The most telling Irish political pictures of 2011

IF A WEEK is a long time in politics, the year 2011 was a lifetime for Ireland. We saw Fianna Fáil face a leadership challenge and implode, a general election that saw Fine Gael and Labour take power and a band of colourful independents enter Leinster House, fear and loathing in the eurozone and a Presidential election that was at times as bitter and hard-fought as the February campaign.

It’s best to let the photographs do the talking:

The most telling Irish political pictures of 2011

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Did you sign that?
Taoiseach Brian Cowen signing his request to President Mary McAleese to dissolve the Dail on 1 February. Pic: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland.
Fight on his hands
Fianna Fáil got a new leader in Micheál Martin. Pic: Julien Behal/PA Wire
The Greens are down...
Green Party leader Joihn Gormley and Senator Dan Boyle after their pre election think-in on 11 January. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire.
...And they are out.
Green Party leader John Gormley leads party members out of Government buildings on 23 January, 2011. Pic: AP Photo/Peter Morrison
The youth vote
The Union of Students helped to rally young people to have their say in the general election. Pic: Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland
Poster boy
Socialist Party and United Left Alliance candidate Joe Higgins with his election poster outside the offices of then Anglo Irish Bank. Pic: Julien Behal/PA Wire.
Ah stop now.
Eamon Gilmore was touted for Taoiseach by the Labour party at the start of the campaign. TheJournal.ie's Gavan Reilly spotted this temporary setback on Golden Lane, Dublin.
Down with the kid
Sinn Féin threw themselves into bagging seats - including one for party leader Gerry Adams seen here with Kaitlyn Leavy, 8. Pic: Eamonn Farrell/Photocall Ireland
If the shoe fits...
Labour's Pat Rabbitte got his new shoe leather sorted before hitting the campaign trail. Pic: Julien Behal/PA Wire
War of independents
Dylan Haskins was just one of many independents who sought to contest the political landscape in General Election 2011 Pic: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland
The old guard
The UpStart non-politicial movement tried to put creativity at the centre of public consciousness during the campaign. Pic: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland
Man with a plan
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny survived a leadership coup to take his party to election. Pic: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland
Wanna be in my gang?
Fine Gael rallied the troops on 30 January at the Mansion House in Dublin. Pic: Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland
Pothole politics
Green Party members wearing Enda Kenny and Jackie Healy-Rae masks - claiming independent might have new stranglehold on the Dáil. Pic: Julien Behal/PA Wire
Ceasefire
Gerry Adams shares the love with Enda Kenny before the five-way Frontline leaders' debate at RTÉ. Pic: Julien Behal/PA Wire
Never work with children (part 1)
Enda Kenny meets May Hennelly in Athlone. Pic: Julien Behal/PA Wire
Never work with children (part 2)
Enda used to be a teacher so he does indeed have eyes on the back of his head. Pic: Stephen Kilkenny/LightCurvePhoto.com
Never work with children (part 3)
Emma Brady, age 8 months, is immortalised in another Enda Kenny GE11 walkabout. Pic: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland
Pizza the action
It's one in, all in, when the pizza arrives at the RDS count centre on 26 February. We hope it was on Paschal Donohue, FG, centre - he won his seat that day. Pic: Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland
Fighting fit?
A break in the form of a charity football game with FF's Chris Andrews, SF's Aengus O Snodaigh and Cllr Ruadhan MacAodhain. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire.
The bull wall
Eoghan Murphy, who later won a seat for FG, scored a photo opp at the end of the South Bull Wall handing a leaflet to a swimmer who also happens to be an FG supporter. Image: Naoise Culhane/Maxwells
Eyes down
Former Taoiseach Garret Fitzgerald keeps an eye on the Dublin North Central constituency at the RDS count centre. Pic: Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland
How do I feel?
Lucinda Creighton led the charge for Fine Gael, securing Dublin South East. Pic: Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland
How did we do?
Pic: Julien Behal/PA Wire.
Fianna Fáil implosion
Fianna Fáil's Pat Carey in the RDS Dublin as it became clear Fianna Fáil would lose all but Brian Lenihan's seat in Dublin. Pic: Julien Behal/PA Wire
A lonely place
Mary Hanafin was, for a brief time, minister for tourism, culture and sport and for enterprise, trade and innovation, but lost her Dun Laoghaire seat during this count. Pic: Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland
Brian Lenihan RIP
Former Finance Minister Brian Lenihan became the only FF TD left in Dublin after the general election. He died of cancer on 10 June. Pic: Julien Behal/PA Wire
In the pink
Exchanges in the Dáil have often been colourful but after Mick Wallace was caught on mic calling Mary Mitchell-O'Connor 'Miss Piggy' with Shane Ross and Luke Flanagan in on the chat, apologies had to be forthcoming. Pic: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland
Dial tone
Michael Healy-Rae is asked why €2,600 of phone calls were made from a Leinster House phone to vote for him in Celebrities Go Wild reality TV show. Pic: Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland
Don't leave me hanging
Enda Kenny with other EU leaders back on 24 March. Pic: AP Photo/Michel Euler
(Not) the troika
This one is from 26 November just before David Cameron refused to sign the EU fiscal agreement. Pic: AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert
Smashing presidential pumpkins
Artist Mark Mcnamara carved Ireland's Presidential candidates into pumpkins - these are Mary Davis and David Norris. Pic: Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland
Norris is out...
Speaking of Senator David Norris, he pulled out of the Presidential race in Auguest amid revelations he sought leniency for his ex-partner convicted of statutory rape. Pic: Julien Behal/PA Wire
... and then he's back in
Norris resumed the race and secured four council nominations in September to get on the Presidential ballot. Pic:Leon Farrrell/Photocall Ireland
All the Presidential men and women
Gay Mitchell, David Norris, Mary Davis, Sean Gallagher, Martin McGuinness, Dana Rosemary Scallon, Michael D Higgins on nomination day. Pic: Sasko Lazarov /Photocall Ireland
Suck it and see
Sean Gallagher tried his hand as an independent Presidential candidate but a question over fundraising for Fianna Fáil lost him support at the final hurdle. Pic: Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland
Car drama
Candidate Dana Rosemary Scallon's campaign car suffered a tyre blowout on a motorway. Investigators said the tyres were not vandalised. Pic: Julien Behal/PA Wire
Face-off
The scene at the Google Silver Surfer awards. Presidential candidates Sean Gallagher, Michael D Higgins, Martin McGuinness. Pic: Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland
President Higgins
Ireland's President elect Michael D Higgins is hugged by his wife Sabina after his election victory is announced. Pic: Julien Behal/PA Wire
The happy President
President Michael D Higgins inspecting the troops on the day of his inauguration. Pic: Eamonn Farrell/Photocall Ireland
Budget 2012
Presented by Minister for Finance Michael Noonan. Pic: Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland
Budget 2012
Student protesting the Budget cuts. Pic: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland
Getting political?
This was the scene of anti-IMF and anti-banking bailout protests outside the Dail on the second day of the Budget announcement. Will 2012 finally be the year of public protest in Ireland? Pic: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

Review 2011

A general election, the implosion of two parties, EU drama and a Presidential campaign – can you picture all that in one year? We tried…

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Susan Daly

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