Monday Feb 1 If you had asked me three weeks ago where I thought I’d be spending the Monday of the first week of the campaign, I’d have probably said: Thomondgate, Moyross or Ballinacurra. It did not involve travelling to a front-bench meeting in Dublin.

I hope my track record as a hard worker for the people speaks for itself. It has been my pleasure and honour to represent you in Dáil Éireann and I ask you to give me the opportunity to continue to serve you and all the

Within hours of becoming leader of Fianna Fáil Micheál Martin had silenced his critics. In what most political commentators agree was a strong and inspirational first speech Micheál Martin dismissed the cronyism culture and charted his vision for the future for the country and for

This week’s column had been intended as a plea to those who had voted confidence in Brian Cowen’s leadership to think again. His Saturday afternoon statement changed all that.   Brian’s decision to relinquish the leadership of Fianna Fáil was not an easy decision for

There has been a steadily growing debate among many in the political commentariat about the role of TDs. I say debate, in reality it has mainly been an exercise in bashing TDs for their constituency work, claiming that this has been at the cost of

The few days rest around New Year affords us all the opportunity to pause and consider what 2011 may have in store for us, both as individuals and as a nation. In an interview published recently in the Irish Times, the man who would be