Property developer Mick Wallace announced his candidacy on Tonight with Vincent Browne On Friday, February 5.
Introduced by the host as “the only left wing property developer in the world outside of North Korea”, Wallace surprised Browne and fellow guests – including Nora Owen, Terry Prone and the Irish Daily Mail‘s Political Correspondent Senan Moloney – by declaring himself for the Wexford constituency.
Nora Owen [to Wallace]: “You’d make a great independent candidate…”
Browne: “Were you thinking of running?”
Mick Wallace: “Uh, believe it or not I’ve decided to run.”
Nora Owen: “Is this an announcement tonight?”
Mick Wallace: “I’ve been mulling over it for a few months, so. I know it’s a bit late in the day but em, it’s a bit late anyway, even if I went a month ago, because the five sitting TDs – two Fine Gael, two Fianna Fáil and Brendan Howlin from Labour – would be odd-on to get back in, and sure they’ve been canvassing since the day they were elected, so…”
Nora Owen [shakes his hand]: “Well, may I wish you good luck. I think it’s a brave thing to do.”
Terry Prone: “It’s a nutty thing to do.”
Mick Wallace: “I know that but I’ve been doing crazy things all my life so this won’t be anything much different.”
Later he is warned that a deposit of €500 will be required
Wallace [to Browne]: “Could I have a loan of that €500 off you?”
(Terry Prone then advised Mick to keep wearing his pink polo shirt during the campaign)
And this was the scene this afternoon as Pat Kenny interviewed Mick Wallace on RTE after he topped the poll in Wexford.
How did he do that?
