Veteran Fianna Fáil figurehead Mary O'Rourke has said that she is not surprised Gay Byrne decided against running for the Presidency, as the issue was "handled wrongly" by her party.

KILDARE manager Kieran McGeeney has laughed off suggestions that Pádraig Ashe resigned as county chairman largely because the pair could not work together, joking that history books are currently being rewritten to blame him for The Famine.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Brian Cowen said today he would be ordering a review of the use of the diplomatic postbag to circulate party political material.