What a day. A day, after which, I realise that I am the luckiest candidate for Fine Gael in the country and, possibly, in the history of the party. The morning was good enough. I met up with a number of people who are offering to help out with my campaign. This took up most of the morning. After this I headed out to Botanic Avenue to meet up with Richard Bruton and John Gannon (constituency organiser).
I dropped into Fagans before we started. I was leaving by the side car and noticed something in my side vision. Unfortunately that something was a car mounting the pavement and path. It collided with me and knocked me down. I felt my foot go under the tire. I was on my back, thinking that the campaign was finished. Couldn’t move and then saw John and Richard appear above me. Richard was beginning to go grey, thinking that he was only director of elections for a week and he loses a candidate.
I am the luckiest man ever. My shoe took all of the blow. Even though my foot took a bruising, nothing was broken. I got everything checked out by a docter who confirmed that everything, while tender, was ok. After this the press office called me to say that Vincent Brown was doing a piece on the Central bye election. What’s easier? Getting hit by a car or Vincent? Of course, I had to do it.
After all of this I then went out to Ballymount to do the show. It is all live so that show doesn’t start until 11. I think (or I hope) that I got a draw in it. Wasn’t amazing or aweful. Somewhere in between. In my short experience in politics I have learnt that my victories are never as big as I think they are and defeats never as severe. Got home at one in the morning to see posters up everywhere from the Fine Gael local election candidates.
Despite everything, this sent me to bed with a smile on my face.