Geoghegan campaign is hoping to get ardfheis boost
FINE GAEL are planning to use the party’s virtual ard fheis next week to relaunch James Geoghegan’s stuttering campaign in Dublin Bay South.
Sources have indicated that party leader Leo Varadkar will call the by-election writ on Tuesday, nicely in time before next weekend when RTÉ will host coverage of Fine Gael’s annual conference.
The campaign is also expected to be conducted over a short time.
One senior party source told the Irish Mail on Sunday: ‘It is going to be a bit of a hit-andrun, in and out in three and a half weeks before the voters get a good look at him.
‘It will be a little like Bertie [Ahern] politics. A quick flit to the people and back in the gate quick as possible before anyone gets too close a look at the candidate.’
The arrangements for the first coronavirus-era ard fheis will be different to the norm. There will be a live prime time leader’s address at 8.30pm with crowds and party members leaping to the stage.
RTÉ confirmed it would be broadcast next Saturday on RTÉ One and the RTÉ News channel at 5pm.
The leader’s speech will also be streamed on the
State broadcaster’s social media platforms. There will also be no live TV coverage of conference proceedings between 11am and 1pm on Saturdays.
However, Fine Gael will be amply compensated with a party-political broadcast, lasting five minutes at most, leading into the 9pm News on RTÉ One.
This broadcast may include pre-recorded key points from the leaders’ address and other content broadly reflective of the conference themes.
One source said: ‘You can expect a lot of soulful looks by Simon [Harris] and Leo over Dublin Bay with James [Geoghegan] in the background, looking soulful too – the voice of generation rent.’
Fine Gael will also have a party spokesperson on the popular Saturday With Katie Hannon radio programme.
Then there will be a leader’s interview on The Week In Politics and RTÉ Radio 1’s This Week programme next Sunday.
One source said: ‘It will be a bit of a media blitz thanks to RTÉ. The others, Virgin, Newstalk and Today FM will
have to follow on. We will blow the others out of the media water over the first weekend of the campaign.’
But one less-confident source noted: ‘The campaign needs a reboot for sure. He [Geoghegan] needs some form of a transfusion. It hasn’t exactly got off to the best of starts. We are in
Saving Private James Geoghegan mode. The second time’s a charm, hopefully.’
The source added: ‘On the plus side, Dublin Bay South will be an air war rather than a ground battle and we will rule the airwaves for an entire weekend, and that’s not including the five lead-up days of virtual conference.’
They went on, somewhat more dolefully: ‘It will be the longest, most sober ard fheis in the history of Fine Gael.’