Meet the new boss, same as the old boss… and while we’re talking about the Boss.

Enda Kenny interview..in today’s Mail. Given that it’s culled from three years of interviews with Jason O’Toole it doesn’t necessarily add any new insights, but that’s not to say it’s without interest.

Take this for example:

It was also his father who played a major role in moulding his political ideology. ‘I think he did leave two legacies to me politically – one was that you work hard and the second was that you stand by your word. They are very fundamental building blocks in the type of person that you become. You word is your bond here. I was born in Casletbar. ‘He was a man who really had a great understanding of human nature. I think people in his years in the Dáil made an agreement and stood by it. A gentleman’s agreement and that’s the way they got on. Politics today is, of course, very different in the way things communicated, then and now, and all the facilities and all of that. ‘If you were to ask me a straight question, I would say it was his sense of equality for people, whoever you were, you were going to get the same sense of fairness from him. ‘In that sense it was a lesson in politics to treat everybody the same. And it’s a sense of fairness on behalf of all the people.

But is that a political ideology?

Then there’s the point that’s forgotten about his previous political positions… what was it again…

All our three children were born when I was Minister for Tourism and Trade and you were away a lot.

Ah…

And then there’s his musical taste…

‘I was a big fan of Elvis. Rock ‘n’ roll stuff. I really go through a whole range – some songs make an impression on me, whether it be Waltzing Matilda, or country and western is always good. But The Boss is my man.’ I initially thought that Enda was trying to get ‘down with the kids’ by declaring his fondness for The Boss. And even though I was sceptical about him being a diehard Springsteen aficionado, he soon proved me wrong by answering all my trick trivia music questions. What’s his favourite album or song? ‘It depends on your mood. I mean, Born In The USA was a brilliant album. I just love the rawness of that. Born In The USA or Come On Up For The Rising just gets me in here,’ he said, pointing to his heart. Apparently, Come On Up For The Rising was even his ringtone on his phone. ‘I think he is absolutely brilliant. I think I might invite him to the next Ard Fheis! I like The Seeger Sessions, Devils And Dust, but I think the one for me is The Seeger Sessions. I was down in The Point to see The Seeger Sessions – he blew the roof off. Eighten musicians, it was absolutely brilliant. When all the musicians came on the stage, one after the other, it was like New Orleans gone wild.’

And his love for this is based on?

‘his social comment is so strong. There is absolutely no messing here, this is real talk from a real player.’

Well, let’s hope some of that finds its way into more… concrete… aspects of the polity.