Drapier will begin this millennium eve with the big one - Drapier's politician of the year award. He was tempted to leave the jurisdiction and plump for those two great pillars of democratic politics north of the Border, David Trimble and Seamus Mallon, and each would be a worthy recipient, but since Drapier's beat is still confined to Leinster House, he had to resist the temptation.
Then there was Bertie Ahern - great work on the North crowned with end-of-year success. But too many blips on the domestic front took their toll. The U-turn on Partnership for Peace, the memory lapses, the botched Budget and the poor by-elections tarnished the overall performance.
Nor did any of the Opposition leaders make any real impact. True, the Budget gave them some openings which they exploited, but neither John Bruton nor Ruairi Quinn had what could be called a vintage year.
But one politician did make a difference. Jim Mitchell is Drapier's politician of the year, and few in here would dispute his right. Drapier knows that already the sniping has started, the spin-doctors are at work and the bait is being taken by the odd journalist.
But nothing can alter the fact that the Public Accounts Committee report on DIRT has made a huge public impact, shown up unacceptable if not corrupt practices, forced powerful figures to answer direct questions, given the lie to the belief that parliament doesn't matter and laid down a template for future Dail committees.
Of course, it was not a one-man show and some flaws can be found in the report and in the modus operandi, but they should not detract from the scale of Jim Mitchell's achievement. And, yes, he did have a good team. Sean Doherty, Pat Rabbitte, Bernard Durkan, Sean Ardagh and Denis Foley all deserve praise. So, too, do the officials, the lawyers and the back-up staff. All worked long, hard hours, but ultimately it was Jim Mitchell's leadership, drive, energy and determination which made the difference. Much of the time he was in excruciating pain, but he ploughed on. Without him it would not have happened.
Now to some other awards, starting with minister of the year. Charlie McCreevy began well but we all know what happened. Micheal Martin had another good year. Consolidation rather than advance, and from his own point of view probably just as well. Some of Bertie's friends were beginning to look at him in a way that didn't bode well. Few others caught the eye. Brian Cowen navigated some very troubled waters, but in Health the name of the game is survival, not stardom. And so it was this year.
Drapier's award of minister of the year goes to David Andrews. Some people may question this, especially since David has not tried to do a Dick Spring on Northern Ireland and has left Europe to the Eurocrats and the line ministers. What David has done is give a real impetus to Irish foreign policy in Third World areas where it can make a difference. His espousal of human rights in East Timor was courageous and principled.
In a number of African countries he has campaigned for greater aid and support and has visited these countries to see for himself at first hand and to ensure that the aid is being properly channelled.
Most recently he has sought to help war-ravaged Sierra Leone. Much of this work has taken place behind the scenes with little attempt at publicity. But it has made a very real difference, just as Frank Aiken did in a focused way decades earlier.
Competition was keen enough for Opposition spokesman of the year. Pat Rabbitte as always was in contention, but he needs a more substantial brief to test his talents even if he remains one of the wittiest members of either House. Brendan Howlin had his moments, as did Ivan Yates. Indeed Yates is showing a grasp of policy detail. Liz McManus had her moments as Health spokeswoman, while Joe Higgins gave an individual and often useful perspective from the upper reaches of the far left.
Certainly a livelier Opposition than the previous year. More direct hits, but undoubtedly the most direct were those landed by Michael Noonan in the Budget debate. Noonan has made a full recovery to political health.
His Budget performance was a tour de force, unlikely to be equalled in the lifetime of this Dail. Single-handedly he did more to unravel Charlie McCreevy's Budget than all the others put together. No question then; Opposition performer of the year is Michael Noonan.
BEST backbencher of the year always causes a problem. Being a government backbencher is one of the most thankless jobs in politics. Criticism of even the mildest form brings the charge of disloyalty while to praise your own government can be called sycophantic. So almost by definition those who most catch the eye are usually on the benches opposite. On the Fine Gael side, Billy Timmins and Denis Naughten stood out; Louis J. Belton added a dash of colour. Ivor Callely caught the eye, too, but not always for the right reasons. The best sustained performance came from Brian Lenihan, especially for his work on constitutional reform. Valuable work has been done by this committee, and it's about time some of its reports were seriously debated in both Houses.
The last award, the Golden Toga, goes to the senator who most impressed Drapier. Some good performances to pick from. Feargal Quinn makes his points with economy and research. Therese Ridge is a refreshing antidote to some of the theoretical high-flyers; John Cregan has made an impressive start; Mary Henry and David Norris are serious contributors; and Maurice Hayes is always worth listening to.
But this year's Golden Toga for sustained iconoclasm and general fearlessness goes to Shane Ross. But this year is also the last of the century. Our parliament is now 78 years old, one of the oldest in Europe, and whatever the revisionists and the begrudgers may say Drapier thinks we have much to be proud of and much to be thankful for. So in that spirit let Drapier make a few personal awards.
First to the forgotten men - the politicians who did most to inculcate in us the values and practices of democracy, who showed us how parliament could be made to work and did so for 40 long years.
Drapier refers to the old Irish Party which began this century as the undisputed voice of Irish constitutional nationalism, but which has since been wiped out of our history, its contribution dismissed or traduced. Sean Mac Eoin and Sean MacEntee could agree in the 1930s that it was time to make restitution to its memory. It never was.
To try to start that process let Drapier salute the last leader of the great party, John Dillon, and let us remind ourselves that Irish politics did not begin with 1916.
Next to our taoisigh. We have done well, but two in particular stand out for Drapier. W.T. Cosgrave, the quiet man who did so much to ensure our institutions were founded and secured and handed them over to those who had fought against them a decade earlier; and Sean Lemass, who more than any other built on these institutions, opened minds to our potential and laid the basis for modernisation and prosperity.
When it comes to great parliamentary performers, Drapier will name but a few. James Dillon was without doubt the finest, most complete of our parliamentarians, but Sean MacEntee would make a strong claim - deadly wit, sharp barbs, a great mastery of detail. In Drapier's own time John Kelly and Frank Cluskey, the latter a master of short-arm conflict, stand out, and he has heard so many great stories about Sean Dunne that he, too, must be on any list.
Finally, let Drapier make an unexpected award - to Drapier's political journalist of the century. He has in fact two candidates. John Healy who in his Backbencher days did more than any other to revolutionise the way politics was covered, to strip away the mythology and as far as possible tell things as they were, not how official Ireland wanted them told. And Michael Mills, for his courage, integrity and professionalism. As truthful as he was unbiddable.