A year is a long time in politics

Controversies, shambolic campaigns, Dail chaos, election and high profile visit

- BY CIARA O'LOUGHLIN

THE political year of 2025 began with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael controversially relying on Michael Lowry and other Independents to form a coalition.

It was a move that pushed the left firmly together on one side, and this unifying voice would set the tone for the year ahead, most notably with Catherine Connolly's Aras win.

From Fianna Fail's shambolic presidential campaign, to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit and the €400,000 'Housing Tsar', here are some of the biggest political stories of 2025: Jim Gavin, the tenant, and the presidential review It's the story that kept on giving throughout the Aras race, as Fianna Fail and its leader Micheal Martin remain under serious pressure after a major embarrassment.

The twist that perhaps shocked the nation the most, especially listeners of the Crime World podcast, was that its co-host and deputy editor of the Sunday World, Niall Donald, was revealed as 'The Tenant'.

It all began when the Irish Independent reported that the former Dublin GAA boss failed to repay €3,300 in rent to a former tenant 16 years ago.

Mr Donald was not named in the piece, and he later gave an unnamed interview to his paper, his podcast and others.

Political anoraks may have been busy questioning what this meant for Fianna Fail and the Taoiseach, but the internet, and even those who couldn't care less about the presidential election, were fascinated that the podcast host was the face behind this story.

While Mr Donald was probably happy the limelight didn't focus on him for too long, it's been the nightmare that Fianna Fail haven't gotten away from since Gavin sensationally pulled out of the race on October 5.