Dana, Rosemary Scallon, will officially begin her campaign early next week, according to her brother and campaign manager, Mr John Brown. He said she had now been campaigning for some weeks but they did not want to commit themselves to posters, leaflets and all the paraphernalia of a full-scale campaign until they were sure her nomination was accepted. This was confirmed on Tuesday.
The campaign has taken them to Co Louth, the ploughing championships in Birr, Co Offaly, and Cos Limerick and Kerry. They will be in the midlands this weekend.
The campaign involves visiting hospices, homes for the elderly and the handicapped, maternity hospitals and workshops. Dana takes walkabouts in the major shopping centres in towns.
Her campaign is resolutely nonpolitical. While the first approaches made to her to run came from Mr T.C.G. O'Mahony, a pro-family campaigner whose main emphasis is on prayer campaigns, she has been anxious to distance herself from him. She has also kept a distance from all other "pro-family" and antiabortion parties and organisations.
"We're not accepting funds from any organisation. We're not accepting support from any organisation. We want people to come to us as individuals," said Mr Brown.
People are doing this, including members of some organisations, such as Mr Sean Buckley, in Limerick.
He is a member of the Christian Solidarity Party, whose leader, Dr Ger Casey, offered Dana advice in the early days of her campaign. However, they have not been in touch since, and, according to party sources, Mr Buckley is acting as an individual.
The problem for Dana is that by insisting she wants nothing to do with any organisation, she may be depriving herself of organisational experience, local knowledge and, ultimately, votes.
The political skills of the various groups which have campaigned against abortion and divorce over 15 years cannot be doubted. In not wanting to be seen too closely associated with them, Dana may actually be cutting herself off from the constituency they represent.
Her platform presents the same problem for potential voters. While there can be no doubt about her religious convictions, she is not stressing this background. She has a programme on Sister Angelica's Catholic television station in Alabama, and she and her husband have written and she has performed a number of religious songs which have become popular.
Instead, she emphasises the qualities of caring concern which are also claimed by the other candidates. On the hustings, she presents herself as a sincere and caring person, with particular concern for the sick, the homeless and children.
The response to her is warm, and there is no doubt that when people meet her they like her and respond to her.
Many people remember, with a certain nostalgia, Dana winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 1970, long before it had become a rather embarrassing event, and at a time when Ireland did not seem to be winning many international competitions.
However, it is not certain how this will translate into votes on October 30th.