There is little prospect that one of the seven-strong Coveney family will contest the seat left vacant in Cork South Central following the death of their father, Mr Hugh Coveney, the former Fine Gael Minister, who died tragically on the weekend of March 14th. According to the most senior member of the Coveney family, Patrick Coveney (27), his five brothers and sister have a different agenda to follow, and together with their mother, Pauline, are trying to work through the shocking loss of a husband and father.
Speaking at the weekend for the first time since Mr Coveney's death, Patrick disclosed that family members had come under political pressure for one of them to follow in their father's footsteps. He would not say where the pressure came from - but offered an insight into why, for now, the Coveney clan would not be offering themselves on the hustings in Cork South Central.
His father, he said, had instilled in his children that if they wished to enter public life they should do so only after having achieved something outside the political arena. His siblings Simon (25); Rory (23); twins Andrew and Tony (21); David (15), and Rebecca (19) were unlikely to yield to the pressure for one of them to run. It was too early.
"But perhaps if you were to ask me again in 10 years' time it might be different," he added.
The family are still coming to terms with the events of that March weekend when news filtered through that Mr Coveney, who had gone for a walk with the family dogs, had slipped off a cliff at Robert's Cove in Cork Harbour while trying to rescue one of the dogs. It seems the terrier had worked its way down a precipitous cliff path and was unable to get back up.
Andrew Coveney is studying for an electronic engineering degree at UCC, Rebecca is pursuing European studies and Tony is involved in hotel management in Galway. Their mother is back at UCC pursuing a degree in history, archeology and philosophy as well as Greek and Roman studies. Mrs Coveney decided to go back as a mature student after five members of the family set out on a round-the-world voyage on the family yacht, Golden Apple, some months ago in aid of the Chernobyl Children's Project in Cork. The Coveneys set sail from Cork in an attempt to raise £1 million for the project. Characteristically, Hugh Coveney had not disclosed that he had funded the trip at a cost of more than £140,000. Patrick Coveney, who works as a consultant in London, and his youngest brother, David, were the only ones in direct touch with the 250-acre farm at Minane Bridge in Cork when their father was killed. The five on board the Golden Apple were in the Galapagos Islands, off Ecuador.
Patrick Coveney said his mother telephoned him in London about the tragedy and he immediately flew back to Cork to join her. It fell to him to break the news to his brothers and sister. There was email contact between the boat and Minane Bridge, and Patrick sent a message telling his siblings to contact him. He then broke the news, and the question was how to get them home from the other side of the world. From an airstrip in the Galapagos the Coveneys flew to Ecuador and then to Miami, before going on to New York. On the journey from New York to Shannon Aer Lingus gave them first-class seats so that they could sleep on the final leg of a gruelling 36hour journey.
Patrick said his sister and brothers had decided that their father's funeral should not be delayed on their account and that all the arrangements should go ahead. Since then he has been helping his mother to organise the family's financial affairs, returning to Cork from London each weekend. The family are considering whether the round-the-world voyage should be resumed in memory of their father. A decision, Patrick says, will probably be taken before the end of May.