Moment may have passed for Martin

MICHEÁL MARTIN will never win the title of Machiavellian of Millennium.

Instead his fit and clean living nature, coupled with an ability to keep his name out of trouble, pitched him as the minister who was least punch drunk when talk turned to removing Brian Cowen before the general election.

The belated bid to become leader of a political party he cares deeply about came very late and left him tainted by the failings of those he shared a cabinet table with for 13 years.