Times a changin’ for Micheál Martin but how much remains to be seen

Micheál Martin has gone from obscurity to centre stage of the election campaign, what it means for the ballot box remains to be seen, writes Michael Clifford            

LESS than a month ago, Micheál Martin was looking like he’d just stepped out of a Bob Dylan song. He had the cut of somebody who was on his own, with no direction home, lapsing into a complete unknown, like a rolling stone. To all intents and purposes, his election was heading for Desolation Row.

No more. In a campaign that has struggled to catch fire, Martin is holding his own among the main party leaders: