It was the week that An Taoiseach Enda Kenny said YES – to a live interview on TV3, and on the same station informed the nation that NO, he can’t cook. Mr Kenny also said YES to another interview with Pat Kenny on Newstalk, and NO he would not be making a run for the Aras. And on the Marriage Equality referendum, Daniel O’Donnell said YES, but David Quinn is still saying NO.

Enda Kenny shocked the political lobby when it emerged he was going to sit on the Ireland AM couch and answer questions. He’s had a NO NO NO attitude towards TV3 – refusing to take part in debates or requests for live interviews. But realistically this was not going to be able to last – he needs to take part in such media in the run up to and during the general election if he wants to remain as Taoiseach. So it was YES YES YES on Wednesday when he talked about the referendums on marriage and presidential age.

But he talked about lots of other issues too – his favourite topic – jobs (yes he’s creating lots of them), maternity services (no they aren’t good enough), the public sector pay talks (yes he wants to give something back, but no there isn’t a blank cheque). Interestingly when asked about Irish Water he said yes it had to be done but asked if in hindsight he would have put Phil Hogan in charge? – no he didn’t answer that.

All seemed to go well, if at first Enda was a little nervous in this environment. And then after an ad break the programme comes back with its cookery slot – and there is Enda Kenny standing in the kitchen. An instruction on baking scones – please let the Taoiseach make some scones I thought, yes that would be great, but alas no he didn’t. He did tell us though that no he can’t cook, but yes he can boil an egg and “incinerate sausages”.

The Taoiseach. Making scones. Ireland AM. Now. pic.twitter.com/rMq9L2Zm7o

— Richard Chambers (@newschambers) May 13, 2015

Actually no it wasn’t that bad an appearance at all even if the Taoiseach didn’t mix up any scones, and yes he did say “bottoms up” when describing how the scones should be after being taken out of the oven.

Thursday saw the Taoiseach say YES to another interview on Newstalk’s Pat Kenny programme. This is actually his fourth appearance on the show in eight months and he told us NO he would not be running for President after he leaves office as Taoiseach.

Later in the day on the campaign trail in Kilkenny he told Lise Hand of the Irish Independent:

"I've given 40 years to politics and there are some things I want to do when I leave. So I want to win the next election, serve a full term and then say 'the country's now in good shape', and hand it onto the next generation," he said.

"For me, Áras an Uachtaráin is a place to visit, but not to stay."

So yes he wants another term as Taoiseach, but no he doesn’t fancy leaving Mayo for a term or two in the Phoenix Park.

This week saw increased campaigning by the YES and NO sides in the marriage equality referendum. The plinth outside the Dáil was a spectacle on Wednesday evening. Out trots Senator Ronan Mullen, flanked by Mattie McGrath, Fidelma Healy Eames and Michael Healy Rae (all campaigning for NO) to declare there was a gamechanger in the campaign. They raised concerns about funding from the philanthropist ‘Chuck’ Feeney, claiming that $17m he has given to the child and family agency TUSLA (the chair of this state agency is a declared YES supporter) and NGO’s like Amnesty International, ‘Marriage Equality’ which they claimed was “a web of money” in an attempt to buy the referendum result.

Lots of controversy about the wearing of YES badges and pins within Leinster House (Not sure if anyone was asked to remove a NO badge or pin, or that there was even anyone wearing one). It’s basically against the rules, but no sanction is going to be taken against anyone. The Ushers (who are in charge of security) were ordered to ask TDs and Senators to remove them – mostly the answer was NO. But even on Friday staff working on the premises were being asked to remove the badges.

On RTE on Friday Daniel O’Donnell lent his support to the YES campaign.

Irish singer Daniel O'Donnell calls for a YES vote on Friday, May 22nd. #MarRef pic.twitter.com/koWVeYPhf3

— YesEquality2015 (@YesEquality2015) May 15, 2015

But a legal requirement meant the broadcaster had to invite on someone to counteract this – so David Quinn of the IONA institute was given three minutes to make his NO case.

And Finally, 

Oh, just a normal day in Dublin. We must be going to war. pic.twitter.com/U5WhxR8CWi

— Sue Murphy (@IllSueYa) May 15, 2015

Spotted in Dublin on Friday afternoon. Are we going to war? Is Minister Simon Coveney launching a coup? YES/NO