Dirty fighting must end at tomorrow’s showdown

BRIAN COWEN hopes to slug out a bruising political career by seeing off his challengers in the final flurry of a six-round fight to remain leader of Fianna Fáil.

It has been slow, ugly and dirty boxing that last night the Taoiseach declared must be finished once and for all at tomorrow’s showdown.

* ROUND 1: September 2009: At the Fianna Fáil think-in in Roscommon backbenchers were put in the cross-hairs by angry farmers and students.