Mick Clifford: Micheál Martin finally got his day, and he handled it with a touch of class

Soon after Micheál Martin had been proposed and seconded as the next Taoiseach, Michael Lowry left the Dáil chamber which then heard about Lowry’s attempted purchase of Doncaster Rovers

This was the pinnacle of Micheál Martin’s political career, which has been marked by longevity, dizzying heights and lows that were ocean deep.

Soon after Micheál Martin had been proposed and seconded as the next Taoiseach, Michael Lowry left the Dáil chamber. He knew what was coming, and it did. 

Lowry had been much of the focus of the chaos that had seen the Dáil suspended in uproar the previous day. The row had centred on his involvement in putting together the proposed coalition, his alleged fingerprints on the programme for government and particularly the arrangement whereby he and other jobless regional independents could play both sides of the House.