Fianna Fáil social justice spokesperson Willie O'Dea has taken a leap of faith at Limerick’s Thomond Park in a bid for a bounce in the polls.
The Limerick City TD found himself on the roof of the famous rugby ground after accepting a challenge from Newstalk reporter Henry McKean.
The challenge saw him abseiling nearly 140 feet from the stadium summit to the ground below.
"What politicians will do to get elected" - @HenryMcKean goes abseiling with @WillieODeaLIVE, tomorrow on @PatKennyNT #GE2020 #VoiceOfTheVoter pic.twitter.com/IAmnCVKPb0
— Newstalk (@NewstalkFM) February 4, 2020
There was a nervy moment as the TD admitted he doesn’t “have a great head for heights” while staff strapped him into his safety gear; however, after a sticky moment halfway down, he made it to safety.
“It has been a great experience,” he said.
“I mean it is something that I have never done before, I am a bit nervous about heights – perhaps less nervous now than I used to be in the past.
“I must compliment the people here who organised this and their professionalism. I didn’t really feel like they were going to let me drop at any particular stage and it is an experience anyone who has a fear of heights should have.”
Willie gets strapped in to abseil off @thomondstadium @PatKennyNT @NewstalkFM 9am #GE2020 @willieodeaLIVE pic.twitter.com/ZvnuYBCcnr
— Henry McKean (@HenryMcKean) February 5, 2020
He said he "won’t be coming off a huge height" when the election count gets underway on Sunday – but insisted that he is just hoping to get one of four seats in the Limerick City constituency.
Reporting from Henry McKean.
