Civil war politics was back, declared Ruairi Quinn. A new type of civil war was breaking out between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, he said. It involved "gutting one another".
It was hard to see much new in this. Mr John Bruton had just accused Mr Bertie Ahern of behaving "like a little boy". He suggested that everyone who had served in government under Mr Haughey was now unfit for office.
"Get out of the sewer, Bruton," shouted Brian Cowen. "Have you no sense of decency?" asked Michael Woods who added: "God save us from the Blueshirts." Dr Woods, as it happens, was wearing a pink shirt which co-ordinated well with the mauve tinge in his suit and his tie in several shades of purple and pink.
On a day when three people knew they were being promoted, such matters are significant. Those expecting elevation tend to turn up well scrubbed.
Earlier in the day Brian Cowen was spotted in a particularly well-cut suit, increasing speculation that he might, after all, be getting the Foreign Affairs job. However once a sister of David Andrews was sighted in Leinster House, the speculation ended.
The yellow in Mr Andrews's tie picked out the honey tinge in his hair as he listened to his leader's attempted "gutting" of Mr Bruton.
As the civil war warmed up, Mr Ahern accused Mr Bruton of hypocrisy and referred to "people on the Opposition bench who do not care whose careers they bury along the way". He tossed in a reference to his "erratic handling of the peace process". "Disgraceful," shouted Fine Gaelers.
Throughout much of this Alan Dukes and David Andrews carried on a rather sour exchange of comments across the floor. Mr Andrews had accused Mr Bruton of "humbug" the previous day. He wasn't talking about humbug now, noted Mr Dukes. "Welcome to the club," he said. Mr Andrews's muttered replies were inaudible on the press gallery.
Meanwhile Mr Ahern had moved on to the traditional "certain sections of the media" part of the defence. Everyone went quiet when he said the Department of Justice report on the processing of the Mahfouz passport applications had been "leaked to the media" by someone with "a political agenda".
Pens were poised, heckling stopped. "Certain sections of the media" paid very close attention. Rumours had spread in advance that Mr Ahern would name and then condemn an alleged leaker. But he didn't. Mr Bruton challenged him to do so.
"It's only you and one other had it", remarked Mr Ahern. "Who had a copy of it?" he asked.
"Over there on your front bench," he said, pointing.
But that was as close as we got to the naming of Deep Throat.