Divided Dáil: ‘New politics’ has back seat in same old Dáil

Talks are only really getting under way now the charade that was yesterday’s nominations is over, writes Michael Clifford

Whether that involves the formation of a government or another election remains to be seen. As is so often the case in Irish politics, the real action was happening away from the Dáil chamber.

Over the last few days, the pending meeting of Enda Kenny and Micheál Martin had taken on the character of the kind of build-up that used to be norm when Ronald Reagan broke bread with Mikhail Gorbachev in the days of fresh detente.