Campaign strategies: The inside story of how the election was fought

This chapter assesses the approaches of the parties going into the election campaign and as it developed. The parties prepared against a background of general public dissatisfaction and uncertainty. It examines the strategies adopted by both larger and smaller parties. The campaign soon showed Fine Gael doing badly and Sinn Féin, pushing a strong message of 'change', doing unexpectedly well. As the tide seemed to be running against the two major parties, the leaders' debates, with the final one including Sinn Féin as well as Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, saw the latter parties firmly ruling out coalition with Sinn Féin, and Fianna Fáil also ruling out Fine Gael.