Enda left red-faced as parting words go down in flames

KATHLEEN LYNCH said she was “overwhelmed and delighted” with the response to the conference on women in politics which she hosted yesterday in Dublin Castle.

How to Elect More Women was opened by Enda Kenny, glowingly introduced by Minister for Justice Alan Shatter as “our busy and extraordinarily dynamic Taoiseach”. Enda told how, when he married Fionnuala, they decided she would give up her job, “which was better remunerated than myself”.

While he worked long hours in politics “she raised the children practically on her own”. In a poignant note, the Taoiseach said he didn’t get to see his father that much when he was a child, so he makes a point of talking to his own children every day.

Distance doesn’t matter “whether you are in Alaska or Achill”. Enda was doing brilliantly, talking about “sharing the spectrum of sacrifice,” bigging up the women and hitting all the right notes.

Then it all all went a little pear-shaped.

Turning to his host, the Taoiseach began: “Let me compliment the Minister of State, Kathleen Lynch. Let me assure you this: she is fighting her corner. Believe you me, as I said to her many years ago: what they said about the flaming red hair speaks appropriately for her fight from Cork and the responsibility she has.”

That last bit doesn’t make a lot of sense, but this is because the Taoiseach had probably realised it wasn’t the smartest thing to link Kathleen’s ability to her hair. His voice trailed off and he babbled somewhat.

Introducing the Minister of State, conference facilitator Olivia O’Leary remarked: “There’s more to her than her red hair.”

And there was a big cheer from the floor – for Kathleen’s flaming red mane and Enda’s doleful red face.