Elaine Loughlin: Ex-partners’ bad blood gives campaign a bit of bite

Election 2024: A wily tit-for-tat has kept the attention on Micheál Martin and Simon Harris at the expense of Sinn Féin

Outgoing Tánaiste Micheál Martin and Taoiseach Simon Harris could be setting themselves up for some very heavy lifting during possible government formation talks. File picture: Gareth Chaney/PA

A spat a day has bagged plenty of coverage for both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, with the phoney war dominating discussions though the first week of what was promised to be a short, sharp campaign but which has so far been pretty lacklustre.

While it’s unlikely that the parties had a premeditated and agreed plan to launch attacks followed by counter claims against policies and promises, it very much suits both sides.