Earlier today we reported the controversy surrouding John Delaney canvassing around Waterford for Labour Minister Alan Kelly, a move that angered constituency rival Mattie McGrath.
The issue was debated by by Senators James Heffernan and John Gilroy on The Last Word with Matt Cooper on Today FM this evening, and descended into a fundamentally hilarious slagging match between the two senators.
Heffernan was once a member of the Labour party, and shared an office with Gilroy, before leaving the party having voted against water charges.
Heffernan described Delaney's canvassing as "entirely inappropriate", responding to Gilroy's assertion that Delaney's presence in Tipperary was "entirely appropriate".
Heffernan provided the opening gambit, describing Delaney canvassing for Kelly as a "stroke", and evidence of a "terrible arrogance embedded in the Labour party".
Gilroy replied by denying that much canvassing was actually happening, instead arguing that Delaney was merely fulfilling a long-standing invitation from Kelly to visit the local football clubs of the area. Gilroy complained that Heffernan was painting "a picture of entire cynicism", pointing out that Heffernan was running for election and was a former member of the Labour party.
Heffernan's subsequent reply was outstanding:
You’d want all the salt in the Atlantic Ocean to take anything John Gilroy says seriously...
In the Senate I voted against Water Charges, and called a water conservation grant a “bribe” which prompted that other bowsie on the line to pack up my personal belongings and dump me out of my office in Leinster House.
"That Bowsie" should go down as one of the finer insults in Irish political history.
The feud did not end there, with Gilroy admitting that "I helped him pack up his stuff alright, yeah".
Heffernan went out on a high. He denied that he would ever need Delaney's support in Limerick, although he did admit he received an endorsement from a close friend, and a man he describes as the "best full-back in Ireland", Richie McCarthy. He ended with this great line:
This is a case of birds of a feather flocking together, and Matt, you’ve got a right bunch of flockers there.
It is worth listening back purely to hear Matt Cooper stifling a few laughs.
You can listen here, it begins forty minutes in.
