Daniel McConnell: Bertie comes back in from the cold 

The readmission of Ahern may soothe the souls of potential troublemakers in Fianna Fáil and help bolster Micheál Martin's own position

The onset of Brexit in 2016 allowed Bertie Ahern to rehabilitate his public persona as he was able to speak with credibility on the potential impact on Northern Ireland. Picture: RollingNews.ie

Almost 11 years ago in March 2012, I was a political journalist with the Sunday Independent.

After 15 years of hearings and scandals, the final Mahon Tribunal report was due for publication that week, which we all expected to be devastating in relation to former taoiseach Bertie Ahern.