There’s nothing like a cold, dark, car park in November to bring home the reality of a winter election.
But in the Mountmellick Development Association (MDA) on Wednesday evening, there was also a palpable air of excitement in the freezing air. The Taoiseach was on his way.
Parked on the side of the road was the branded van of Fine Gael’s new General Election candidate Willie Aird. Branded Simon Harris jeeps were parked up too, as well as a selection of the party’s team from HQ.
After a brief delay, the Harris bus as well as the ministerial car arrive carrying the Taoiseach. He’s out in an instant, shaking hands, meeting and greeting as cameras flash.
Among those on hand to greet him is Paddy Buggy, manager of the MDA, and a Fine Gael candidate in the recent Local Elections. Also there is Paul Dempsey, the chairman, who gives the Taoiseach a quick guided tour of the community-run facility that in total has almost 150 workers spread across the different businesses.
He visits Procon Pumps, a company that manufactures pumps for systems that require transferring clean liquids at pressures up to 250 psi and flows up to 11 gallons per minute. The pumps in the many coffee machines around the country are one such example.
He also visits Sonas childcare, a facility that has over 160 kids on the books though they aren’t always there at the same time and it’s quiet when the entourage arrive. One child is utterly bamboozled by the onslaught of these visitors and completely unaware, but unfazed, as the Taoiseach hunkers down to have a quick chat with her.
From there it’s into the Beale Centre and the Webmill office space, which has been a home for members of an Garda Síochána for the past year. Welcoming him there is Superintendent Dermot Drea who heads up the Performance Assurance team.
The variety of the workers based in the MDA isn’t lost on the Taoiseach, who remarks “there’s certainly a lot going on here!”.
It’s been an election campaign carried out at breakneck speed. The Taoiseach had been in Kildare prior to his visit to Mountmellick. He may well be back to canvass again with Willie Aird before election day.
The long-serving councillor is the new Fine Gael name on the ticket, replacing Charlie Flanagan, who was also on hand in his home town of Mountmellick on Wednesday evening.
“Well, firstly, Charlie Flanagan has done a brilliant job,” said Simon Harris as he stopped to chat briefly to the media about Willie Aird’s campaign.
“We’re very much, I suppose, standing on firm foundations. He’s worked so hard, as has his family, for such a long time in Laois and indeed in Offaly. And I want to just take the opportunity of being in Mountmellick today to acknowledge that, to pay tribute to him for his work.
“And I look forward to being able to rely on his counsel and his friendship beyond his time in elected office.
“I was really pleased when Willie Aird put his name forward. Willie has a track record of delivery and public service that is almost unrivalled in terms of longevity.
“And, you know, a lot of people, particularly in the Dublin media bubble, say, you know, Fine Gael’s running lots of new candidates. And that’s true.
“But what I always say to them is, they’re new to the Dáil, not new to public service, not new to their community, not new to hard work, not new to delivery.
“And in the times I’ve been canvassing with Willie, and we were in Portlaoise only a couple of weeks ago, and in Mountmellick here tonight, I think he’s a very well-known name.
“I think he has a reputation for extraordinary hard work .And I never take the people of Laois, Offaly or anywhere else for granted.
“But I am cautiously optimistic that we can retain our seat here in Laois.
“But, of course, we can only do that if people are good enough to come out and give Willie Aird the number one vote on Friday the 29th of November. And I really hope that they do.
“It is absolutely key for me and for my party to be back in government that we win a seat here in Laois and also a seat in Offaly with John Clendennen.”
SEE ALSO – Weekend Read: Willie Aird ready to take his chance after all these years
SEE ALSO – Check out all our 2024 General Election coverage here
