THE first televised debate between the three presidential candidates can, at best, be described as a damp squib which went off with more of a fizzle than a bang.

Despite the hype the three runners in the race for the Áras played it safe, indicating that the shortest and most uninspiring ballot paper for decades will follow an equally lacklustre campaign.

As a former Fine Gael minister with an impressive decade-long CV of Cabinet portfolios under her belt, Heather Humphries is considered the heavy-hitter of the field.

But this could also prove to be her downfall as she bats away justifiable questions about the government’s abject failures in handling key issues such as housing, health and direct provision.

She has been part of that very government which, some might say, turned a blind eye and left housing to market forces as levels of homelessness, emergency accommodation, house prices and rents spiralled out of control.

Hers was the government that promised no child would wait more than eight weeks for scoliosis surgery then stood back amid a staff crisis and left anguished parents to post heart-breaking videos of their children’s suffering on social media – their last desperate plea to a stone deaf establishment to help them in their hour of need.

So Heather Humphries is obliged to defend the government’s less than pass-worthy record on these issues. Not an ideal platform to win over the electorate on.

Nonetheless, she is an experienced, competent and articulate politician who will no doubt garner the support of the party faithful and a few others besides.

Jim Gavin is in many ways the unknown quantity. A former Defence Forces pilot now working in the aviation industry, his biggest claim to fame is managing the Dubs through their most recent GAA glory days.

His support may wane in Cork though. After all he was Micheál Martin’s choice – and a strange one at that - over a solid Cork man, MEP Billy Kelleher, and the party vote ran much tighter than the Taoiseach might have liked.

Kelleher was graceful in defeat but one can’t help but think that there might be a rift in the Fianna Fáil camp, which could have ramifications come voting day.

And then there’s the enduring disappointment that we have never had a Cork president.

Hard to credit when you look at the county’s population and strong political pedigree.

Now Galway native Catherine Connolly is the intriguing one.

Sinn Fein’s backing can only have helped her campaign as she now has support from all left-aligned parties.

A keen gaelgóir, she also has the legal background that serves so well in the office of president.

But back to the debate. Moderator Kieran Cuddihy’s opening gambit was about Gaza, which seems pointless when the president has no influence there. All three condemned what is happening and called for it to stop.

Soundbite number one.

Then there was housing is a human right (Connolly), or a candidate promising to be a ‘voice for all’ (Gavin). Soundbites numbers two and three.

In the same jaded and clichéd, if a tad dated, vein, Connolly stressed she was speaking ‘as a mother, as a TD, and as a candidate’.

Suffice to say that no necks, reputations or egos were harmed in the making of this Virgin Media broadcast.

Timid to say the least.

The candidates will clash at least twice more on the airwaves before polling day on October 24th. I’m glazing over already.