Mutiny against Enda Kenny peters out

Like so many political mutinies in the past, the move against Enda Kenny’s leadership ended with a bit of a whimper last night.

It had more or less run out of steam on Monday when Kerry TD Brendan Griffin found himself in isolation.

Ahead of last night's parliamentary party meeting, it was clear it was all over. Kenny delivered a version of the "I'm going nowhere" lines he blasted out in Mayo on Monday and Berlin on Tuesday.

The written motion calling for him to set out a departure timetable never materialised. Nor did the Kim Jong-un countermotion expressing full undying eternal confidence in the great perpetual leader. Both adversaries cried off in other words.

The path of true political love does not always flow smoothly. The most surprising element last night was the volume of residual bickering from the disaffected. More than expected made their displeasure known to their fellow TDs and Senators.

It was the formerly sacked deputy leader James Reilly who took the brunt of the criticism for his reappointment at the meeting. His elevation got a tongue-lashing from the awkward squad, with John Deasy saying he was not going to take advice on how to get re-elected from a politician who could not hold his seat.

Those who spoke out were Cork South West's Jim Daly, Carlow-Kilkenny's John Paul Phelan, Louth's Fergus O'Dowd, Kerry's Brendan Griffin and Waterford's Deasy.

Our reporton the meeting today describes it as a nil-all draw and quotes a TD who took great succour in the fact five TDs did not back down. "It was not a shouting match. But it was hard stuff. Nobody ran away."

In some ways, Kenny is the least complex of taoisigh to have led the State. But, that said, there are elements of him that are unknowable and distant.

One thing he has is an abundance of the charm that is the mark of rural Ireland. He followed a suggestion made by Kerry senator Paul Coghlan to sit down for coffee with the dissenters to a T(ea).

Within an hour he was sitting down in the main canteen eating dinner with Reilly, O'Dowd (with whom he clashed in the meeting) and another critic, Pat Deering. He later shunted across the room to have a coffee with Daly.

Next on the agenda for him is hosting French president François Hollande in Dublin next week. That hardly strikes you as the actions of a leader sorting out his affairs.

Boris becomes Darling Buddy of May

Theresa May's announcement of her Cabinet last night contained a few surprises, not least the elevation of Brexiteer Boris Johnson to Foreign Secretary.

Boris is no Nigel Farage, but the threat of Johnny Foreigner was a predominant theme of the Leave campaign, and he left a few hostages to fortune along the way - including some insulting doggerel about a guy called Barack who just happens to be the leader of the world's most powerful nation.

The bumbling shell that is Johnson disguises the very hard nut that lies beneath. He was a successful mayor of London and will certainly get Britain noticed on the international stage with his Winston-Churchill-meets-Tommy-Cooper act.

With her appointments, there is no doubt May is intent on seeing Brexit through. The only question now is the timetable, and it is becoming clear she is willing to repent at leisure.

But key appointments include three prominent Leave campaigners: Johnson; Liam Fox as international trade secretary; and veteran David Davis, who will lead the Brexit talks in a newly created role.

In another statement of intent, George Osborne is sacked, and there is no place for the mercurial, but incendiary, Michael Gove. The impressive Amber Rudd takes over May's old job as home secretary.

No news yet for Northern secretary Theresa Villiers.

Here is how we reported it this morning.

Ms May also spoke to Enda Kenny last night by telephone; soon after she spoke to German chancellor Angela Merkel.