Fianna Fáil may have to consider ‘mergers’ if they do not find a workable message

Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Leo Varadkar. Photo: Julien Behal

John Downing

You only hear of Seán Moore these days via occasional radio mentions of traffic congestion on AA Roadwatch. But that arterial road in south Dublin named in his honour tells its own story, as does a nearby park also bearing his name.

Only much older political anoraks will recall the genial Fianna Fáil TD for Dublin South East, an area these days called Dublin Bay South, and the scene at the weekend of considerable political angst for the current three Coalition parties. Fine Gael and the Green Party have “afters” to resolve from this by-election – but they will both take comfort from being in the halfpenny place compared with Fianna Fáil’s woes.