In the grey, glum village square of the town of Kildare (pop. 2,617), a big red sound truck stood waiting last week, its horns pointed directly at the church. "It's the only way to get a crowd to listen to a speech these days," explained the politician in charge. "Catch them coming home from Mass." Finally the church bell rang, and a small crowd—oldsters and children mostly, the young adults having sped by on their bicycles—gathered to hear the candidate for the grand, if ornamental, job of President of the Republic of Ireland. Portly General Sean MacEoin, 65, the...
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