Paul Hosford: In an extraordinary year, Barry Cowen's sacking marks an extraordinary day

17 days in, the party of "senior hurling" has yet to puck a ball.

Barry Cowen. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

If a week is a long time in politics, 17 days in such an analogy is a lifetime.

Not, however, for Barry Cowen who has seen his honeymoon period at Cabinet cut shorter than most actual honeymoons, with it causing huge, possibly irreparable, damage to the coalition government.