Blooded but unbowed after a second referendum defeat, a defiant Bertie Ahern set the Fianna Fáil faithful on an election footing with a rousing speech at the party’s Ardfheis
FEATUREAppropriately young gun Billy Kelleher and Cecilia Keaveney formed part of the warm-up act for a speech that would encapsulate the Ardfheis theme - "Securing the future."
But the delegate were not much interested in what the young guns had to say Síle de Valera, MC for the evening’s proceedings, had a hard time keeping order.
Then came the first big gun. Big Brian Cowen got a big shout and the crowd’s disorder was strictly prompted by Mr Cowen’s wisecracks.
He poked fun at Michael Noonan’s appointment as Fine Gael leader after the ousting of John Bruton.
"Its like replacing the head of Enron with John Rusnak" he joked.
Lamenting that Mr Noonan had not been selected for the Winter Olympics team: "He has the ability to go down hill faster than any skier I know" he jibed.
And as far Ruairi Quinn: "Now there’s a breath of hot air" Brian bullied. The crowd loved it.
Just as the RTE live TV broadcast began, Micháel Martin came on stage to introduce the first of a series of video packages.
It may have been a cheeky way of raising the profile little known candidates but it burst the balloon of rollicking good humour Brian had floated.
TV has killed the art of conversation - the audience subdued.
Further adverts dampened enthusiasm for Mary O Rourke’s party piece - and she was on stage to introduce the Taoiseach.
The party leader entered the arena to the sound of pounding music. Surrounded by minders, Bertie marched through the delegates like a boxer on his way to the ring.
Its a wonder he didn’t have a hood over his head. But then Bertie’s haircuts don’t come cheap these days.
When he spoke he said all the usual things; "We’re great, they’re terrible and you’d want to remember that when you go to vote."
He said the party had achieved the three Ps: Prosperity Progress and Peace.
But this speech was not about what he said it was about the way he said it.
It was racy and aggressive though lacking in humour. It was a rally cry to the soldiers to seize their destiny. "Let’s finish the job" he concluded and again the music pounded.
When it comes to speeches he’s no Michael Noonan. But then when it comes to popularity the faithful don’t mind his failure to reach the FG laeder’s level. It took 10 minutes before his colleagues would let him leave the stage.