Youth theme brings cagey optimism to the FG camp

Campaign Trail: For a new lad to national politics and to the northernmost part of North Kildare, Darren "I'm a young father/young councillor/young whatever you're having yourself" Scully is doing well with the women.

"No offence," says a grandmother on a Leixlip doorstep, eyeing up a few of us more mature types in his entourage, "but it's nice to see all the young people out with him." No offence taken, missus. Hope the council leaves your rubbish there till Christmas.

The young, well, 31-year-old, Fine Gael candidate beams, of course. All is going swimmingly until he engages a woman of uncertain age in another discussion about bin charges (it's a hot topic in Leixlip) and how to minimise them. "You're a pensioner," he begins helpfully. "I am NOT," she snorts incredulously, "I certainly am NOT." Not a mistake he'll make twice.

"I'm only after dumpin' a lot of your yokes in the bin," says another cheerfully as she opens the door. Young Darren smiles gamely and assures her solemnly that all his literature is printed on recycled paper.

Meanwhile, his elder, mentor and FG spokesman on communications and natural resources, Bernard Durkan, belies his mature, um, aura by setting the pace, skipping from house to house, whistling La Donna e Mobile and advising all media sceptics to "beware the Ides of March". Only pedants would point out that March 11th (election day), strictly speaking, is not the ides. Close, though. "I call it D-Day," adds Darren helpfully. "That's D for Daffodil Day, Dáil Day and Darren Day."

Oh, the footballer? ventures The Irish Times obtusely. No. The pop guy, says someone. No. It's Darren Day, as in Darren Scully Day, stupid.

They claim to know of no private polls but quote the latest betting, which appears to put him ahead of "the Fianna Fáil candidate", who we happen to know is Áine Brady. "Sure, didn't Charlie McCreevy himself say that Fianna Fáil wouldn't win the seat?" they chorus. Darren, who started out at an obscure 12/1, is now at a respectable 9/4.

There is a cagey optimism in the FG camp. Darren has been pounding the doorsteps since Christmas. A pedometer strapped to his waistband on January 1st had clocked 411 miles before it blew a gasket. The blanket poster campaign is achieving its objective. Having failed to win a county council seat last year in his Naas fastness, it was always going to be an uphill struggle for recognition further north against the likes of Catherine Murphy, the hotly tipped independent county councillor from Leixlip, and the PDs' Senator Kate Walsh in Celbridge. But with Durkan and popular Leixlip town councillor, Teresa Byrne, as his guides, the welcome is warm.

Most people have something that ails them and Darren, naturally, is happy to listen. Affordable housing for young people ("I'm a young family man and I've been through that"); health ("35 people on trolleys in Naas A&E last week"); childcare ("I'm a young father paying nearly a second mortgage in childcare").

He regularly refers to himself in the third person : "It's a bit rich of a Government representative like Áine Brady to come out and say they're in favour of better schools here and better health services. They've had eight years to make it better and that's why Darren Scully is in politics."

People are happy to stand on the chilly doorsteps and listen to him; he sounds sufficiently energetic and exasperated with the current crop of politicians to please the waverers.

He also has a ready-made constituency in the Garda; his wife, Deirdre, is a sergeant in the Phoenix Park, working in IT. "Don't get me started on Pulse", he says, bringing the discussion neatly round to the Civil Service. North Kildare of course, has a fair quotient of civil servants.

Darren confidently expects two seats out of four for FG when North Kildare becomes a four seater. "We're a quiet people," comments Durkan with mock solemnity, "quiet and unassuming". No infighting at all, Darren. "You remember RTÉ had a programme called Fine Gael : Family at War? Well, now it's 'FG: Family in Love'. That's how well it's going". Of course.