Micheál Martin did well in debate but Fianna Fáil have long way to go

We would need a crystal ball to get clarity at this point on how things will go on polling day, writes Alison O’Connor

I HAVE an octogenarian female relative who has definitely been getting cockier as this general election campaign has progressed. She’s an avid follower of current affairs, has strong views on all sorts of subjects, and she simply adores Fianna Fáil.

In the 2011 general election she did not vote for the party, a decision which may have been easy for many, but for her was done with a heavy heart. There was about a year afterwards when she spoke only in hushed tones of her beloved party, but the volume has been steadily increasing since.