Standing alone in the morning sunshine on the steps of Government Buildings yesterday, the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, brought down the curtain on the life of the Government.
"I will go now to see President McAleese at Arás an Uachtarain and ask her to dissolve the Dáil for the purpose of holding a general election on Friday, May 17th," he told journalists.
"Now it is time for the people to decide Ireland's path and Ireland's future. I pledge my party, and I ask all parties, to give the people the campaign they deserve, a campaign of substance not slander; of issues not insults."
Mr Ahern quickly glossed over the many scraps with Mary Harney over the Bertie Bowl, the Philip Sheedy affair and the attempt to appoint Mr Justice Hugh O'Flaherty to the European Investment Bank.
"We could not expect to agree on everything and we have not, but this has been a constructive partnership government and I am grateful for their contribution to an unprecedented term of peace, prosperity and progress."
Keeping his opening salvo on the first day short on specifics, Mr Ahern said Fianna Fáil would "set forth a specific, ambitious and credible programme" for the next five years.
He said prosperity was on offer to all built on the strong foundations of the past, along with reform of the health services, investment in schools and pensions and the safeguarding of rural Ireland.
Defending the Coalition's performance in office, the Taoiseach said they had vowed five years ago to cut unemployment, taxes and crime and to work for peace.
"The era of mass unemployment and emigration has been brought to an end. Today, Ireland is a place of hope - a place to live and prosper, not a place to leave.
"We have provided for 1,200 new gardaí and built 1,200 new prison spaces, and while the level of crime is still unacceptable, crime today is at its lowest level in 20 years.
"We have reversed indifference, neglect and under-investment in public services, with a record 100 per cent increase for health and a record 86 per cent increase for education.
"The achievement of which we are most proud is the historic breakthrough for peace, the ceasefires, the Good Friday agreement, the referenda and all the hard, ceaseless work that has been done to bring an end to armed conflict."
Despite calls for weekend polling, he said the election would be on a Friday and stations would be open for 15 hours, "longer than on any previous occasion".
In words that will be repeated mantra-like until May 17th, Mr Ahern declared: "We say to the Irish people: promises made, promises kept, a lot done, more to do. Give us your help and your vote, and together let's finish the job."
