BERTIE and Mary. Mary and Bertie. What a coincidence that they both should find themselves in Cork on the same day, offering glistening olive branches and promises of what might yet be.
Early yesterday, Ms Harney, the leader of the Progressive Democrats, arrived at the Cork University Hospital to view its state of the art system of medical waste disposal, involving no controversial incineration, but instead, a "cooking" process which leaves the waste sterile and fit for dumping in Cork's main landfill site.
"I just knew you wouldn't be interested in waste disposal," the party leader said, adding that there had been too much "silly season" talk about the shape of the next government.
Where would her natural leanings be. Would it be Fianna Fail, given her past, or Fine Gael, given her party's common approach to the law and order issue? "I don't see much difference between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. Ideologically, they are the same, and as for past friendships, etcetera, what matters in the formation of the next government is not numbers it's not the Lotto - but policies and ideas," Ms Harney said.
Confident that the PDs would form part of the next administration, Ms Harney said the likelihood was that the Labour Party would be booted out of office when the election came, but even if it wasn't, she had already ruled out any participation in a government involving that party and Democratic Left.
While Fine Gael would be a suitable partner, once it had cleansed itself after the contamination by association with its coalition partners who had dulled the traditional commitment to law and order, the most likely outcome was a PD/Fianna Fail arrangement.
And if the PDs couldn't make it into government, then they would continue to be a vibrant opposition.
Bertie was up next with his cabinet in waiting. His preference, he said, was for a Fianna Fail/PD coalition. He assembled his forces, potential ministers all, in one of the most deprived areas of Cork's northside.
But there had been a slight wobble. Earlier, coming out of the office of the Lord Mayor of Cork, Alderman Mr Jim Corr, Mr Ahern was waylaid by a reporter from the Evening Echo who asked him three questions.
Could he name three streets in Knocknaheeney; could he put a figure on the jobless in the northside; did he know how many kids in the area made it to university.
The Echo said that Bertie said "no" to all three.
Bertie said the interview lasted seconds and that these were asides during a conversation he believed was about third level education. The upshot was a banner headline which proclaimed - "Bertie's Blunder".
He explained afterwards: "A young man asked me some questions. If that is the standard of journalistic integrity, I wish him well."
He pointed out that he had been involved in the past in the compilation of a detailed report on unemployment, as well as other issues, in the northside of Cork.
While Mary Harney eschewed cosy arrangements, the two leaders might as well have had a joint news conference because, if their instincts are correct, they will be spending a lot of time together at the top table in the future.