Nally is back on familiar territory in Wexford

Whether to swing right through fruit and veg or to hang a left by bathroom toiletries - these are the real decisions facing a presidential candidate. Mr Derek Nally and his entourage opt for the fruit stalls in the Petitt's superstore in Gorey, Co Wexford. There are more shoppers there and who wants to be photographed in front of a rack of nappies anyway?

This is home turf; many of the shoppers already sport blue "Nally for President" badges and are on first-name terms with the candidate. With his dark blue overcoat and heavy mane of grey hair, Mr Nally still looks the senior garda he once was in these parts. He has old-style manners, constantly stopping to hold open a door and referring to women as "ladies". Phrases that are dying out, like "God have mercy on us", trip lightly from his tongue.

Up at the local Garda station, there's a warm welcome for "one of our own". A poster on the wall advertises a golf classic to raise funds for him in Enniscorthy later this month. Supt Pat Flynn tells him: "You're coming across not too bad."

Mr Nally succumbs to the offer of a cup of tea and we pass by the cells, which have one occupant. "He's from Dublin," a garda tells me by way of explanation.

Gorey Community School has 1,500 pupils and over 100 teachers. Mr Nally addresses a class of post-Leaving Cert students and a first-year group doing a project on the Presidency.

He explains the job of the President and the nomination process. It was unfair, he tells the students, that Ms Avril Doyle couldn't stand although she got more than 30 votes within the Fine Gael party. This was because Fine Gael wanted only one candidate.

But he says: "Personally, I'd prefer not to be running against Avril Doyle as we'd both be chasing the same votes here in Wexford."

Mr Nally says he didn't value school when he was in it. He also felt the blow of the leather strap. "But it wasn't all bad. It made me a bit macho."

There is a lot of talk about the need for discipline, he continues, but he is more interested in standards. "What is needed in this country are proper, decent standards. Sadly, we haven't been getting these up to now."

He says the most vicious problem facing society involves attacks on the elderly. It is sad that so many old people cannot sleep at night for fear of being attacked.

He describes drug dealers and drug peddlers as "eventual murderers down the line". But drugaddicts are different. "They are unable to control their actions."

Asked how he feels to be up against four women, he says it's an "uphill struggle". On the Late Late Show debate, he might "back away a little and let the ladies have their own debate".

Over the past seven years, he adds, "we've heard a lot about mna na hEireann. You'd think there weren't any fir na hEireann".

And sympathising with Adi Roche after allegations were made by her former staff, he promises to "take on" anyone who prints allegations about him.

And the role of the President? "Rather than doing, its what the President is, the standards he sets, that matter," he says.