Urban v Rural myth

Much has been made of the so-called rural/urban divide within the Fine Gael party but we say – what a load of rubbish.

The so-called cappuccino-drinking brigade who launched the challenge to Enda Kenny’s leadership are no more the intellegentia of the party than Jackie Healy-Rae is Ireland’s next top model.

Denis Naughten is from Roscommon, Fergus O’Dowd from Louth, Simon Coveney from Cork, Olwyn Enright from Laois/Offaly, Billy Timmins from Wicklow, Michael Creed from North Cork and even Richard Bruton is a Meath man.

True – Fine Gael would want to be concentrating on Dublin in order to put on a few seats next time out but the failed coup had nothing to do with Dublin versus the rest of Ireland.

Even looking at the professional and political experience of both sides – neither is better than the other. Both have a raft of teachers, a handful of doctors and even the odd lawyer or two.

So let’s bury the theory that the so-called ‘country and western set’ won the day last week. Kenny and his supporters won the day and maybe taught a few itchy members of the party a lesson or two.