Mayo TD Mr Enda Kenny, the only surprise non-appointment yesterday, admitted his disappointment at being left out of the Fine Gael front bench.
The man who lost his leadership challenge last week said that while he respected the right of the new leader to appoint whomever he wanted, he felt the tactic of excluding him was not very good.
"I'm just concerned in the interests of the party that the wrong signal may go out, but the winner takes all in this business. I'm personally disappointed." However, he added, Fine Gael had a job to do and must get on with it.
Mr Kenny had heard rumours of possible front-bench candidates on Wednesday night but heard nothing until he received a message at Leinster House asking him to speak to Mr Noonan at 1.45 p.m. yesterday.
"I went over and had a chat with him. He explained his position to me and I explained mine to him. I said I thought it was a mistake. I had contested an open leadership contest, not a heave."
His support in that contest had represented 40 per cent of the party vote. He said he congratulated everyone who had been appointed, and that while it was Mr Noonan's absolute right to appoint whomever he wanted, "it sent out the wrong message to people" that a democratic election in Fine Gael should not be contested. Mr Kenny said he had no regrets about contesting the leadership.
Yesterday, Mr Noonan emphasised that there was no animosity in his omission of Mr Kenny. "I would like to have Enda Kenny on the front bench," he said.
"I wanted a significantly smaller front bench. I wanted to organise it in a manner which mixed the talents of the party, both in terms of youth and experience, in terms of gender balance and in terms of regions. I had to make a decision in Mayo who I would put on the front bench and I opted for Jim Higgins."
He had asked Mr Kenny to participate in the cabinet of his choice and they had had a "friendly conversation", Mr Noonan said. He emphasised the importance of unity and said that at least six of those who supported Mr John Bruton's leadership were included in the new front bench.
According to Mr Kenny, the meeting with Mr Noonan lasted about 10 minutes. He was told there was no vacancy for him on the front bench, the regional spread of deputies having been considered. Mr Kenny said he mentioned Mr Noonan's assertion last week that a system of meritocracy would apply.
Asked to described the atmosphere between the two of them, Mr Kenny replied: "Direct". However he said he did not leave Mr Noonan on bad terms.
He did not want his non-appointment to be divisive, "but the signal that emanates from this is the wrong signal".
Responding to a call on his mobile telephone to someone he called Denis, probably his party colleague Mr Denis Naughten, also an interesting omission from the new line-up yesterday, Mr Kenny said: "You're a young man in politics, Denis. If you want to talk to someone about how to take a knock in politics, Kenny's your man."