OPINION: Yawn. the Most Boring Election in Irish history.(Features)

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Byline: TERRY PRONE Electoral analyst

FIANNA Fail could have been interesting, but didn't want to be. Fine Gael wanted to be interesting, but didn't know how.

The PDs were desperate to be interesting, but managed it only at Dandy/Beano level. The Labour Party wanted to be interesting only up to a point, and the point was Ruairi's 6 Point Charter.

The media wanted them all to be interesting, preferably by stepping into open manholes, real or figurative. There you have it. The rationale behind the most boring general election in Irish history.

Bertie Ahern started to fight this election five years ago. He had to re-define his party. That meant putting as much space as possible between his government and every previous administration.

Which, in turn, meant outlasting every previous government. Which, in turn, made every other decision …