It was pouring rain in Dublin on Saturday, and Dana, Rosemary Scallon's entourage was very wet by the time it reached Moore Street. One of the stallholders quickly organised a cup of tea for the candidate, and she was presented with a bunch of flowers.
Two little boys were debating the identity of the woman at the centre of attention. One plucked up the courage to ask The Irish Times who it was. Who did he think? "The person that took over from Mary Robinson," he ventured.
A woman greeted her as if she had known her all her life. "Hello Dana. How are you. I hope it comes up trumps on the day."
Another woman remembered her visit to the street after she won the Eurovision, accompanied by her mother. This woman had since passed her shop on to her daughter. In a butcher's shop Dana signed a plastic bag for the butchers, and one of them told her he had £1 on her winning at 100-1. A group of women in a cafe were familiar with her version of the rosary which was played on the bus during their regular trips to Mount Melleray Grotto.
"She's young, isn't she," one remarked to The Irish Times. "She's real soft. I remember her in a mini-skirt. Diana and Dana, wha'?"
Then it was on to Blanchardstown Shopping Centre, where she stopped for a snack in Happy Dayz cafe. Customers begged pages of reporters' notebooks so that they could get her autograph.
Eileen McClay said: "I'm from Derry, just down for the day. I'm from Cable Street. My granny was in your house."
She was quickly in conversation with Dana's mother, 79-year-old Mrs Sheila Brown. "I tell you one thing - she's capable of anything." Mrs Brown agreed. "I used to look at the six of them and say there's something different about Dana," she confided.
Earlier, Dana was accompanied in Grafton Street and Moore Street by Sean Dublin Bay Loftus. He had a 10-page document explaining his support for Dana, which he said he was circulating widely.
The document strongly criticises the report of the Constitution Review Group, in particular recommendations to change the preamble, recognise non-marital families and strengthen children's rights.
"Dana supports none of these recommendations," it said.
It stressed her concern about the direction Irish society was going, adding: "Dana sees it as part of her role to try and point out that the political parties . . . are engaged in a process of dismembering the Constitution."
Asked for her views on Mr Loftus's document, Dana said: "I haven't read it. Should I?"
Mr Loftus admitted that she had not had an opportunity to read it, but told The Irish Times it was based on a conversation he had with her family a few weeks ago, during which he shared with them his views on the Constitution.
Dana has repeatedly stressed that she welcomes support from any individual, but is not linked to any group or organisation.