TOMMY Morris is FG candidate Jim Mitchell's right hand man and when he ran into Dublin Central constituency rival Tony Gregory in the Dail bar recently, he couldn't resist slagging him. The Independent is tipped as a possible Ceann Comhairle should the balance of parties in the Dail be tight; others are considered too inexperienced for such an important position.
Yet Gregory couldn't be more different from the retiring Ceann Comhairle, Sean Treacy. A Dub and proud of it, Gregory made his name in 1982 when two potential Taoisigh called to his north inner city door seeking his vote. Charles Haughey won the auction. At 49, he is 25 years younger than the outgoing man: he has been in the Dail 15 years and still refuses to wear a tie.
To the amusement of all and sundry, including the might-be Ceann Comhairle himself, Tommy Morris asked Gregory if he knew the Irish for "will the deputy please resume his seat", "quiet please", "will the deputy please leave the chamber" and so on. Then he wanted to know, if Gregory would adopt Treacy's sonorous tones, if he would say the Latin prayer and, indeed, if he would wear a tie and the customary robe? He ended by suggesting Gregory would have a Hiace van rather than a Merc.
But does Gregory want the job? He won't say. His whole being is devoted to getting re-elected. "To think about it would be very presumptuous, or even to have a shopping list if I hold the balance"
A former Workers Party candidate, who stood in Dublin in 1982, tells Quidnunc he asked the late Noel Browne for an endorsement.
Browne replied that he had no problem endorsing him as an individual, but he did not believe Workers Party policies were "apocalyptic enough to meet the needs of the political situation".