Martin ticks most boxes with mix of civility and steel

ANALYSIS:Personable, media-friendly, a hard worker – we are about to see if Micheál Martin has what it takes to breathe life back into Fianna Fáil

INCOMING FIANNA Fáil leader Micheál Martin is in the same position as a soccer manager who has just taken over a team bound for relegation. The question is whether he will be the party’s Alex Ferguson, blazing a trail of glory, or its Roy Keane, getting sacked after a string of defeats.

The former minister for foreign affairs has shown himself to be a clever strategist in recent weeks. Nobody could have foreseen the final catastrophic implosion of the Cowen regime but it had been clear for some time that he was a one-term taoiseach who wasn’t going to lead Fianna Fáil much longer.

Like a previous party leader from Cork, Jack Lynch, the pretender to the throne managed to combine civility and courtesy with a strong inner reserve of toughness. Among his rivals, Brian Lenihan chose to prop up the existing order; Éamon Ó Cuív kept his counsel on internal party issues; and Mary Hanafin sent out conflicting signals.

Martin clearly took his distance from the Cowen leadership but managed to remain on friendly terms with the man he was trying to depose. It wasn’t an easy balancing act but he brought if off. If he can maintain the combination of outward diplomacy and inner steel, he just might be up to the difficult challenge he faces as leader of Fianna Fáil.

As late as last week, it seemed a foregone conclusion that Brian Cowen would have a poor election and step down from the leadership as soon as the party went into opposition. But whereas events had been developing rapidly, they suddenly went into overdrive. Cowen’s leadership vanished in a puff of smoke and now Martin is centre-stage.

Already the prophets of doom are predicting he will be the first Fianna Fáil leader never to become taoiseach. So what are his real prospects and is he really the saviour the party so badly needs?

Fianna Fáil’s fortunes have never been lower. A whole succession of opinion polls indicate it could be entering the 31st Dáil with anything between 20 and 40 seats. There is an angry and unpredictable mood among the voters and even the worst Fianna Fáil nightmare of playing second fiddle to Sinn Féin in opposition, though unlikely, cannot be entirely ruled out.

An identikit description of the person required to lead the party out of its slough of despond would read something like this: hard worker; personable; good orator; skilled with the media; moderate drinker; healthy looking; smart but not highbrow; firm and decisive; clean political record.

Martin ticks most of the boxes, but not all of them. Those who know him well say he puts in a six-day week and has workaholic tendencies. He is good-humoured and polite and does not impose his views on others: people who have worked closely with him use the expression, “a gentleman to his fingertips”.

He is also a competent public speaker, if inclined to go on too long. Importantly, the new leader keeps his cool under media pressure. He likes to socialise, but only with close friends and there will no “nasal congestion” on Morning Ireland interviews.

Although he has passed the half-century mark, Martin has kept himself fit and looks a good deal younger. He watches what he eats and, like his Fine Gael counterpart Enda Kenny, leads a healthy lifestyle. He is not averse to green tea and salads, nor to making observations on what other TDs might be eating.

While not considered on a par with Brian Cowen intellectually, he is nevertheless very bright, with a sharp memory for detail. Martin is described as a sponge for information and his fluency in Irish is a decided advantage in the party.

One area where critics say he fails to match the ideal profile is in the “firm and decisive” category. A well-placed admirer says: “He likes to weigh things up and come to a decision himself, but when he makes his mind up, he sticks with it.” But another close observer said he didn’t seem to have strong views on many issues.

As for his political record, critics point to the fact that he has been a member of the Fianna Fáil-led governments which failed to take the necessary steps to minimise the effects of the current economic crisis.

A book based on Martin’s MA thesis from UCC, entitled Freedom to Choose: Cork and Party Politics in Ireland 1918-32, was published by Collins Press two years ago and seeks to answer the question: how did Fianna Fail become the dominant political force in Ireland? It’s a very good question and one Martin is doubtless pondering in a very practical way as he takes up his new assignment, which is to repeat that achievement in the Ireland of today.

In his most recent role, as minister for foreign affairs, he took a firm stance on the plight of the Palestinians and, when he was refused permission to enter Gaza from Israeli territory, made his way there via Egypt.

He also played a significant part in breaking an impasse in the Northern Ireland Executive between the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin. He was one of the main leaders of the successful drive for a Yes vote in the second Lisbon Treaty referendum and was heavily involved in the Farmleigh initiative leading to the establishment of a global network among the Irish diaspora.

His most significant political achievement was when, as minister for health, he introduced a smoking ban in all workplaces, including pubs and restaurants, making Ireland the first country in the world to do so. It was a historic step that required courage and skill to bring about, although critics say he went for a high-profile initiative compared to the much-needed root-and-branch reform of the health services.

Detractors also point to the large number of reports he commissioned on various aspects of the health services as evidence of his indecision. A major controversy over illegal charging in nursing homes erupted following his tenure. Martin defended himself by claiming he was not properly briefed and that he had not seen a file on the matter.

He finished his term as minister for enterprise before the huge furore over expenses at Fás developed.

Prior to that he had a largely uncontentious stint in the Department of Education.

His local constituency operation in Cork South-Central has been compared to that of Bertie Ahern in Dublin Central: very personalised and based on family members like his twin-brother Paudie, older brother Seán, Cllr Terry Shannon and businessman Humphrey Murphy.

His wife Mary (née O’Shea) is a key political influence, having herself worked at Fianna Fáil headquarters in charge of the Ógra youth wing.

The Martins have known personal tragedy: a son, Ruairí, died in infancy, and only last October a daughter, Léana, died from a heart condition. Martin’s mother also died only a few months before.

At the funeral Mass for Léana, many were impressed by his ability to deliver a eulogy full of empathy and compassion without breaking down, as most parents in his position would have done.

Minister of State Seán Haughey is a close friend (“he was at all the Haughey weddings”) although Micheál is considered too young to have been influenced by Haughey snr.

As he takes over his deeply challenging new role, Martin has a great deal going for him but he is in for a very tough few years and the jury is still out on whether he can restore the Soldiers of Destiny to their former glory.

If he succeeds, it will be, in the words of the well-worn political phrase, “the greatest comeback since Lazarus”.

Deaglán de Bréadún is a political correspondent