Bertie, as the head of Ireland’s biggest party, will need to form a coalition in order to retake office as Premier for a further term.

This morning’s RTÉ exit poll by Lansdowne Market Research suggest a good day for both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael and early tallies suggest this will be the case. Early indications suggest that Fianna Fáil will win the election but not maintain an overall majority but may still lead the new administration.

Bertie Ahern has had an historically important career so far including:

  • 1988: Helped negotiate the Good Friday peace accord for Northern Ireland.
  • 2004: Led successful Irish presidency of European Union, 2004, brokering agreement on EU constitution and overseeing admission of 10 new member states.
  • 2007: Brought power-sharing to Northern Ireland

…and it looks like it’s not over yet!

It seems as if the Irish people are not yet ready to let go of Ahern, who has been in power for over a decade.

To quote former Taoiseach Charles Haughey (and mentor of Ahern):

He’s the most clever,
The most cunning,
The most devious of them all…

In recent years, issues relating to Mr Ahern’s financial dealings have impacted upon his public reputation in Ireland which may account for the slip in support for Fianna Fáil. But has there ever been a Taoiseach that hasn’t been a little bit naughty?

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