Politics

Brian Cowen delivered his valedictory speech as Taoiseach in the Dail today in front of all parties, his wife and two daughters. This afternoon, he tendered his resignation as Taoiseach and President Mary McAleese dissolved the Dail. Yesterday, Brian Cowen announced that he will not contest the next election.  

"It has been a privilege to serve the people of Ireland," he said. He wished all members of the Dail well especially those retiring from politics, and said he had made "enduring friendships that go beyond politics".

Micheál Martin has scored the first goal in the election campaign – by exposing Fine Gael's nervousness over Enda, writes Vincent Browne. 

The issue of leadership is, for now, important for several reasons. It matters to the financial markets and to negotiations with the IMF and EU on the terms of the rescue package. It also matters to national self-confidence right now and it matters to international confidence in Ireland's capacity to govern itself.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has declined the invitation by newly elected Fianna Fail leader Michael Martin for a three-way election debate with the leaders of the Labour Party and Fianna Fáil.

Mr Kenny said his Fianna Fáil counterpart was not in a position to dictate the format for any election debates and said that he was not willing to exclude other political leaders from a televised election debate. By Christina Finn

Below is a Wordle infographic of Micheal Martin's statement yesterday on becoming eighth leader of Fianna Fail. It highlights  the words used most by Mr Martin in his speech. 'Party' is the word used most in the speech, followed by 'election', 'country' and 'politics'. The text of the speech (from Micheal Martin's website) appears here:

In his first press conference as leader of Fianna Fail, Michael Martin said he was "extremely proud" to be the new leader of the party.

Speaking to a packed room in the Gallagher gallery at the Royal Hibernian Academy, Michael Martin said "Ireland can and will come through this crisis".

Standing alone, the eighth leader of the party thanked his fellow contenders for a fair and "positive" leadership competition.

After an extraordinary week in Irish politics, the question of the Fianna Fáil leadership is finally resolved. Politico looks at one of the pretenders to the throne – Finance Minister Brian Lenihan – and assesses the Lenihan history within the party and how he scuppered his long-awaited shot at the party leadership.

Micheál Martin was elected the eighth leader of Fianna Fáil this afternoon. The vote was conducted by secret ballot and took place at Leinster House.

At 3pm today Fianna Fáil broke the news via Twitter that Micheál Martin had won the leadership contest to become the eighth leader of the Republican Party, defeating Eamon O'Cuív, Brian Lenihan, and Mary Hanafin in the leadership contest.

Any new leader of Fianna Fáil risks being a captive of the neoliberal consensus the party has bought into, writes Vincent Browne.

Brian Lenihan is the most formidable candidate for the Fianna Fáil leadership, by many criteria. He is very clever, very articulate, has lots of personal courage and is likeable. He is based in Dublin, where the party is in danger of obliteration, and his election as leader might minimise the drubbing.

As journalists awaited the resignation of Uachtarán Fhianna Fáil last Saturday, many asked where it all went wrong for Brian Cowen. His downfall could not have contrasted more with the ecstasy of his inauguration as party leader in 2008, a united Fianna Fail fully behind Bertie's 'chosen one'. The first Lisbon Treaty of that year was cited as the beginning of his descent in public opinion: Brian Cowen admitted to not reading the Treaty in full. (It would have been more worrying had he indeed read the impenetrable legal document, but it looked bad.)

Fianna Fail TDs who publicly support candidates for the party leadership outlined this morning the reasons behind their choice. They were speaking on the Today with Pat Kenny programme on RTE Radio One. A new party leader will be elected from the four candidates on Wednesday afternoon. 

The four contenders for the Fianna Fail leadership, Mary Hanafin, Brian Lenihan, Michael Martin and Eamon O' Cuiv have been lobbying party TDs, but the favourite to succeed is Michael Martin. So who's backing whom?