#fianna-fail

#fianna-fail

Party leaders are saying they were comprehensively let down by their candidate, effectively throwing Gavin to the wolves The Fianna Fáil parliamentary party is not used to such an internal omnishambles. When it meets this week there will be blood on the walls. The view of one former minister is that Micheál Martin is is now a lame-duck Taoiseach, no matter what happens, having insisted on his own way, effectively embarrassing the party.

A former government minister, a former sports coach and an independent leftwing politician are to contest Ireland's presidential election. The three-way race was confirmed on Wednesday when the nomination window closed without any political outsiders getting on the ballot. Heather Humphreys, a former cabinet minister, will run for the ruling centre-right Fine Gael party. Jim Gavin, who managed Dublin's Gaelic football team, will represent its centrist coalition partner, Fianna Fail.

Two teachers at a secondary school in Tallaght, Dublin, tell of the financial pressure some parents are under

Independent still hopeful of getting on the ballot, backers say

Fianna Fáil's Cathal Crowe says 'someone had it in' for Social Democrats TD

Next scheduled parliamentary party meeting is in three weeks' time - and that is just too far away

Momentum is building around a possible presidential bid for broadcaster Joe Duffy as at least two parties express interest in his potential candidacy.

Peter Power, the executive director of Unicef Ireland, has been involved in confidential talks with Fianna Fáil's leadership, suggesting he may be a potential candidate for the upcoming presidential election.