'Showtime!' - General Election enters final frontier

This is it: the final frontier of the General Election 2024 campaign.

Across the country, hundreds of tired and overwrought candidates have just six days, including today, to make their efforts count.

Don't be surprised if they have Eminem's Lose Yourself blaring on repeat in their cars, as they criss-cross their constituency in their hunt for votes.

The moment

You own it

You better never let it go

You only get one shot

Do not miss your chance to blow

This opportunity comes once in a lifetime, yo

For some, their whole electoral campaign will always have been a quixotic adventure.

But for those who believe they might just be able to win the final seat in one of our 43 constituencies, this is the agonising period as the clock ticks down on their ambitions.

Part of it is niggling fear that their main adversary might be doing more work than they are: knocking on more doors and saying the right things.

While each constituency is an individual battle, there are a number of national landmarks to watch out for.

On Sunday, the Sunday Independent is due to publish its latest opinion poll.

The Irish Times publishes a poll on Monday.

The Business Post publishes its survey on Wednesday.

As is often repeated, a single survey is just a snapshot in time but polls can reveal trends when examined over the course of a year.

And trends are what political parties are very interested in right now.

If they're winning: keep the strategy in place. If the tide is going out: they need to change course rapidly.

The other big moment will come when RTÉ's Prime Time hosts its leaders debate next Tuesday.

It will feature the three people who could become Taoiseach: Simon Harris, Micheál Martin and Mary Lou McDonald.

Live television always has the capacity to start a firestorm.

The fact that this debate will take place just three days before polling makes it even more important.

Out the constituencies, the aspiring politicians and their teams will continue standing at bus and train stations each morning to catch the commuters.

Then they'll fan-out and call on homes in the hope of catching more first preference votes.

This is the last week of the campaign, and it's unclear where the national mood lies.

It's the politician's last chance to shine, even if they are completely wrecked.

As PJ Mara quipped, the strategist who led Fianna Fáil to three electoral victories in a row: "Okay folks, it's showtime!"