LABOUR TD for Dublin North Central, Aodhán O’Riordan, was heading to his car in the Dáil carpark on Thursday night when he saw a vehicle backing out of its space and heading towards his humble motor.

Sure enough, as O’Riordan watched with mounting concern, the driver duly reversed into the back of his car.

He wasn’t happy.

A few bystanders gathered in the darkness, hoping to witness a row.

Then the door of the offending saloon opened and out stepped Gerry Adams. Smiling.

“Sorry. I was daydreamin’ there. Is everything okay?”

“Oh, fine, fine Gerry. Not a scratch, fine,” said Aodhán meekly, to the disappointment of the onlookers.

The leader of Sinn Féin pranged the bodywork above the bumper of his 2003 Toyota Starlet. It was a minor scrape.

Or “a controlled collision” as it has now become known.