Ned, a game of golf and the case for Sherlock Holmes

* FRIDAY, JANUARY 7: A new opinion poll, conducted by Red C for Paddy Power bookmakers, shows Fianna Fáil on just 14%, level with Sinn Féin and a whopping 21 points behind Fine Gael.

Anxiety among Fianna Fáil backbenchers increases about the party’s electoral prospects.

* SUNDAY, JANUARY 9: Fianna Fáil TD Ned O’Keeffe, previously seen as loyal to the Taoiseach, launches a withering attack on Brian Cowen in the Sunday papers and tells him it is time to go. Some backbenchers see the hand of Micheál Martin at work, believing Mr O’Keeffe has been prompted by the Foreign Affairs Minister to go public with his criticism. That same morning, the Sunday Times publishes extracts of a new book revealing previously undisclosed contacts — including a round of golf — between Mr Cowen and former Anglo boss Sean FitzPatrick in the run-up to the 2008 bank bailout. Backbenchers groan as they realise things can still get worse under Mr Cowen’s leadership, while the Greens announce they want an explanation.