THERE was a gasp in Dessie Hynes's pub on Baggot St Bridge, Dublin, on Wednesday when the Minister for Trade and Tourism Enda Kenny looked at his Dail colleague, FF's Denis Foley, and said he was often seen striding along the nudist Nuns' Strand in Ballybunion. Then he added "fully clad" and the Kerry deputy was able to relax again.
Despite the attendance of Miss Ireland, Niamh Redmond, who is currently in the wars over the Miss Universe contest, the talk at the launch of the Ballybunion Festival was about the election. Bandleader Paddy Cole, who is seeking support for his walk in Argentina in aid of the Irish Heart Foundation in October, was also there alongside a group of Harley Davidson fans complete with bikes and leather.
Enda Kenny, replacing Senator David Norris who launched the Bachelor Festival last year, referred to the location as a secondary parliament to the houses of the Oireachtas - but he refused to give any hint of a date. He said he hoped everyone had a good time over the summer and a strong government.