Coveney supporter says time will be required to heal divides wrought by contest

One of Simon Coveney’s most prominent supporters has said time will be required to heal the divides wrought by the Fine Gael leadership campaign.

Senator Jerry Buttimer from Cork, who is Fine Gael leader in the Seanad, said everyone in the Coveney camp was “disappointed and crestfallen” at the result of the leadership contest but wished the new leader, Leo Varadkar, well.

“It takes time to heal the divides of a campaign, but Fine Gael is a broad church. There’s more that unites us than divides us,” Mr Buttimer said.

He said Mr Coveney had “won the popular vote” by securing the majority of party members’ votes, despite Mr Varadkar winning majorities in the parliamentary party and among councillors.

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Supporters of Mr Varadkar were in celebratory form after the result was announced.

Cork South West TD Jim Daly said he was sure Mr Varadkar and Mr Coveney could overcome their differences and unite in the interests of the party.

He suggested they follow the example of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton who he said had worked together effectively after the 2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries.

“If Barack and Hillary could get over it, I’m sure Leo and Simon can do it,” he said.

Mr Daly, who declared for Mr Varadkar early in the leadership campaign, admitted he had come under some pressure from party members locally to switch his vote.

“A gentleman in his 80s from rural West Cork said he was very disappointed in my decision not to back the local Cork man. That night I got a text from his wife, also in her 80s, saying she had a candle lighting for Leo and she hoped he would win,” he said. “It’s not always easy to do the right thing.”

However, another of Mr Varadkar’s supporters, Pat Deering from Carlow-Kilkenny, revealed he had not been approached at all by Mr Coveney’s camp during the campaign.

“To be honest I wasn’t even asked by Simon Coveney. I wasn’t the only one. I felt slightly taken for granted. I hadn’t publicly declared for anybody until the contest started. Obviously he presumed I was supporting Leo,” Mr Deering said.

He said “things were said” during the campaign but he was sure the former candidates and the party would unite now.

“I’m delighted the result went the way I hoped it would. It’s important we get our act together now and get on to the next stage,” he said.