IT'S just before lunchtime and a group of Jackie Healy-Rae canvassers are gathered at the Lobster Bar in Waterville. Hot whiskeys are consumed before the canvass begins. It's a terrible stormy day . . . occasional bursts of sunshine are competing with gravellike hail and high winds. But it's just another day for the Healy-Rae election machine.

Jackie Healy-Rae, the 'Independent Fianna Fail' TD in Kerry South, has been canvassing from early to late, seven days a week, for the last seven weeks. "Today is as tough a day you could be out and I thrive on it. I've a good jacket and take no notice of it, " says Healy-Rae. He is heading out to the hills of Aghadoe, overlooking the lakes of Killarney, with three supporters, while a team of eight canvassers are covering the hinterland of Waterville. It's picture postcard country, but it's also hardcore canvassing terrain.

Although Healy-Rae has not held the balance of power since 2002 he still meets an official in Bertie Ahern's office every Tuesday evening in Dublin when the Dail is sitting. "I tell him the nurses at the door are very strong altogether, they are not going to vote for Fianna Fail, and the gardai are very sore on this new force [the Garda Reserve] and they're very cold towards McDowell and the government. I don't know who's going to win but I know one thing, there's a lot of problems out there. People on stretchers in hospital corridors, people are furious, there is no bluffing it, " according to Healy-Rae.

Old school When he was first elected as an Independent in 1997 . . . having split with Fianna Fail . . .

Healy-Rae received huge support from firsttime voters. He still places great emphasis on the youth vote. "The young people of today, are the voters of tomorrow, " he says. A meeting was held before Christmas in the HealyRae pub in Kilgarvin, to engage young people in the 2007 election campaign. The Kerry South TD says through word of mouth over 230 'new' young people turned up. Now late election registration forms are given out.

Lots of the young people are not on the register but they are keen to vote.

Michael Healy-Rae, Jackie's youngest son, is director of elections. He runs the campaign. "You can't expect people to vote for you unless you invite them to, " says Michael.

Each of the 52,800 voters will be asked to vote for Jackie. Every townland combed. All towns and villages in Kerry South will be visited a few times. And in the days running up to the election a rally will be held. This rally is the bona fide old school of Irish politics . . . core supporters and canvassers drive from townlands to villages to towns, with music blaring and Jackie aloft on a truck at the front. In each town, they get out to meet and greet the locals. People join the rally so that by the end of the day, hundreds of people are part of the procession. Bonfires light up the side of the roads, the troops are rallied for final preelection hustings.

The rally is still weeks away. At this preelection stage of the operation, the canvassing teams are made up of Healy-Rae family members and experienced campaigners who know all the houses in the locality. The knowledge is encyclopaedic . . . the householders' names; their relationships; how many voters there are; what the Healy-Raes have done for them, or not; how they voted last time;

whether they could be relied on for a number one or maybe they'll need persuasion to vote number two or three; or maybe they don't have a chance at all.

Most doors open quickly. The vast majority of people engage in some sort of chat.

People know the Healy-Raes and even if they are not going to vote for them, they are respected for the work they do on the ground.

"So how would we be fixed?" is the regular mantra, in a slow Kerry brogue, to each householder. No matter what, a vote is sought. As he seeks to secure a third term in Dail Eireann for his father, Michael Healy-Rae tells each voter that Jackie needs each vote he can get. Only 235 votes secured victory for Jackie Healy-Rae in 2002. He received 17% of the first preference vote while Fianna Fail with 44% of the first preference vote still only took one seat. This time Fianna Fail are pulling out all the arsenal to win a second seat in this hotly contested three seat constituency.

The other sitting TDs in Kerry South, John O'Donoghue of Fianna Fail and Labour's Breda Moynihan Cronin are highly spoken of and transfer votes are wooed. "Well, sure if you're voting number one for them why not give Jackie the number two, it'd be good to keep an Independent in the area." This constituency has traditionally one of the highest turnouts in the state, over 70% of the people vote. Doorstep conversations portray this;

most constituents are enthusiastic political animals.

Healy-Rae is hopeful of a third term. His sons, Michael and Danny are both well-known poll-topping county councillors. Like their father they are straight talking. One house visited has a wedding coming up in September;

they were hoping to get assistance from the Road Improvement Scheme before that. But Michael tells them they don't have a chance of getting it done by then, "anyone who tells you it'll be done by then is making it up." He suggests they get someone locally to deliver a truckload of gravel the month before the wedding to fill in the holes on the roadway to the house. He'll even come and give them a hand laying out the gravel, if needs be. According to Michael, canvassing in Kerry South is 'no bull-shit' politics.

This will be Jackie Healy-Rae's last election.

He is 76 and looks like he has done his political time. "This is definitely my last time, Michael will be in the field after me, " Jackie says. First elected as a local Fianna Fail councillor in 1974, Healy-Rae has been an avid political activist ever since. Known for his check cap, and candid, colourful commentary, Healy-Rae gained national prominence in 1997, when he controversially split from Fianna Fail, ran successfully as an Independent in Kerry South, and was one of four Independent TDs to hold the balance of power from 1997 to 2002. Often portrayed in the national media as 'gombeen man meets amadan', a day spent with the Healy-Rae canvass machine reveals candid, hard working local representatives, highly valued by their constituents, with huge political nous.

Lover of music Having emigrated to America in the 1950s, Jackie returned home to play and win the county hurling championships in 1956 and 1958. A great lover of music, he played local dance halls and was the Kerry chairman of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann for most of the mid-1960s. He set up a small business hiring out machinery locally, now run by the sons.

Around the same time, he became formally involved in politics, actively working for Fianna Fail. His talent for campaigning and organising was noticed by senior Fianna Failers.

After overseeing the hugely successful 1966 by-election in South Kerry, Jackie travelled the country working on by-election campaigns for Fianna Fail.

In 1969, he opened a pub in Kilgarvin that became known as a singing pub and the centre point of nightlife in the area. He was Fianna Fail's chief political strategist in Kerry South but when party headquarters blocked his nomination to run as a candidate in 1997, he decided to run as an Independent. Ten years on, he's determined to keep the Independent seat in the Healy-Rae family.

Towards the end of the canvass, a funeral home is visited so that the Healy-Raes can show their respect to the older person who has died. Then it's back to the Lobster Bar, where steak and chips are had as the canvass is assessed. It's 10.30pm but the day's not over yet. There's a fundraiser for the local rowing club in Kenmare, and the three younger Healy-Raes drop in for a dance and a quick canvass. The next day they'll all be up and at it again.

JACKIE HEALY RAE IN HIS OWN WORDS

On Election 2007:

"This is a tough election. The government have a big contest this time. They have mishandled a lot of stuff. How serious is Bertie about winning this election at all?"

On the Fianna Fail/PD government:

"Mary Harney is a disaster in health. As for McDowell, the people I meet on my travels are livid about being bagged [breathalysed] on their way into work in the morning."

On the opposition:

"I don't think a great lot of Enda Kenny. If Kenny will rob it [the election] with the Greens on board, that'll finish us altogether. There'll be no more live animal exports with the Greens. We wouldn't survive that at all."

On electronic voting:

"Look at Cullen, that's a scandal what he did. When I was vice-chairman of the environment committee, we heard that these machines would not work, and that man went ahead and spent /52m on them, and more millions a year to house them. Just get rid of them."