Micheál Martin’s leadership of Fianna Fáil is in question after the election. What’s going on?
Fianna Fáil had its worst ever presidential election after its candidate, Jim Gavin, dropped out of the race over a controversy about money he owed a former tenant. Fianna Fáil politicians and activists are angry and embarrassed that their first presidential campaign in 28 years was such an unmitigated disaster.
Why is this significant for Micheál Martin?
Fianna Fáil politicians say Gavin was very much the choice of the Taoiseach and his deputy leader, Jack Chambers, the Minister for Public Expenditure. TDs felt they came under pressure to row in behind the former Dublin GAA manager. Many of them didn’t know Gavin and felt he was untested as a political candidate, even though he had a strong reputation in the GAA and the Defence Forces. Their worst fears were realised when his campaign fell apart, raising questions about the way Martin chose Gavin and took his nomination forward.
So what’s going on now?
In the aftermath of the presidential election, some TDs are questioning in public and in private whether Martin should continue as Fianna Fáil leader. Some of the Taoiseach’s colleagues think he’s too much of a “top-down” leader, and that he doesn’t listen to them. Martin has rejected this, saying such descriptions are “repugnant” to him as a person. “It’s just not my style.”
In a big radio interview on Thursday, Martin defended himself and denied he had put “extensive pressure” on TDs to back Gavin.
RM Block
So is he going to stay or is he going to go?
The short answer is that we don’t really know yet. While there are definitely a lot of angry people in the party, they can’t try to remove Martin unless they have someone to replace him. The most likely successor right now would be Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan. He is interested in being a future leader but might not be ready yet. Fianna Fáil is also carrying out a review of its failed presidential campaign, and some people would like to see the results of that before deciding on their next move.
What else do I need to know?
For Martin and his party, 2026 will be a big year. Some people also want the Taoiseach to stay on for the 100th anniversary of the founding of Fianna Fáil in May, and Ireland’s presidency of the EU from July until December. So even if TDs want him to move on eventually, he could stay on as leader until 2027. Martin is famously a political survivor, and may well survive the current turmoil too. But this has damaged him.
Catherine Connolly wins the presidency on a disastrous day for Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil
Votes are still being counted but it is already clear that Catherine Connolly has won the presidency by a huge margin. Connolly's victory will be confirmed at Dublin Castle this afternoon. Hugh, Jack Horgan-Jones and Ellen Coyne are there and sat down to discuss the emerging results and what they mean. How did Catherine Connolly get her campaign so right and Fine Gael theirs so wrong? What does the unprecedented level of spoiled votes really signify? And how will the government parties interpret and respond to this loss?
