Delayed by Trump, energised by TikTok: Simon Harris navigates a busy day on campaign trail
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"I got held up by President Trump," Simon Harris told the crowd awaiting his arrival in Ballybofey, Co Donegal on Monday evening.
"I never thought I'd say that again."
Towards the end of the fourth day of officially canvassing for the general election, Mr Harris took 20 minutes out of his packed schedule of handshaking and high-fiving to talk to the US president-elect for the first time since his resounding victory last week.
It didn't take the Taoiseach long to switch back into campaign mode afterwards as he was jogging around a housing estate knocking on doors just minutes after the call had ended.
The big phone call wasn't the only delay for Mr Harris, as his campaign heading up to the North meant that the PSNI had to escort the Taoiseach and his team once they crossed the border.
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Since the members of An Garda Síochána travelling with Mr Harris are armed, this meant that the PSNI had to be alerted ahead of their arrival and departure.
The gardaí never had to step in, although perhaps some people would have liked them to when Mr Harris busted out his best dance moves.
After arriving in Monaghan, Mr Harris hot-footed it to Sound Quality Gifts to meet TikTok star Helen Drummond for a spin around the floor.
Helen has amassed over 50,000 followers on TikTok and was pleasantly surprised by Mr Harris' skills, telling the crowd, "He has some rhythm."
Well, they don't call him the TikTok Taoiseach for nothing.
Also living up to the name, Helen made sure he left with a couple of gifts—a mug with his face on it and a chocolate bar with a wrapper that also has his face alongside the words, "What a sweet moment with our future Taoiseach."
That chocolate bar may not taste as sweet once Mr Harris finds out that his dance partner was tangoing with his election rival, Mary Lou McDonald, within the hour.
The McDonald dance party wasn't the only brush Mr Harris and his team had with Sinn Féin on Monday. While walking through the streets of Monaghan, his posse passed a gathering of canvassers for candidate Cathy Bennett.
There was some cheering from the Sinn Féin supporters and an invitation to join them, to which outgoing Minister Heather Humphreys responded, "I'll stick with my lad for the moment!"
Ms Humphreys was joining the Taoiseach and the Fine Gael candidates while they canvassed in Cavan and Monaghan.
She almost stole the show entirely from the leader of the country as she was met with smiles, hugs, and well-wishes for the future.
Mr Harris also took some time to pay tribute to Ms Humphreys as she steps away from politics.
"While Heather is retiring from elected office, she's certainly not retired from Fine Gael or from her friendship with me, and I look forward to being able to rely on her counsel, but I fully understand the decision she's had to make for personal reasons, and putting family and well-being first is important," he said.
Before leaving Monaghan, Mr Harris met possibly the youngest constituent of this election's canvass so far, three-month-old Síofra.
A triplet, the tiny three-month-old was ready to nod off when Mr Harris and his entourage appeared.
But the little girl, who had been born premature, mustered up the energy to keep her eyes open for a picture with the Taoiseach.
Of course, not everyone was as content as Síofra in the presence of Mr Harris, who was confronted with the big issues that have been dominating the campaign so far: Housing, cost of living, and childcare.
In Cavan's menswear shop, Boyle for Men, 27-year-old Ryan O'Donnell spoke about his frustration as a young man hoping to buy a home.
The store's assistant manager greeted Mr Harris' promises about extending the First Time Buyers' and First Homes schemes with cautious positivity but pushed the Taoiseach on the lack of supply, especially in Cavan.
His co-worker, Hayley Evesson, told Mr Harris that childcare for her 14-month-old son was costing almost her entire paycheck.
"That's how it is, unfortunately," Hayley told him.
Mr Harris told her of the plans to cap childcare costs at €200 per child per month and plans to increase the number of childcare places.
"Hopefully," Hayley responded when Mr Harris said he hoped hearing his plans would help.
But once Mr Harris had left the store, it was clear Hayley did not have much hope.
Asked if she would consider voting for Fine Gael, Hayley told the that she would not and, instead, would be voting for Sinn Féin.
It seems as though the spectre of Sinn Féin was lurking, and it seems as though Mr Harris noticed as, before he finally headed home, he warned the Fine Gael faithful in Donegal that this election is "the battle of all battles."
And so it is another day down, and Mr Harris will head into battle once again tomorrow.