“Are ye making a film,” the teenager bawled across the street. “Can I be in it?” he called.
“You’re too late, it’s over,” came the response as broadcasters and reporters wrapped up their cameras and microphones after a “doorstep” press conference outside the campaign office of Independent presidential candidate Catherine Connolly in the north inner city.
Speaking to reporters after the three-way debate on RTÉ’s The Week in Politics with Fine Gael candidate Heather Humphreys and Fianna Fáil’s Jim Gavin, Connolly rejected claims she had circumvented security in employing a woman convicted on firearms offences to work in the Dáil in 2019.
“We have Jim Gavin today saying that I went around the security process, utterly untrue.”
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She said “the real story here is this woman [who] is an absolutely positive news story, a news story of rehabilitation, of changing her life around and moving on.
“And surely that’s what we should be celebrating. Surely that’s what we should be saying to the prison service, you’ve done a good job here.”
She declined to comment on the controversy about Gavin’s time as a landlord and she said her showing in the Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks poll “reflects the reaction that I’ve been getting on the ground, and not just me, but the movement that I represent.”
She then zipped down the road with a couple of her campaign team to walk to O’Connell Street and the Spire for a city centre photo with the alliance of left-wing party leaders who support her candidacy, and a quick canvass.
Amid chaotic scenes on O’Connell street she stood for photos with Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, Labour leader Ivana Bacik and Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns, all surrounded by party TDs, councillors and supporters.
[ Jim Gavin ‘looking into’ allegation he owes former tenant €3,300Opens in new window ]
Under instruction from a cameraman they all cheered loudly as McDonald proclaimed “Catherine abú”.
The Sinn Féin leader said Connolly had handled the firearms conviction controversy “with clarity and candour. She made clear that no rule was broken” and she gave a young woman chance to get her life back on track. “I think those are the qualities that demonstrate precisely why she could and I believe will make a really excellent Uachtaráin”.
Labour leader Ivana Bacik said her party is “still in discussions” but has “already made a substantial contribution” to the campaign. She would not reveal the amount, saying it would be declared in their election returns. “To be fair I don’t think any party is saying how much they’re giving at this stage.”
She added however that “a really impressive” €130,000 had been raised from individual contributions.
Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns said the firearms conviction controversy “hasn’t featured on the doorsteps, at all. Nobody has mentioned it.”
She said “the response has been incredible” and “it’s great to be the first party out in support of her”.
Then, Joshua Ryan, a fourth-class primary school student, showed her a poster he had written “in very good handwriting”, someone noted. Headlined “Catherine Connolly for President” it said she wants people to “raise their voice” to fight for education and a home for everyone.
Is he involved with any political party? It turns out he’s a fan of Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon, who canvassed his house during an election and whose cartoon poster he liked.
A media scrum followed by an even bigger scrum of supporters then followed the leaders as they made it across the road to stop in front of the GPO for more pictures with councillors and party members.
The candidate managed in the melee to canvass a few potential voters. Kayla Rooney (18) from the city centre and Amy Deering (18) from Ballymun haven’t made up their minds. “I haven’t finished my research yet,” said Kayla but “I like her”.
“She’s very polite, well-mannered and professional,” said Amy.
John from Dublin, who declined to give his surname was in town with his family and was canvassed briefly. What’s his view of the candidate?
“I think she’s lovely.”
The city centre is a tricky place for canvassing and can be hit and miss for voters, with people from all nationalities. Fares Mesbah (30) from Algeria was beaming after he got a selfie with the candidate. A university security guard in Ireland for the past two-and-a-half years, he wasn’t sure if he had a vote.
To vote in a presidential election you have to be a citizen and Fares is not. But “I like her. She was involved before in Galway and my friend there told me about her.”
After about 40 minutes it was time to go for another canvass in Ballybough and the candidate headed back to campaign headquarters with just two of her supporters. Some passersby recognised her and said hello while others held bemused expressions, as though trying to remember where they knew her from.
