A nearly taoiseach, but still a magnet

SUDDENLY, from everywhere, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Blueshirts swarmed across the plinth in front of Leinster House.

Young, restless and desperate for their latest photo-fix, Enda’s 20 new enfant TDs jostled anxiously for position ready to swirl around Mr Kenny as the cameras rolled.

For passing Labourites in the now tattered-looking “alliance for change” with Fine Gael, it was a sobering moment as they saw the final proof that the alliance had done little for them but change some of their seats into FG ones.