Irish Examiner View: Micheál Martin has been a safe pair of hands

The Fianna Fáil leader has had many serious domestic and international challenges to face in his time as Taoiseach.

Micheál Martin has come through his stint as Taoiseach with his reputation for integrity intact. Picture: Gareth Chaney/ Collins Photos

There will be no shortage of reflection and credit showered upon Cork’s first Taoiseach since Jack Lynch when Micheál Martin concludes his stint as principal politician.

Mr Martin took over on June 27, 2020, and is due to hand over to Leo Varadkar this Saturday, a period in office of 903 days which has included a global pandemic; Brexit, with its implications for the North; the return of a major land war in Europe involving a continental superpower for the first time in 77 years; the worst cost-of-living crisis for decades and, of course, the inescapable reality of climate change.