Fionnán Sheahan: With the return of Jim O’Callaghan, wily Micheál Martin is keeping pretenders to his throne in competition

Next leader of Fianna Fáil will come from Dublin – but there are now three contenders

Fianna Fáil’s Jim O’Callaghan is expected to get the Justice portfolio

Keep your friends close, your enemies closer – and your contenders competing with each other. The Micheál Martin school of leadership survival is about to teach another lesson.

The Fianna Fáil leader is at the height of his powers having elected 48 TDs, making his party clearly the biggest in the country. His fourth general election as leader was his best to date and will therefore intensify speculation about when he is stepping down.