Whistling in the wind as time ticks for party leaders

ONE whistle, three blows: Alan Shatter out on his ear, Micheál Martin out on reprieve — and Enda Kenny looking increasingly out on a limb.

The Taoiseach finally cut ties with a Justice Minister whose methods could no longer be justified, but has it come too late to save himself?

The damning revelations of the Guerin report, and this Government’s attempts to bulldoze away the concerns of whistle-blower garda Sgt Maurice McCabe are appalling enough on their own, but Mr Kenny faces being drawn further into turmoil by the looming Cooke report and its dissecting of the sacking of former commissioner Martin Callinan.