Two months ago, John Gormley was hanging around lamp posts and starting fights with innocent lawyers doing harmless publicity stunts. He was in a fight to the death with Michael McDowell for the last Dáil seat in Dublin South East, writes Miriam Lord.
In boxing parlance, the tale of the tape between the two political rivals seemed to favour the heavyweight McDowell. Michael was the leader of the PDs, whereas John was mere chairman of the Greens. Michael was a Minister. John rode a bike. Michael was never off the radio. John barely got a look in.
But after the infamous Rumble in Ranelagh, when Gormley shot out of the Green corner and tore into the grinning Minister, his fortunes began to rise. On that gloriously entertaining day, Michael had been trying to get some mileage out of putting up a poster, but ended up getting pasted.
The rest is history. McDowell is out of politics and back in the law library, and, in a total reversal of fortunes, mild-mannered Gormley leads his party and is a Minister.
He gives the impression he still can't quite believe it himself. Yesterday evening at the Green headquarters in Dublin's Suffolk Street, he was officially installed as party leader, taking over from Trevor Sargent.
Trevor resigned on an emotional night in the Mansion House, after the party had voted by a resounding majority to go into government with Fianna Fáil. He had said he wouldn't lead the party if it went into coalition with the dreaded FFers. True to his word, he fell on his sword after the result.
"Courageous" was how a grateful John described this selfless act as he donned the leader's mantle.
Luckily though, for Trevor, the sword was only one of those sponge ones you get in joke shops. So he picked himself up, dusted himself off and joined the rest of his party in power with Fianna Fáil, getting himself a nice junior ministry.
They like to be sure, to be sure, in the Greens. It took them the best part of the day to count the votes, and check them. The postal ballot of party members closed at midday yesterday, by which time roughly 60 per cent of the membership had voted.
Seven hours later, the result was announced. 775 votes cast - a surprising 34 of them spoiled - and John Gormley had beaten Patricia McKenna by 478 votes to 263. Another surprise there: few expected former MEP McKenna to poll so well, pulling in over 35 per cent. She was beaming as broadly as her rival when the figures were read out.
The announcement was made 25 minutes late. The appointed hour was 7pm, but it didn't bode well when Gormley was seen hotfooting it down the stairs as seven bells struck, announcing to a party official, "I'm just off for a bowl of soup!" To steady his nerves perhaps? They do things differently in the Green Party.
As the minutes went by, people worried John might be stuck in the lift. There are reassuring signs in it, which you only notice after the doors have closed: "This lift has an intermittent fault". At long last, the soon to be leader's wife Penny arrived, with children Ellie (9) and Sean (8). Finally, as a busking trumpeter around the corner in Grafton Street began a rousing rendition of The Winner Takes it All, John and Patricia arrived, with Trevor Sargent and a returning officer in tow.
This being his last hurrah as leader, courageous Trevor Sargent gave a rather lengthy speech. As he bowed out, he pointed out the party had reached "the end of an era".
He praised both candidates. "John is an empathiser," he said. Which will come as news to Bertie, who thought he was Church of Ireland.
Despite losing, Patricia McKenna was surprised and delighted with the votes she got. "We have to ensure the grassroots of the party will be taken into account," she smiled ominously, adding that "the basic core principles on which the Green Party was founded" would have to be maintained.
As for the victor, he was "honoured and pleased". He thanked Trevor for being brave enough to step aside. "It's going to be very difficult to fill Trevor's shoes."
And Trevor rocked back on the heels of his courageous footwear and looked very pleased with himself.
John is well settled into to his ministry now. "This morning, I sat around the table with Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness and I spoke about climate change," he told the small goup of media, party workers and supporters.
Right enough, it hasn't stopped raining since the Greens got into government. Another sign of how he has taken to high office was his refusal to make any comments on Bertie Ahern's tribunal appearance. Wait until the outcome, and all that, he replied in true Fianna Fáil fashion.
Gormley, however, will most definitely not be joining his Government colleagues at the forthcoming Galway races. "Galway? In the tent?" He nearly fainted at the idea. "I can't stand horseracing. Can't abide it."
That could change too. Give him another while in Government Buildings and he'll be buying binoculars and a trilby hat.