FIANNA FÁIL 'YES' BUS:IT'S GENTLE, imperceptible, that stroke of the forearm. Minister of State for European Affairs Dick Roche likes to engage with his electorate, moving up close, cocking his head, gazing into voters' eyes and touching their wrists as he explains the complexities of co-decision and exclusive competence.
Such is the hypnotic effect - in uptown Westport, Co Mayo at least - that for those few moments he is cosy Sarkozy to his potential Carla Bruni. His wife is from Mayo, he says, not once, not twice, but in endless encounters, all for the cause of Europe. "And Claremorris better vote Yes," he whispers later.
Is Dara Calleary, young, single, eligible new Fianna Fáil deputy for Mayo not a mite, well, jealous?
"Ah, he's been compared to Sonny Knowles a few times already," Calleary smiles.
Colleague Beverley Flynn winces, and laughs.
They had arrived in on the Fianna Fáil "Yes" bus from Castlebar, having spent the morning in the north of the county in Calleary's home patch, Ballina.
In Charlestown, on the Sligo border, some voters had wanted to talk about the Lisbon Treaty's impact on abortion.
"And a great buzz in Charlestown," Fianna Fáil's regional organiser Jackie Lally says cheerfully, before we can probe more.
Roche is intent on walking into every shop. Calleary and Flynn hang back, taking a more discreet approach, while Mayor of Westport Declan Dever meets and greets and talks about how wonderful European tourists are for the town, now that North Americans find it too expensive.
Voting for or against Lisbon won't make any difference, he acknowledges, "but people here like to say we are . . . well, European".
Several women, always women, tackle Roche on farming issues and the World Trade Organisation talks.
A young brother and sister, Ciarán and Mairéad Doyle from Co Wicklow, have been in Mayo for a family communion, and are fascinate by the entourage. They turn to the bus, parked and ready to move on south. "How many carbon emissions for that?" Ciarán points. His school has just got a green flag, and he did a project on climate change, his older sister explains.
"My teacher told us there are five words on climate change in the Lisbon Treaty," he says.
"No, six," his sister says.
"And lots of hot air," says a voice from behind.
