AFTER EATING HUMBLE pie on Wednesday night, Micheál Martin might have to do it all over again this evening. 

The annual Fianna Fail Cairde dinner is taking place in Dublin this evening, where 1,000 party faithful members are due to attend. 

The party fundraiser, which is held every year, gives the leader the opportunity to press the flesh with the grassroots members from up and down the country. 

All eyes will be on Martin during his speech this evening, and whether he will repeat the apology he gave to the parliamentary party behind closed doors this week. 

During a grueling five-hour parliamentary party meeting in Leinster House this week, the Fianna Fáil leader apologised for the handling of the presidential election process in light of the spectacular fashion in which Jim Gavin exited the race. 

Martin told colleagues he was “devastated” by what has happened and that he is open to suggestions on how the presidential selection process can be changed for the future.

Martin scraped through, with no one heaving against his leadership, for now. But there’s talk within the party that it has at least opened up the conversation about the future plans for the party leadership and who that might be. 

Grassroots members

While TDs and senators are angry, it is often the councillors and grassroots members that can be most vocal in their criticisms of the party. 

Michael Martin TD speaking to the media ahead of the Fianna Fail Cairde dinner last year. Sam Boal Sam Boal

For instance, Loughrea Fianna Fáil councillor Michael Regan previously said that Martin runs the party like a “dictator” and called him to resign over the controversy. 

While he won’t be in attendance this evening, Regan told The Journal that the grassroots members attending will be eager to hear from Martin. 

The Fianna Fáil leader had “got over the hill” this week, said Regan, stating that everyone in the parliamentary party seems to be happy enough with his approach. But he doesn’t know how they could be, he said. 

The review that has been committed to is merely “bidding for time again” by party headquarters, said the Galway councillor. 

Of the people that spoke out during that parliamentary party meeting, many seemed to be backing Martin, he said. 

“Once these people get elected, they forget who got them elected,” he said, stating that the grassroots are not being represented.

He accused the party of losing its values and direction. 

Regan said now some in the party are coming out and telling members to vote for Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys.

“Are we mad or what?” exclaimed the councillor.

“Fianna Fáilers have no one to vote for.”

‘Anger’ and ‘embarrassment’ still there

Cork North Central TD Padraig O’Sullivan said this week that the “anger is still there”.

“The disappointment is still there. The frustration amongst the grassroots, you know, it’s heartfelt, the embarrassment that’s there, is heartfelt,” he said.  

Regan echoes this, stating that many within the party felt ignored when they said that Gavin should never have been the party’s candidate.  

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He said it was never about the individual, but about the process, stating that the party should have had a selection convention. 

From the very start Martin wanted Gavin, said Regan. Phone calls were made around the party to get him selected.

Though it was a secret ballot, “all the people were lined up like little lambs” to back Gavin, he said. 

During the campaign Gavin wasn’t connecting with the people, according to Regan, who commented that the former GAA manger was well-known in Dublin and for his work in the inner city, “but he had no connection with rural Ireland”.  

Martin and party headquarters has “made a total hash of this”, he added, stating: 

“They have brought our party to the ground.”

The Taoiseach will have to wait and see tonight if Regan’s viewpoint is one that grassroots members also hold.

For Martin, it will be another slice of humble pie for dessert tonight if he wants to win his party faithfuls over.