Miriam Lord: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly for 32nd Dáil opener

For all the good wishes, optimism and smiles, a strange undercurrent of uncertainty made for an edgy first day in the 32nd Dáil.

Perhaps, for the newcomers, the occasion itself was special enough to seal a lifelong happy memory. There was no shortage of high spirits and excitement on the plinth before and during breaks in business.

Not to mention a unique interlude on Kildare Street from the Healy-Rae contingent, up from Kerry in their droves.

But the difficult search for a government, along with increasingly touchy exchanges between the parties most likely to form it, and those urging them to get on with it while simultaneously attacking their ability to govern, soon took centre stage.

By the end of the day, Sinn Féin was running riot, dominating proceedings by demanding a series of policy decisions; Fianna Fáil was at loggerheads with them, Enda Kenny looked livid, the new Ceann Comhairle was already losing patience and most newcomers had long adjourned to the bar.

This was no easy first day, but the first-time TDs made the best of it. It was a cross-party celebration – your mammy is your mammy no matter what end of the political spectrum a new TD might inhabit, and they were in Leinster House in abundance on this day of singular honour for their families. Ushers were pressed into photographic duty on the plinth. The good outfits were on display.

Bursting with pride

No ideology has a monopoly on pride either – all the baby TDs were bursting with it.

But the good humour brought to the sunlit chamber by the many new arrivals gave way after the election of a new Ceann Comhairle. This was done by secret ballot, with Fianna Fáil’s Seán Ó Fearghaíl winning out over three other candidates.

Ó Fearghaíl did a double take, clearly surprised at such an overwhelming endorsement. His erstwhile leader, Micheál Martin, beamed from ear to ear. Another win for Fianna Fáil, as he would see it, even if the party was losing one vital Dáil vote.

Gerry Adams, probably mindful of the robust approach his deputies were due to take in the hours to come, didn't waste time striking a friendly note of caution for the incoming Ceann Comhairle. "Your job will be a difficult one, no doubt about that!" he declared, making a passing reference to his deputy leader, Mary Lou McDonald, who enjoyed a less than harmonious relationship with Ó Fearghaíl's predecessor.

If proof were needed, it came earlier in the proceedings when tributes were being paid to Seán Barrett, the outgoing chair. As deputies on all sides applauded, Mary Lou sat on her hands. Adams said something to her, she shook her head slightly and remained as she was.

The vote for a taoiseach was held after lunch, when everyone had calmed down after the triumphant arrival of the Healy-Raes.

The Kilgarvan motorcade powered up Kildare Street just before midday, a large battered looking jeep drawing up outside the gates of Leinster House, blocking the traffic behind. Michael Healy-Rae and his brother, new TD, Danny, were hoisted on to the bonnet and joined by Danny's son Johnny and daughter Maire, both of whom are councillors or soon to be in Kerry.

Danny began playing a button accordion, Michael appeared to do a dance on the spot and Johnny roared “C’mon the Kingdom!” at the top of his voice, shaking his fist and waving a Kerry flag as a man played the bagpipes on the roof of the jeep. Two concertina players materialised and a young woman on the pavement produced a tin whistle.

Michael and Danny made short speeches from the bonnet as another piper arrived, followed by a man with a guitar. The buses and cars were piling up behind them. The gardaí getting anxious. Men stood outside Buswells, nursing pints. (They weren’t all from Kerry. The bar was already packed back in Leinster House.)

“C’mon lads, we’ll go” said the driver of the jeep out the window, getting anxious.

“We apologise to the guards for holding things up for a few minutes but we’ll be gone in a second,” roared Michael Healy-Rae. “Thanks from the bottom of our hearts. We remember, today, Jackie Healy-Rae.”

“I want to thank each of every one of you down below who voted for us . . .” shouted Danny. “That’s it now,” decreed Michael, as the jeep lurched forward and he grabbed Danny who grabbed Johnny for support.

The traffic started inching slowly past. “Shove in off the road lads” bellowed a man in a straw hat with a Healy-Rae ribbon, pushing everyone on to the path.

“Take your father down, Jackie,” cried a woman to Jackie Healy-Rae jnr, Michael’s son.

Later in the day, the more experienced deputy would welcome the new Ceann Comhairle on behalf of the Healy-Rae party and his apprentice, Danny, would later make one of the most sensible contributions of what turned out to be a very fractious first session.

As the nominating of people for taoiseach dragged on, Danny declared he could have put his brother forward, but why try make a fool of the people?

One of the happiest people in the Dáil was Richard Boyd Barrett of the AAA-PBP party, who saw his socialist contingent double in number from three to six. Among them was Gino Kenny, who gave a discreet clenched fist salute when his name was called out by the clerk. In the afternoon, he arrived wearing a Palestinian scarf. The authorities looked a little worried. Gino looked very well.

Responsible tone

You could hear the hurt in

Joan Burton

and Brendan Howlin’s contributions.

"Sometimes, the cost of taking responsibility is very high," said the Labour leader and outgoing Tánaiste, saying her party "stood by the Republic" in 2011 and went into government and it was time for Fianna Fáil to do the same now."

Howlin spoke about the need for a stable government and said: “The notion that, somehow, there are parties in this House that are exempt from that responsibility until they reach some magic portion of numbers is not true. . . ”

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin seemed determined to have every member of their newly enlarged parliamentary party (23 members) speak. The Ceann Comhairle had to tell them to stick to the issue under debate on a number of occasions and, as the party fought over Dáil procedures, Ó Fearghaíl accused Mary Lou of making “deeply cynical” comments.

It was a bad-tempered end to the day and doesn’t augur well for future sittings, whenever they may happen. But as the session dragged on, the carry-on was depressing. The next few weeks are going to be difficult.