Previous Day
Fianna Fáil's U-turn
Fianna Fáil set out to bolster its election prospects yesterday as the Taoiseach sought to match or surpass the inducements offered by his opponents while, at the same time, presenting himself as a prudent, responsible and trustworthy leader. The latest developments involve a U-turn on stamp duty reform and a promise of retrospective mortgage interest relief. There is a whiff of political desperation, to put it bluntly.
The French poll
The political and media consensus yesterday was that Wednesday evening's big television debate between Nicolas Sarkozy and Ségolène Royal was a draw, unlikely to upset the small but clear lead he enjoys over her ahead of Sunday's presidential elections. An opinion poll said it has reinforced his chances of winning. p
Opinion
Bertie Ahern's tangled finances derail Fianna Fáil manifesto launch
Taoiseach is still struggling to get out from under the cloud that has dogged his campaign, writes Stephen CollinsLoyalism has not kept up
This is surely an odd point in history for the unionist and loyalist community, its fragmentation never more obvious, writes Fionnuala O'Connor . pLabour Party confident as it sets out its stall
Public services will decide the election, the party believes, writes Mark Hennessy , Political Correspondent
An Irishman's Diary
Barely a decade into the peace process, and the speed with which Ireland is achieving closure would impress any psychiatrist. If it's not God Save the Queen being played at Croke Park without incident, it's Ian Paisley being invited to visit the Battle of the Boyne site as the Republic's friendly guest, writes Frank McNally p
