Gerry Adams's first task on a canvass in the Short Strand in east Belfast yesterday was to inspect a new Sinn Fein mural. Its message was straightforward, depicting Carson's statue being pulled down from its position in front of parliament buildings at Stormont by people waving tricolours. "A Protestant parliament for a Protestant people no more" reads the caption, which urged a vote for Sinn Fein to "make peace".
A relaxed Mr Adams posed for photographs with the local party candidate, Mr Joe O'Donnell. The next port of call was a playground.
"Gerry, Gerry, Gerry," the children shouted through the railings. One boy offered him some lemonade. A children's flute band put on a performance for the Sinn Fein president, and a folk group played republican songs on a makeshift stage. Their repertoire appeared unchanged from the days before Sinn Fein's peace strategy. "Ooh, aah, up the RA" was the chorus of one song, played before the milder Fields of Athenry.
The strongly nationalist Short Strand is surrounded by the heartland of Protestant east Belfast, with the shipyard nearby. In areas like this, Mr Adams is more a celebrity than a politician. Young mothers approached to shake his hand. Others took photographs of their children standing beside him. One girl got him to sign his autograph on her T-shirt. An RUC Land-Rover was parked 50 metres away, prompting Mr Adams to mention the need for "demilitarisation".
It was hardly a traditional canvass, as he was preaching to the converted. Mr O'Donnell has no chance of getting elected, but the party has its sight set on winning a council seat in this area, which it narrowly missed last time.
The only issue Mr Adams wanted to raise was that of the controversial "Tour of the North" Orange parade, due to take place on June 19th in the north of the city. Its traditional route takes in many strongly nationalist areas. He said he was "very, very concerned" about the parade, and regarded a meeting with the Taoiseach in Dublin on Friday as "a crisis meeting".
"I think that you have a head of steam quietly building up, both around the Tour of the North and also Drumcree. There is no effort being made to broker an accommodation." He called on Ulster Unionist leader, Mr David Trimble, to try "to sort out an arrangement to avert a crisis" at Drumcree which is in his constituency. He said it was not a matter of undermining the civil and religious liberties of the loyal orders. "Sinn Fein upholds their right to march. . . Why in heaven's name, the entire prospect for peace will hang upon the desire of men to march into neighbourhoods where they are not wanted, is beyond me. They should be talking, and Mr Trimble should lead that initiative," Mr Adams said.