Tolerance for listening to someone who holds the opposite view to your own on abortion depends, I find, on the day, the hour and the speaker, writes Alison O'Connor.

Her public persona was charming, but behind the scenes she radiated a cold determination to win, writes Fergus Finlay

“A Friday morning 10am lecture?” tweeted one waggish colleague. “Dose.”

We just knew that the best interests of the operation of the gardaí would conflate with those of Lord Ross, writes Michael Clifford.

Leo Varadkar clearly had his Weetabix yesterday. While he took to the airwaves to welcome the granting of planning permission for the new children’s hospital, Varadkar let fly at Fianna Fáil for pushing the country to the brink of another election over water charges.

Leaders finally meet as public’s patience is tested to the limit, writes Daniel McConnell

“You can just tell, almost as soon as they start talking. They’re posher,” so explains the die-hard Fianna Fáiler on how you can spot a supporter of the oul’ enemy, Fine Gael.

Former Labour leader and outgoing TD Ruairi Quinn has made an emotional plea for his party to fight on, saying they are a lonely tribe of visionaries and have beaten their political foes.

Fianna Fáil’s Micheál Martin was struggling to contain a crisis of credibility after one of the party’s most high-profile figures made an explosive exit denouncing his leadership.

Health Minister Leo Varadkar has launched a stinging attack on Sinn Féin, claiming the party, if put in government, would turn a blind eye to criminality and rule with fear in a “coalition of extremes”.

I spotted former taoiseach Bertie Ahern at the launch of the book on the late Brian Lenihan in Dublin during the week.

Fianna Fáil are struggling to transition into the 21st century. The parish pump politics — of a wink, a nod, and an envelope — they have employed since the beginning of the State is still bubbling to the surface, despite the clean-cut new faces.

THE big question facing the Labour Party is when to stop telling lies. When to come out and tell the people that we are a small capitalist economy plugged into the international capitalist economy which gives us a high standard of living but sometimes forces us to keep commitments to international agencies, such as the EU, with whom we sometimes disagree.

This was an Irish political seminar like no other — with one wannabe politician selling himself to voters as somebody "who has driven several Prius", uses Airtricity, and has worked with Amazonian tribes to help them access legal aid.

Donations from Fianna Fáil supporters have helped cut the party's debt from more than €2m two years ago to around €1.2m.

SEXISM, Ming and a bit of bling all characterised the first day of the new Dáil.

Outgoing Finance Minister Brian Lenihan pledged to rebuild the shattered Fianna Fáil party after he was forced to battle for final place in a four-seat constituency.

SO after three weeks of frenetic baby kissing, handshaking, leaders’ debates, sniping, blaming and promising, the rather under-whelming carnival that was General Election 2011 is grinding to a halt.

FIANNA FÁIL is running a different election to every other party.

FORMER education minister Michael Woods has refused to accept any blame for the controversial clerical child abuse compensation scheme he helped broker with the Catholic Church.

OUTGOING Defence Minister Tony Killeen was a bit like the stealth bomber of the Cabinet — nobody really knew he was there, but colleagues were comforted by his presence none the less.

The Donegal weather had its own tale to tell today, with predictions of a chilling snow storm that might stretch as far as Dublin.

EXTRA budget cuts above the €3 billion already signalled must come from the capital expenditure programme, the Greens warned last night.

THE bitter row over deep cuts in welfare benefits is set to re-ignite as the opposition is to force a new Dáil showdown on the issue.

DÁIL tensions sparked by deep welfare cuts exploded into foul-mouthed rage yesterday as a Government TD shouted: “Fuck you!” at an opposition deputy in the chamber.

THE affray at the bay began with a Merc, a smirk and a jerk of the hand – all three of which belonged to the extended Lenihan clan.

Anti-Nama campaigners today urged support for a mass protest claiming it could destabilise the coalition and throw the Government’s plans into chaos.

GEORGE LEE’S Dáil enthronement was a suitably lavish affair which took a lot out of all concerned.

A FAITHFUL dog never abandons its owner, and core voters display something of the same loyalty to their parties. No matter what the party does, the core voter tends to stick with it through thick and thin.

THE Greens have shown themselves to be not only ‘flaky’, but utterly naive and inept in their negotiations with the wily Fianna Fáilers and, worse than that, just as unprincipled and hypocritical as their new masters.

THIRTEEN days that gripped the nation and put every other political issue on hold and suspension. Nothing else mattered during that time. It dominated the front pages and the main bulletins.

FIANNA FÁIL’S parliamentary party bravado in the face of the aborted café society plan showed a refreshing change from the normal sheepish pursuit of the party line, sometimes against the best interests of their constituents.

FOR rugby-loving Fianna Fáilers, this wouldn’t have been the happiest weekend. Thanks to St Patrick, though, at least some of them will be out of the country in the next few days.

THERE are still 17 days to go and already North-West is turning into a roller-coaster ride.

WE have had in Ireland a government that, by any standard, was the most corrupt in modern European history.