fianna Fáil leader, who is a well-known health fanatic.
He drinks green tea, he doesn’t eat chips or toast, and today we learned that he hasn’t eaten a biscuit in 30 years. THIRTY YEARS.
Taking a tea break in The Pantry in the Swan Centre with his Dublin Bay South candidate, Martin chose a rhubarb crumble as his sustenance.
“Your healthy reputation will be going down the drain,” joked O’Callaghan.
His ‘people’ pointed to Martin’s choice, stating: “Look, it isn’t porridge.”
“Bacon and cabbage later,” laughed Martin.
After shaking the hands of some diners, Martin headed into the nearest health food store.
Whether it was for penance or just to assuage his guilt of the crumble, who knows, but Martin did confirm he was in search of magnesium for O’Callaghan.
“It helps you sleep,” he said.
Clearly the healthy eating and supplements are working, as a few members of the public in the shopping centre remarked on Martin’s appearance, with one telling this reporter “he’s holding up well”.
Today’s canvass was revealing in other ways, apart from the Fianna Fáil leader’s dietary habits.
Those that were canvassed raised a number of issues, many of which are at the centre of this election.
The bike shed, rising rents, disability services and the cost of childcare were all raised with Martin and O’Callaghan.
A number of passersby on the streets of Rathmines remarked on Martin’s appearance on RTÉ’s Claire Byrne show earlier today, stating that they were impressed by him.
“I think I might have to change my politics now,” she told Martin after telling him she had tuned into the interview.
“I have never voted for you before but I am now,” said another woman, who told the Fianna Fáil leader that she is an ex-teacher.
“I’ve been insulted,” she said, speaking to last week’s controversy over Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary at a Fine Gael event and his remarks about not hiring teachers if you want things to get done.
Maneuvering her trolley around the canvass comotion, one woman told The Journal that she found Martin “very personable”.
“They’re [Fianna Fáil] not doing a bad job,” she said, stating that “it is a strange world right now” and she wouldn’t want to deviate to vote for someone new.
“You wouldn’t know what they would do,” she added.
A pharmacist raised concerns he had about pay and conditions for those in his profession, telling Martin “just don’t forget about us”.
One man raised the issue of childcare costs, stating that while he welcomes promises to reduce the costs, his family has had trouble finding a creche place.
An older woman stopped the party leader to tell him she is renting and it much too high.
Martin spoke to her about the rent tax credit she is entitled to, telling her that his party wants to double it if they get into government again.
“What about a rent freeze?” she asked, something a number of opposition parties are committing to if they get into government.
The Fianna Fáil leader said his concern is such a move would make smaller landlords exit the market, an assertion that is unproven.
“Oh yeah, okay,” she replied, stating: “I will be voting for you anyway, as I like you.”
“I hope you become Taoiseach,” she told him, before getting back to her shopping.
Another raised a personal housing issue which she said had her very worried. O’Callaghan asked her to send on the correspondence and he would look into the matter for her.
Another older woman going about her business had some home truths for the two men, telling them that while she did hope Martin would become the next Taoiseach, he needed to sort out the supports for those with disabilities and their carers.
“You are very bad at looking after the physically disabled,” she said, highlighting concerns about wheelchair access, in particular.
“They have to fight for every single thing,” she said, adding: “You are going to have to do something for carers.”
Many carers are older people, she explained, stating that it is too much for many of them to handle.
Martin said a “whole of government approach” is needed.
The woman smirked and said she didn’t want to have to raise it, but decided to go there.
“The disastrous bike shelter. You’ll have to live that down,” she told them. She held off on any more criticisms stating: “That’s enough thorns in your side from me today.”
She said she would vote for O’Callaghan but added: “You’ll have to deliver the goods.”
A number of people also told the party leader they would be tuning into tonight’s TV debate on RTÉ, but joked that Martin would hardly get a word in with ten politicians on the panel.
“It’s madness,” said one shop worker.
Butlers Cafe was another pit stop along the way. A man, who previously lived in the US, told Martin that he was “doing a great job, keep it up”.
One shopper stopped Martin for a selfie, telling reporters later that she thinks Martin is “getting more popular as time goes on”.
When asked what she thought of Simon Harris, she said he seemed nice, but a “bit giddy”.
Dubray Bookshop was also paid a visit. Bookshops are the party leader’s “heaven”, he said.
He said his kids often give out to him and his gifting choices at Christmastime, telling him ‘not another book’.
Martin and O’Callaghan browsed some historical books. Martin held up a book entitled ‘Atlas of the Irish Civil War’, which O’Callaghan was recommending.
Civil war politics appeared to come to an end when Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael went into government last time around. Perhaps this bedtime reading for Martin will inspire him to do so again.
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