While Gilmore was 'encouraged' by recent polls, Mary Lou was resolutely upbeat, writes MIRIAM LORD
THERE WAS a vicious wind whipping around the churchyard and people feared for the integrity of the piper’s kilt.
Thank heavens Pat Rabbitte wasn’t present.
A second race to the bottom in the space of a few days would have been far too much for a man of such delicate sensitivities as the Minister for Communications.
The first one, according to Pat, involves tittle-tattling journalists, particularly those who write about politics.
They raced to Arbour Hill cemetery yesterday morning for the annual Labour Party James Connolly commemoration – hardly the sort of place for picking up tittle-tattle, but Sunday is a quiet day.
Tánaiste and Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore gave one of the orations at Connolly’s grave. Siptu general president Jack O’Connor also spoke.
Before the ceremony, the Tánaiste commented on the morning’s opinion poll showing a healthy lead for the Yes camp in the referendum campaign.
With three weeks to go, Eamon resisted the temptation to lose the run of himself. He was cagily “encouraged” and said “Labour’s campaign is concentrating on a door-to-door canvass”. (Now might be a good time to take the battery out of the doorbell . . .)
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald was resolutely upbeat. “This weekend’s opinion poll tells us that there is all to play for in the coming weeks,” she said in a press release.
Not to mention the inevitable “we are getting very positive feedback on the doors”. Above in Co Louth, the Taoiseach was attending the national Famine commemoration. He spoke about the referendum after the formalities, indicating that he too is feeling the positivity emanating from our legendary doors.
“There is a thirst for information among people,” said Enda. At least he didn’t say hunger.
It’s a pity he wasn’t in Drogheda a day earlier, because he might have bumped into the Sinn Féin leader, Gerry Adams, who was campaigning in the town.
Gerry could have discussed the so-called austerity treaty and Enda could have discussed the so-called stability treaty and then they might have reached an agreement to go into a television studio to discuss the actual fiscal treaty.
Although the Taoiseach doesn’t seem too interested in this proposition.
Out in TV3, Ursula Halligan sat by her phone all weekend, waiting to hear if Enda will accept her invitation to debate with the man he calls the leader of the No side.
As of yesterday, the Taoiseach remains studio shy.
However, he was willing to venture an opinion on the latest poll by explaining that he never responds to opinion polls. (Or Vincent Browne.)
Meanwhile, Deputy Adams had to settle for a trip to RTÉ and a lively tussle with the Tánaiste on last night’s Week in Politics.
They sounded like men who are getting a very positive reaction on the doors . . .
But back to Arbour Hill, where those of us on Rabbitte’s race to the bottom couldn’t take our eyes off the piper’s billowing tartan.
But some judicious pleating and a stout kilt pin saved the day. Pat Rabbitte could have attended after all.
Had he been there – and there wasn’t a great attendance from the parliamentary party – he would have heard Eamon looking back with pride on 100 years of Labour and its role “in forging a democratic and peaceful Ireland”.
It is a role that “too often has been written out of the official script. A script where patriotism calls in only one colour”.
He added: “Labour was the midwife of Irish democracy.” The Tánaiste said James Connolly “had been claimed by many, but talk is cheap”.
Then he went to talk of a modern Socialist who has been claimed by many, but embraced by Labour: French president elect François Hollande.
James Connolly would have approved, apparently.
“He saw the struggle of Ireland and the struggle of Irish working people, not just in an Irish context, but in a wider European context as well. And he would have welcomed, as I welcome, the success of our sister party in France and the election of François Hollande as its president,” said the Tánaiste.
The Arbour Hill ceremony included the laying of wreaths by Mr Gilmore, Jack O’Connor and John Connolly, grandson of James Connolly.
Niamh Connolly read a short piece about her great-great grandfather and singer Jerry O’Reilly gave the crowd a stirring rendition of Where O Where is our James Connolly.
After the Last Post, the Tricolour was raised and the national anthem played. Then the party retired to Collins Barracks for refreshments and music from the Graiguenamanagh Brass Band, which was formed in the same year as the Labour Party, 1912.