No, nay, never. Taoiseach Bertie Ahern categorically denied yesterday that he had ever smoked, much less inhaled, even the smallest quantity of marijuana in his life, writes Deaglán de Bréadún, Political Correspondent
The question arose following an admission by Minister for Finance Brian Cowen in a Hot Press interview that he smoked pot on "a couple of occasions" as a UCD student in the 1970s.
At a time when the last thing the Taoiseach needs is another scandal, Mr Ahern firmly quashed any suggestion that he had ever gone to pot or passed through a "Bertie the Hippie" phase.
Asked by reporters if, like, man, he had tried the demon weed, Mr Ahern replied: "I never did, never once even." So he was strictly a consumer of pints then? "Exactly, and plenty of those."
Regarding the comments by Mr Cowen, another most unlikely hippie, the Taoiseach said: "As always Brian would be straight and honest that he did. I have no big deal about it. I suppose a lot of people try it in school or in college."
Earlier, at the daily Fianna Fáil news conference, Minister of State for Children Brian Lenihan presented a rather straitlaced image of himself when asked if he had ever sampled the drug.
"No, I was a very serious young man I'm afraid. I was a Scholar at Trinity College and a head boy at Belvedere College in my day, so I wasn't that type, but I saw plenty of it going on, I have to say."
Sitting beside him, Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea quipped: "I can't claim to have been head boy anywhere, but all I can say is that in Brian's case it seems to have done no long-term damage."
Asked if he had ever tried marijuana himself Mr O'Dea said: "No, I didn't actually."
Canvassing in Lucan for the general election, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said: "I have never smoked marijuana. When I was 10 I smoked three Woodbines and got sick and haven't smoked since. And the evidence is that I did inhale obviously!"
Although giving an indiscreet interview to Hot Press is a near compulsory element in any politician's career, Mr Cowen's comments stirred up a tabloid firestorm with one paper featuring the headline, "Spliffo Biffo".
Mr Cowen told the magazine: "Anyone who went to the UCD bar in the '70s that didn't get a whiff of marijuana would be telling you a lie.
"I would say there were a couple of occasions when it was passed around - and, unlike president Clinton, I did inhale!"
All contenders for political office can now expect to be asked this question and, when US presidential hopeful Barack Obama was asked if he had inhaled marijuana, he replied: "That was the point."