'Fire in the belly', the cúpla focal, and roots in farming: Áras candidates have their say at the ploughing

Presidential candidate Heather Humphreys insisted she "has a lot of fire in her belly" as the residential campaign kicked up a gear at the Ploughing Championships.

All three candidates currently on the ballot for next month's election — Ms Humphreys, Fianna Fáil's Jim Gavin and independent Catherine Connolly — were in attendance at the championships, which kicked off in Screggan, Co Offaly on Tuesday.

Speaking to the media at the event, Ms Humphreys said her statement when exiting politics last year — citing energy and health concerns — was made in the context of 10 years as a cabinet minister and the months away had seen her re-energised. 

Ms Humphreys rejected a suggestion from her former Cabinet colleague Shane Ross she had lost her passion for politics.

"I had been a minister for 10 years, and I felt at that stage that I had given it everything, absolutely everything," she said. "At one stage, I was the minister for three departments. I was in charge of rural and community development, I was in charge of social protection, and I was also in charge of Department of Justice.

Presidential candidate Catherine Connolly is the only candidate who has thus far taken questions in Irish. Picture: Dan Linehan

"I decided to take a step back, because I felt that it was time for new blood and new ideas to come forward. I'd given it everything, but I've had a really, really good rest, and I have had time to clear my head and take plenty of exercise. I'm back again. I'm full of energy, and I'm looking forward to this campaign. I tell you, I have plenty of fire in my belly."

Ms Humphreys also rejected the idea an event held in Drum, Co Monaghan, was an Orange Order march, but said she last attended in 2014 or 2015.

Ms Humphreys said she would not be afraid to speak up on behalf of Irish people if elected, regardless of her previous affiliation with members of Cabinet.

"Well, if the people are good enough to elect me and put their trust in me to become president, I would speak up for them. I've never been afraid to speak up for people, and I will certainly do that, but I will also respect the Constitution, and I will work within my constitutional role as a president."

Fianna Fáil presidential candidate Jim Gavin with Dara Calleary, minister for rural and community development and the Gaeltacht, climbing an 8m-high climbing tower, at the National Ploughing Championships. Picture: Kenneth O Halloran

Earlier, Fianna Fáil's Jim Gavin said he could understand the concerns of both rural and younger people. The former Dublin Gaelic football manager's parents are originally from Clare, but he has faced criticism for a campaign video which saw him on a farm in recent days. Mr Gavin said "his roots" were in rural Ireland.

"I do have farming in my DNA. I would have, during the summer months, been on my dad's homestead farm. They are the custodians of the land."

Mr Gavin and Ms Humphreys also addressed their own levels of Irish. Ms Connolly is the only candidate who has thus far taken questions in Irish, but Mr Gavin said he was a "proud member" of the Áras Cronáin centre in his native Clondalkin and would endeavour to speak the language during the campaign. 

Ms Humphreys said she had improved her Irish during her time as the minister for the Gaeltacht, but had not used it much during her time as enterprise and latterly social protection minister.

Asked if her opponents' level of Irish was important, Ms Connolly said it had been "disappointing" the language was not part of the public discourse around the role of president. Ms Connolly re-learned Irish as an adult and said she believed it was an important asset for her.

"I've always [viewed learning Irish] in a positive manner, and the wonderful advantage and gift that the Irish language is. English and Irish are two completely different languages. I think we all make that mistake. We learn Irish as if we're learning English, and they're two different languages with a whole perspective on another world.

"It's a matter of great disappointment to me that the Irish language hasn't been part of the public discourse, and the need for candidates to have Irish and the next president of Ireland to have Irish and to have a respect for the language and recognition that it's part of our heritage and part of our culture."

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