Political Editor Daniel McConnell speaks to party insiders about Fianna Fail’s election strategy, its execution, and success

Family, friends and politicians bade a final farewell to PJ Mara yesterday as the former government press secretary was laid to rest in Co Galway.

Fianna Fáil has backed down on mooted plans to order party members to pick a female general election candidate in a tightly contested constituency after a legal threat from a male councillor who claimed he was being blocked from running.

Fianna Fáil is facing another internal spat after Cork's deputy Lord Mayor stormed out of an internal party meeting last night after being asked to explain why he wants a colleague disciplined.

The deputy lord mayor of Cork wants a party colleague hauled before a Fianna Fáil disciplinary committee and sanctioned following his call for the removal of the LGBT rainbow flag from above City Hall.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has been accused of “cosying up” to Fine Gael in a desperate bid to survive as head of the party, and enter government after the next general election.

A reduced salary of €30,000 for Cork city’s future lords mayor will not be enough to attract councillors to want the role, a former holder of the job has said.

Former Fianna Fáil minister Mary Hanafin has killed off any chances of contesting a Dáil seat for the party after her decision to defy the leadership and go ahead with plans to run in this month’s local elections.

Fianna Fáil leaders have said they are disappointed at their failure to attract more women candidates. Jobs spokesperson Dara Calleary conceded that one in five candidates being female in the looming May local elections was not good enough.

THE funding of political parties has long been a closely guarded secret. However, the corruption and abuse of power this has engendered over the years has become an all too familiar story.

Plans to force political parties to publish full financial accounts annually are facing resistance from Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, who have expressed concerns about the implications for local branches.

The grassroots in Fianna Fáil want former taoisigh Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen, along with some former ministers, banned from ever again contesting elections under the party banner.

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

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has dismissed veiled criticism of his leadership style as he prepares for the party’s first ard fheis in three years.

Fianna Fáil has admitted there are some members within the parliamentary party who have concerns about proposed changes to its structure to be voted on at this weekend’s ard fheis.

Fianna Fáil is demanding more airtime for its representatives on RTÉ news and current affairs programmes.

THE Ógra Fianna Fáil branch secretary in Micheál Martin’s own constituency has left the party and joined David Norris’s presidential election bid over the “bigoted” anti-gay opinions of an ex-colleague.

Tony Killeen: Fianna Fáil

KEY Fianna Fáil figures will meet this morning to finalise exactly how it will decide on a new leader by Wednesday evening.

An Taoiseach Brian Cowen will go toe to toe today with rebel ministers in the fight for leadership of Fianna Fáil.

FINANCE Minister Brian Lenihan will publicly back Brian Cowen ahead of today’s Fianna Fáil leadership vote in a move that could deal a hammer blow to Micheál Martin’s hopes of ousting the Taoiseach.

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen is on the cusp of defeating the Fianna Fáil rebellion after backbenchers lined up to show loyalty to their leader.

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen and his wife Mary Molloy were among several hundred people who sympathised with Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin and his family last night as they began the heartbreaking process of saying goodbye to their beloved Léana.

THE TAOISEACH has suspended Ivor Callely from Fianna Fáil after the embattled senator failed to answer phone calls from a senior party figure looking for an explanation into allegations he forged expense claims.

BRIAN Cowen told his party’s TDs and senators they should back him or sack him because Fianna Fáil cannot keep returning to the question of his leadership.

SENATORS of all hues have called on their Fianna Fáil colleague Ivor Callely to explain why he was claiming mileage allowances based out of his holiday home near Bantry.

CONTROVERSIAL senator Ivor Callely has been ordered by Taoiseach Brian Cowen to provide a full account of his expenses after it was revealed the Dubliner was claiming mileage allowances from his holiday home in west Cork.

PHARMACISTS may have to swallow the bitter pill of going out of business now that the good times they enjoyed are crashing to an end.

REBEL pharmacists were warned last night they faced legal action for breaching their state contract to dispense drugs to the public.

PHARMACISTS were warned yesterday they were fighting a battle in a war they had lost and there would be “innocent casualties” if it continued to the bitter end.

FIANNA FÁIL has admitted it will need to “refine” its selection strategy after bitter complaints from party members about how candidates were chosen for Friday’s local elections.

REVELATIONS regarding Fianna Fáil’s handling of excessive donations has put the accounting system for its multi-million euro income stream under scrutiny.

GRASSROOTS activists have risen up against Fianna Fáil headquarters to demand greater input into candidate selections.

Ulster Bank today set up a £250m (€281.4m) Regional Fund to support small and medium sized companies in Northern Ireland through this year.

Fianna Fáil has established a unit of the party in south Armagh, it was announced today.

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen is not concerned that his party will lose seats in the local and European elections next summer because of cutbacks in government spending.

Ulster Bank Group today announced the appointment of Sean Dorgan to the Board of Directors as Deputy Chairman.

ULSTER BANK has appointed former IDA Ireland chief executive, Sean Dorgan, as its deputy chairman.

The new Taoiseach has decided to scrap the controversial Fianna Fáil fundraising tent at this year's Galway Races.