FINE Gael presidential candidate Gay Mitchell vowed to fight back in the polls today during a day-long tour of Co Donegal.
Mr Mitchell visited Raphoe, Buncrana, Letterkenny and Donegal Town – meeting voters on the way.
And the local Fine Gael organisation laid on the red carpet with senior party officials out to meet him including TDs Dinny McGinley and Joe McHugh.
One poll had given Mr Mitchell just 9%. The latest 10%.
The Red C polls shows Michael D Higgins at 25%, up 7%. Sean Gallagher stands at 21%, up 10%.
Martin McGuinness is on 16%, while there has been a drop in support for David Norris – who is down seven at 14%.
Gay Mitchell is at 10%, down 3%, and Mary Davis is also at 10%, down three. Dana Rosemary Scallon is at 5%, a drop of one.
But Mr Mitchell insisted today that he had the support of the party leadership – and didn’t think his attacks on Martin McGuinness had affected his standing.
“The reality is our campaign only began on Monday and the party machine here in Donegal and throughout the country is just cranking up,” he said.
Deputy Joe McHugh said the polls would “shake our grassroots” and was likely to mobilise support in “every parish in the country.”
And Dinny McGinley insisted: “The entire party is behind Gay and we in Donegal are certainly right behind him. There are three weeks left and we are hitting the road to support him.”
In the Red C Poll, people were also asked who they would most like to invite to dinner. The largest group – 20% – said there was no candidate they would invite.
Of the seven candidates, 19% chose David Norris, 17% chose Sean Gallagher. Martin McGuinness or Michael D Higgins were chosen by 13% of respondents.
Gay Mitchell, at 5%, was the candidate people would least like to invite for dinner.
