Previous struggles leave trail of animosity

WHEN Fine Gael has reflected on its failure to find favour with the public, internal factions have rushed to turn the cross-hairs on the leader of the day.

This has gone on for decades, and left Alan Dukes, John Bruton, Michael Noonan and, now, Enda Kenny, watching their backs as the various traditions in the party battled for control.

However, rather than the leadership challenges representing cathartic clean-outs, Fine Gael has typically suffered from lingering animosity.

In modern times the fights began at the end of the traumatic 1980s when its long-time leader, Garret FitzGerald, gave up his war with Fianna Fáil’s Charlie Haughey.

After Dr FitzGerald resigned from office in 1987, Peter Barry, Alan Dukes and John Bruton fought to take control.

Mr Dukes won and retained the vanquished Mr Bruton as deputy leader, only to lose support among his party and have to resign after another electoral defeat three years later.

Mr Bruton was the obvious successor and took over the leadership to lead the Rainbow Coalition after the Labour Party made more ground than Fine Gael. Mr Bruton had a difficult relationship with voters and failed to win the crucial 1997 election.

At this stage the structure of the party was in tatters and these problems worsened as three separate attempts on his tenure at the top were made.

In November 2000, Waterford’s Austin Deasy moved a motion of no confidence which split the parliamentary party.

It was the front bench powerhouses, Michael Noonan and Ivan Yates, who launched the heave.

Mr Bruton won the day but was fighting against the inevitable over the Christmas period.

By the end of January, Mr Noonan had gathered himself again and formed a powerful public alliance with Jim Mitchell.

On the eve of a no confidence motion, previously silent deputies signalled their willingness for a change. Mr Bruton’s fate was sealed.

The wounds from this fracas festered long after Mr Noonan won the leadership in a two-way battle with Enda Kenny – Mr Mitchell and Cork north central deputy Bernard Allen dropped out before the vote.

The factional bitterness was borne out in an ill-fated and haphazard election campaign leading up to June 2002 when the party was destroyed.

Mr Noonan resigned and it set Mr Kenny up for a run-off with Richard Bruton, Phil Hogan and Gay Mitchell. The Mayo deputy, the party’s longest serving TD, won the day and took on the painful job of rebuilding the party.