So Enda headed out today to the Aras to fire the starting gun in the election horse race. For the next few weeks - our eyes, ears and letterboxes will be inundated with the uncomfortable grins of our hopeful (or in some cases hopeless) politicians as they vie for our electoral love.

As well as the likely faces and wily ways of the campaigns, we thought we’d take a look at some of the folks you are going to encounter in every pub, office, post office queue and taxi over the next few weeks.  

Know All Noel 

He has a firm and informed opinion on every aspect and angle. He spends most of his days lurking at his own window waiting for someone to ask him.

He reads all the papers and watches all the debates so he can scoff at the amateur level of the debate. Noel is a dose.

Angry Annie 

She hates them all … everything they've done, continue to do and plan to do in the future. She watches Vincent Browne with the sole purpose of getting outraged and will fill your Twitter timeline with fulminating eye rolling.

One Eyed Eoin 

His grandfather was Fianna Fail and his Father before him - he will go to the grave with a picture of Charlie Haughey stuffed into his breast pocket. 

He was a great man for the old people and sure didn’t he need those shirts to keep warm on the that boat?

No Vote Vinnie 

Vinnie will disguise his apathetic stance as a form of protest. They’re all the same he’ll mutter into his pint so what’s the point? Vinnie would have gone on the Water Protest march that day but Liverpool were on the telly.

Dithering Dervilla 

She’s really not a fan of the party but her local candidate seems like such a nice woman and your kids play hurling together. She simply couldn’t face her in the shop knowing she hadn’t voted for her.

Tony The Taxi 

You won’t even have had time to click your seatbelt into place before Tony will start his party political broadcast. He’ll tell you what’s wrong the current mob, what needs to change and what he’d do if he was the boss man.

You’ll nod and try and get a word in but he will ignore you. You will ask to get out 5 minutes before your desired destination.