WHEN he was asked about leadership options in Fianna Fáil late last year, the venerable Willie O’Dea declared: “And I say this with the greatest respect to my colleagues — I respect each and every one of them — I look around the [parliamentary party] table in my mind’s eye, and I don’t see the messiah and when I look in the mirror I don’t see him either.”

Dissenting Fianna Fáil TDs have been urged to “stay off the public airwaves” if they want to protect the party’s future, a senior frontbencher has claimed.

Nicholas Carey gave a record breaking performance at Clashmore where he beat Willie O’Donovan by almost three bowls of odds in the Munster Intermediate championship.