Strong women dominate Micheál’s kitchen Cabinet

As the Government formation talks staggered towards their end, Micheál Martin told me he was filling some of the hours of Covid isolation away from his family by reading Hilary Mantel’s, right, extraordinary historical novel, The Mirror and the Light. He joked that he was learning political lessons as he read about Henry VIII’s adviser Thomas Cromwell’s perilous navigation of intrigue and thwarted ambition at the 16th century Tudor court. Mr Martin will have seen other parallels between his journey to the top and Mantel’s life of Cromwell. The latter is surrounded by, and listens intently to, an extraordinary group of strong and vivid women. Mr Martin’s backroom team, a blend of pragmatic colleagues and Cork friends and family, is filled with influential women.

And this partially explains how a man in his late-fifties, from a working class part of a provincial city, was able to face down powerful conservative forces in his own party and take the liberal side on the great social issues of our recent history.

Crucially Mr Martin has no close confidante in his parliamentary party, which allowed him to take a new path on abortion and marriage equality.

IT also allowed him to be ruthless when it came to appointments.

The Government Press Office says that besides the Government press secretary, there have been no official appointments as they will have to go to Cabinet.

But despite this, who Martin listens to is unlikely to change significantly from the kitchen cabinet that got him to the highest office in the land.