Fianna Fáil TD Barry Cowen has robustly defended his brother former taoiseach Brian’s participation in party canvassing ahead of the local and European elections.

Brian Cowen joined MEP Pat ‘The Cope’ Gallagher on the hustings in Tullamore, Co Offaly last weekend. The TD said his older brother shared attributes with well-known sportsmen from the county.

“Brian Cowen is like myself and other people from Offaly, whether it’s Séamus Darby or Johnny Flaherty or any other famous people we have, they’re loyal and their faithful and they’ll remain so,” he said.

Barry Cowen rejected accusations that the presence of members of the party’s the so-called “old guard” on the canvass was damaging for Fianna Fáil as it tried to regain the support of voters.

“On the old guard, Brian Cowen for example is 54 years of age. He’s a lot younger than 90 per cent of the Cabinet.”

He said his brother was a long-standing friend and colleague of Gallagher.

“He was asked by that gentleman for a half hour or an hour out of a 10-week campaign to help and assist, which he gratefully did, which he would for any member of the party or any candidate, which he has done and continues to do for our candidates locally that are fighting local elections.

“There’s no problem with that at all.”