The RTÉ leaders' debate on Tuesday night was relatively well received, with most viewers saying it had been one of the most enjoyable debates of the election campaign to date.
But nobody seemed quite as impressed as a political editor from a news organisation across the pond.
ITV's Robert Peston described the 90-minute discussion as "quite shocking". Why did he say that, you may ask?
The Irish leaders’ debate is really quite shocking. The three leaders have a detailed grasp of complex welfare and tax issues, they are polite and courteous, they admit mistakes, they say sorry. They might even be largely honest. Why is all that possible in Ireland but not here?
— Robert Peston (@Peston) February 4, 2020
Well, in a post on Twitter, Peston continued: “The three leaders have a detailed grasp of complex welfare and tax issues, they are polite and courteous, they admit mistakes, they say sorry. They might even be largely honest.”
He then questions why it is possible for politicians in Ireland to behave like this, but not politicians in the UK.
I’m sure the three leaders are only delighted that a UK journalist thinks they actually know what they’re talking about, and that they might even be “largely honest”. The highest compliment a politician could receive, one might say.
Politics still has plenty of bite
Canvassing during an election campaign is no easy feat, but candidates in Galway seem to be taking it to new levels.
When knocking on doors, canvassers face confrontations, questions and bad attitudes, and perhaps rightly so. What many don’t expect, however, is a battle with dogs along their journey.
Independent TD for Galway Noel Grealish posted an image on his Facebook page on Tuesday of what appears to be the back of his leg, covered with two white plasters.
In a caption alongside the photo, he said: “At the doctors this morning after my battle last evening with a number of dogs, which I lost. The joys of canvassing, back on the road again today.”
And back on the road he was.
On Wednesday morning, he posted another picture of him getting a shave in a local barber shop.
“Hopefully the result won’t be a close shave on Saturday next!” he added.
Grealish wasn’t the only candidate in the constituency attempting to add some levity to the tense election race.
Independent Catherine Connolly posted a short video on her Twitter feed showing a member of her canvassing team doing a happy dance as she walked between houses, preparing to hand out leaflets to voters.
I’m sure Connolly is hoping she will be recreating those moves once the election results are revealed next week.
Quote of the day:
<a class="search" href='javascript:window.parent.actionEventData({$contentId:"7.1213540", $action:"view", $target:"work"})' polopoly:contentid="7.1213540" polopoly:searchtag="tag_organisation">Fine Gael</a> does have a rich lineage of writers who have yielded many a bodice ripper in their time
– Paschal Donohoe
Back to basics
Campaigning brings out the creative side of candidates, and that can definitely be said for Independent Patrick Noonan. The Dublin-Rathdown candidate's election literature features only a stick man, a tree and his website. He also promises to plant a tree to replace the paper used to make the leaflet. I guess sometimes less really is more.
83,000 – The number of 15- to 34-year-olds who watched Tuesday's leaders' debate, compared with the 67,000 who watched Love Island on Tuesday night.
Pizza politics
While Fine Gael may not be as popular as it appeared six months ago, members of the party are prepared to pull out the big guns in order to win back the electorate.
Outgoing Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe knows the key issues that voters are concerned about and during a quick-fire quiz on the Seán Moncrieff show on Newstalk he tackled them head on. Yes, he believes in aliens on other planets; No, he has never licked a battery and the last time he did some ironing was before the general election. Tackling one of the most divisive issues of our time, Donohoe revealed that no, he does not like pineapple on pizza. It’s unclear whether his controversial opinions will help or hinder his campaign.
