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John Downing Opinion Martin avoided the feared fate of becoming the first Fianna Fáil leader never to have been Taoiseach. Now he is at serious risk of becoming the last ever Fianna Fáil Taoiseach

Seán Lemass wanted to call the new organisation simply the "Republican Party" - but Eamon de Valera successfully argued that his baby be called "Fianna Fáil". The wily Lemass, who did so much to get the organisation a presence in every half-parish in the nation, got his suggestion into the second line.