Liam Weeks: 'FF may hope for forgiveness but the voters won't forget its flaws'

The party may show signs of life, but the prognosis for Fianna Fail is still looking uncertain, writes Liam Weeks

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald. Photo: PA

We all heard the joke during the recession that the only difference between Ireland and Iceland was one letter and six months.

While our economy was drastically hit by the financial crisis, the meltdown was even greater in Iceland. The Independence Party, in government on an almost permanent basis, bore the brunt of the blame for the country's near-bankruptcy, losing one-third of its votes and seats at the 2009 parliamentary elections. In its place, a left-wing coalition formed, which quickly implemented a programme of austerity.