Europe row puts leadership of Martin into focus

Micheál Martin moved to try to stop Fianna Fáil’s bitter split over Europe further damaging his leadership last night.

Fresh from resigning as deputy leader over the issue, Éamon Ó Cuív withdrew his name as a candidate for the party’s vice-president post as he said he did not want the vote to become a focus for division.

As about 3,000 delegates gather in Dublin for the party’s first ard fheis since 2009, Mr Martin was desperate to regain the political initiative.