In the fallout from the 2011 general election, the late political commentator Noel Whelan noted in his book Fianna Fáil: a biography of the party that the party was at its lowest ebb since it was founded. It may not have marked the end of the party, but it clearly marked the end of an era that began in 1932,” he wrote.
The Micheál Martin era reaches it’s 10-year milestone on Tuesday – the anniversary of the Taoiseach becoming leader. Starting from that low base, he has returned the party to power, if not to its former glories. Martin’s impact in shaping his party goes beyond mere general election results.