A quiet few days in Leinster House trundle to an end today with TDs heading back to their constituencies, but the week’s main political action will be at the RDS on Friday and Saturday as Sinn Féin meets for its latest ardfheis.
The Sinn Féin event effectively marks the end of what has been a mini-conference season over the past month, taking in Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael’s ardfheis and national conference, respectively.
Of course, it is also expected to mark the end - or the beginning of the end, at any rate - of Gerry Adams’s tenure as Sinn Féin leader, although everyone is still guessing as to what the Louth TD will actually do.
Figures in the party are bigging the ardfheis up as “historic” but will not give any further details. They all seem to be thoroughly enjoying the guessing game, and Adams himself gave little away when asked at a press conference last night, aside from saying whatever he will do will have no effect on the talks to restore the Northern Ireland executive.
Others - such as some in the Sinn Féin parliamentary party - who do not know what he will do confess they are afraid to even ask, for fear they will be seen as needlessly prying.
“I genuinely think he wants the members to hear it first from him, and from nowhere else,” a TD said yesterday of the anticipated Saturday night announcement.
Whatever happens, Adams’s successor will have to be ratified by another ardfheis.
Sinn Féin had traditionally held its annual gatherings in March but was knocked off course by various elections. A party source remarked yesterday that, logistically, it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to book one of the few large venues around Ireland capable of holding a March ardfheis at such short notice.
A booking for this time next year would be more feasible, it seems. A straw in the wind, perhaps?
Meanwhile, the party is set to widen its policy on abortion ahead of next year's referendum. After a rare pubic glimpse of tensions in the party on the issue this week, yours truly and Sarah Bardon have a piece on what is going on within Sinn Féin on abortion.
