Posters up. We’re in it now.
 
We made a big push on Tuesday night with eight teams heading out in to the field over two shifts. Brothers, friends, cousins, friends of cousins. I arrived late from a canvass and all systems were go at the poster base. It was actually quite exciting. People were coming and going with posters, ladders, cable ties, etc. T was organising teams before heading out himself and S was staying back to coordinate and prepare tea etc for the break. We had walkie talkies, but no-one could use them.
 
There wasn’t anyone to make up a ninth team, so for the first shift I stopped by each of the teams to see how they were getting on. There was a bit of banter with the other poster crews but really everyone was focused on the task at hand – securing the best (and easiest) pole positions. Each of the teams were flying and it was good to see the initial coverage. It took a while to get around and I tried to put up a poster with each team before heading off to pick up the pizzas.
 
Break over, I paired up with my brother and out we went. It was really great craic being out there with him putting up my poster. Quite surreal. And I couldn’t help thinking of the first discussions we had had about the possibility of running, now more than a year ago. Then it was just talk, a notion. Not anymore.
 
I enjoy postering. It’s one of those aspects of the campaign where you’re not facing the public, and you don’t have to think. Just mindless manual labour, which is great from time to time. My first experience, putting up posters for a public meeting, had taught me the tricks of the trade.

Lamppost-picking and poster placement is a fine art. You come to like a particular type of lamppost, long for it even. And as the night goes on you become more daring in the heights you are willing to ascend up the ladder.
 
We met a few people as we went, which was great. One passer-by, well after midnight, even held the ladder for a bit. By 2am, things had gotten considerably quieter, both in terms of traffic but also other poster crews. We moved quickly. And I was happy in the knowledge that we had fielded more teams than anyone and also that we were working later. The last team came in at 03:09. Brilliant stuff. We locked up the base and S and I went for a quick inspection.
 
When I got home, it was about 4am and I was exhausted. I couldn’t sleep though. Nervous. Excited. A lot to do and now very limited time to do it in. The campaign proper has begun. As someone said to me in the Dáil bar last night – in a month it will all be over. A scary thought, but a sad one too.