His visit to my dying Mam, a woman he didn't know, showcased the decency at his core

I know plenty of people who will vote for candidates other than Gavin, others who admire him greatly but cannot cross the bridge under which their antipathy to Fianna Fáil flows like a toxic river. That's how democracy works.

- ROY CURTIS ON WHAT MAKES JIM A CUT ABOVE THE REST

Jim is accustomed to dealing with the media largely on his terms. To controlling the narrative. Presidential campaigns are something close to a blood sport and maybe he will look uncomfortable when the attack dogs circle. His opponents will search relentlessly for a weakness they can exploit, one that might plant a seed of doubt in the minds of the electorate.

Politics is an unforgiving realm. Gavin, a man who never jumps into any situation without weighing all the options carefully, understood that when he entered the electoral fray.

Because this is the first time I have known a presidential candidate personally, I feel a little like one of those court artists sketching an outline of a figure a great number of people only know by reputation.

Admittedly, that reputation is stellar: As an elite athlete, a leader and strategist in high-pressure sporting situations, a senior Defence Forces officer who served in UN peacekeeping roles, a pilot, and as chair of a Citizen's Assembly, he has been a consistent high achiever.

Intelligent, meticulous, innovative, tireless, measured, organised and polished.