Yes there were major efforts by the candidates to elevate this debate to one that sagaciously examined big international themes.
But in the end the most intense discussion was sparked by the key fault lines in domestic politics.
Chief among them was a carbon tax and its possible arrival here soon.
A majority of the politicians gathered in the studio may have backed such a tax, but there was a clear view on display too of the trenchant opposition it would likely face.
The debate on this tax was intense and it came down to two opposing ideas.
One described the tax as another penalty on the poor,while there were warnings from others that a desire to become green and clean is impossible if solutions are ignored.
The other major domestic issue, housing, was also to the fore.
Here there were sharp arrows fired at Fine Gael, Labour and Fianna Fáil.
The former tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald repeatedly insisted the matter was being dealt with, while Fianna Fáil’s Barry Andrews said his party had tried to influence Government to improve the situation.
He then added "what little we can do we have done."
Former Labour minister Alex White suggested funding from the European Investment Bank could be used to build houses, before his party’s record on housing was then put in focus.
It all suggests that while the European Parliament may be many miles away from Dublin, it is the issues closer to home that will decide who gets to make the journey.
