When you talk to people who are out canvassing around the country – and when you promise them that you won’t identify their party, encouraging honesty – a coherent picture begins to emerge: The better off the area, the easier it is to knock on doors and ask for votes for a Government party. In the last week I’ve heard reports from Clontarf in Dublin; Castletroy in Limerick; and rural Tipperary, where I live myself. In all three cases, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael canvassers were not only happy with the reception they were receiving, but pleasantly surprised.
The picture changes dramatically as you go down the income scale: the poorer the estate, the greater the fury. “Incandescent” was a word used to me this week to describe the mood in a particular council estate in Ennis, County Clare.
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