No, nay, never .... but I’ll get back to you in 18 months’ time

No. Nay. Never. And ‘hmm, well, listen I’ll get back to you on that’ — probably in about a year to 18 months’ time.

For someone who doesn’t like making definitive coalition predictions, Micheál Martin seemed all too happy to play along during his party’s annual Ard Fheis at the weekend.

Speaking to reporters at the RDS in Dublin, the Fianna Fáil leader was steadfast in his views on a full coalition with Fine Gael, a similar pact with his own personal devil Sinn Féin, and any confidence and supply deal with Gerry Adams’ party.