When Leo Varadkar stepped down as Taoiseach and leader of Fine Gael, Pachal Donohoe was abroad at a meeting of the Eurogroup, of which he was the chair.

While allies of Simon Harris flooded the airwaves with messages of support, a small cohort held fire. They were waiting to see if Paschal Donohoe would declare. By lunchtime, Mr Donohoe had not yet signalled his intention, and Mr Harris’s momentum was undeniable. 

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