Cowen saved from being shortest-serving taoiseach

BRIAN COWEN’S choice of March 11 as an election date will rescue him from going down in the history books as being Fianna Fáil’s overall shortest serving taoiseach.

Mr Cowen, as of today, has so far served 989 days in office, but he needs at least an extra 50 days in power to place him beyond the record, held by former Fianna Fáil Taoiseach Albert Reynolds.

While other Fianna Fáil taoisigh have served shorter individual periods such as Charles Haughey, Jack Lynch and even Éamon de Valera, their cumulative days served over multiple terms in office stretch much further than 1,038 days.