A safe enough gambit is that Enda Kenny’s ego is telling him he is the only man for the job, writes Alison O’Connor.

It seems Donohoe is favoured by the Taoiseach and Finance Minister Michael Noonan to take over as leader of Fine Gael, writes Daniel McConnell

There appears to be a certain overall illogicality at play here that simply defies explanation, writes Alison O’Connor

“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.

LEO Varadkar is thinking about a same-sex marriage with Fianna Fáil — trouble is, they are just not that into him.

Enda Kenny took to the stage at his party’s ard fheis at the weekend and admitted his government had not got it right on every issue but was making progress. We can expect similar comments to be used by his election candidates in the coming weeks. Mistakes might have been made but Fine Gael now has a string of successes to list off to disillusioned voters.

HE’S really pleasant, but wouldn’t be an intellectual heavyweight like Garret.

So, now we have the Government’s response to the Savita Halappanavar scandal: more dither, more delay — resulting in the risk of more dead women.

As the Dáil returns for another dramatic year, Political Correspondent Shaun Connolly assesses what lies ahead for the parties

MINISTERS of State and the state of some ministers was the talk of Leinster House yesterday as the junior rung of government was announced.

THE unexpected retirement of two of Cork North Central’s political heavyweights has added a frisson of sorts to the campaigns of those seeking a seat in the 31st Dáil.

THOSE expecting fear and loathing in Faithlegg would have been disappointed, but the Fine Gael “family” is certainly still not back to normal quite yet.

UNFORTUNATELY for a party trying to put all that unpleasantness behind it, the imposing grey manor house chosen for Fine Gael’s parliamentary get-together is the perfect location for a murder mystery.

“WE’RE not rebels, we’re the establishment!” Olivia Mitchell snapped, clearly unhappy at being involved in something so low-rent- sounding as a heave.

FIANNA Fáil yesterday suffered an election year setback.

OUT of the bland box of suburbia where I am quartered in Galway I sped with glee towards the bucks fizz sparkle of Ballybrit.

INTERESTING development during the week when Fine Gael leader, Enda Kenny, pledged the party will be pro business and pro enterprise in government.

LED by a pied piper, the party leader emerged from the Christmas soiree crowd to give a speech as Wolfe Tones’ front man Derek Warfield cranked out A Nation Once Again.