Paul Hosford: Micheál Martin has been damaged, but he has a lot more fight left in him
In the wake of the sensational withdrawal of Jim Gavin from the presidential race, Micheál Martin has had to try another tack — contrition. Picture: Mark Stedman
Micheál Martin isn't known for backing down.
As you will hear often, he is the son of a boxer and while it's hard to imagine the Taoiseach throwing a right cross, he has a pugilistic streak which belies his public persona.
One does not rise to the helm of Fianna Fáil, let alone hold the role for nearly 15 years, without knowing how to fight.
In the wake of the sensational withdrawal of Jim Gavin from the presidential race, however, Mr Martin has had to try another tack — contrition.
Fianna Fáil sources said the Taoiseach was busy on the phones throughout Tuesday and Wednesday in a bid to disarm the worst of the anger coming his way at a parliamentary party meeting yesterday evening.
The calls did not always take place, but those who answered said the tone was one of remorse and a desire to listen.
In public, Mr Martin promised to take responsibility, but he also bristled when he was expected to take all the blame for the disastrous decision to run the former Dublin GAA man.
Speaking on Newstalk, Mr Martin accepted he did recommend Mr Gavin to be Fianna Fáil’s presidential candidate, but said the party could not be aware of an issue with a tenant who claimed that Mr Gavin failed to return €3,300 in overpaid rent in 2009.
“Fundamentally, I did recommend that. I’m not responsible for everything that unfolded, obviously, because we would have been totally unaware of the issue despite very comprehensive due diligence,” Mr Martin said.
The Taoiseach said the presidential election can be “very difficult”, while saying party TDs did not go through similar vetting processes.
While those TDs and their senatorial and European colleagues got a chance to let their anger be known in the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party room in Leinster House on Wednesday, Mr Martin was quick to open with an apology.
It was described by one TD who had been previously furious with the party leader as both “humble” and “weak”, while one source said he had “a quiver” as he described his personal contribution to Fianna Fáil.
Mr Martin has been here before, sort of.
In 2021, this writer wrote that the idea of Mr Martin leading Fianna Fáil into the 2024 general election had seemed ambitious at the start of that year.
This paper had reported that the wagons were circling among Fianna Fáil TDs with one minister saying: “There is not a snowball’s chance in hell in him leading us into the election.”
Michael Moynihan, the Cork North West TD, whom Mr Martin had overlooked for a junior ministry, said the Taoiseach would not even see out his term at the helm of the tripartite Government.
“There isn’t a way in God’s earth he’ll be leading the party into the next election,” Mr Moynihan told the
“Everyone in the street knows he’ll be very lucky if he serves out his term as Taoiseach. It is highly unlikely.”
Mr Moynihan is now the junior minister with responsibility for special education, which is a testament to just how much can change in politics.
But more than that, it is a testament to Mr Martin’s survival instincts and staying power.
His time as party leader will come to an end at some point.
In January, he will have spent 15 years at the helm of an Irish political party, a feat not easily achieved.
The Gavin affair has, however, damaged him to the point that discussion now focuses on when he will step down.
The Taoiseach has long insisted that he will lead Fianna Fáil into the next general election.
His leadership will be nearly 17 years when the Taoiseach’s office rotates in November 2027 and he himself will be 67, though he shows no signs of slowing down.
As with that 2021 article, those within Fianna Fáil who wish to see Mr Martin challenged will need to find a challenger, which thus far nobody seems to want to do.
His deputy leader Jack Chambers is as damaged as he is by the Gavin affair, having been director of elections, while Darragh O’Brien gives no sign one way or the other.
The assumed heir to the throne Jim O’Callaghan said he’d like to be leader, just not now.
Asked if he was interested in being party leader on Wednesday, he said: “I think, at some stage, in the future.”
But he added that he would have thought every deputy in the party would want the job.
“I’ve no issue with respect to Micheál Martin’s leadership,” he said. “He is doing a very good job as leader of Fianna Fáil and the Government.”
There are some who will have disagreed with Mr O’Callaghan and made their feelings known yesterday, but while the Taoiseach is damaged and wounded, he seems for now to have a lot more fight left in him.
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