Jim's a sporting chance now I know who he is..

Straight talking...

- LARISSA NOLAN

I DIDN'T know who Jim Gavin was until he appeared as the future president.

I'd never heard of the GAA manager who led Dublin to their historic five-in-a row All-Irelands.

Suddenly, he was Fianna Fail's star selection as presidential candidate - one of those "celebrity" parachute picks, like Bob Geldof or Michael Flatley.

I'm slightly embarrassed about this gap in my cultural knowledge, but less so when I hear it's typical enough of my demographic.

As a woman, who is not from Dublin, this isn’t unusual, polling shows.

Gavin is weak with female voters, attracting the support of twice as many men as women. Support for him lessens again once you go beyond the Pale.

I live here in the capital, but I've never been on Hill 16 shouting Up The Dubs for the Boys In Blue.

It's a factor in what's being called Jim Gavin's "woman problem" which could leave Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin with egg on his face.