1. Mood in the party is pretty goodDespite likely facing a spanking in two byelections next Friday, the mood among most delegates at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre was pretty chipper. The place was packed with 2,000 delegates, with elections to the party’s ruling national executive driving attendance, as candidates brought teams of campaigners with them. Fianna Fáil is back in Government as the largest party in the Dáil and is the largest in local government. When they come together, Fianna Fáilers like to celebrate these things. Some found the presence of pro-Palestinian demonstrators outside the venue strangely reassuring. “You’d be worried if there was no protesters,” said one delegate. And of course, it was the 100th birthday of Fianna Fáil. There were plenty of times in the wake of the financial crash a decade and a half ago when the party reaching that milestone looked unlikely. Pro-Palestine supporters demonstrate outside the Dublin Royal Convention Centre, during the Fianna Fáil ardfheis. Photograph: Conor O Mearain/PA Wire 2. Fianna Fáil has written off its byelection chancesGiven it is polling in single figures in both the Dublin Central and Galway West campaigns, Fianna Fáil knows next Saturday, when the votes are counted, will be a difficult day. Having spent weeks telling anyone who would listen (and many who would not) that “governments don’t win byelections”, Fianna Fáilers will have some explaining to do if Fine Gael’s Seán Kyne wins in Galway West. Still, their expectations for themselves are so low that the potential fallout from even a dire performance is likely to be limited. There was little evidence around the ardfheis of an appetite for restarting the efforts to get a heave going against the party leader. Delegates mostly shrugged when asked about the two byelections. “Tough constituencies. Sure, what can you do?” The days when byelections were Fianna Fáil versus the rest are gone.Fianna Fáil's Dublin Central byelection candidate John Stephens speaks to Marguerite Norris and her children in Drumcondra last week. Photograph: Tom Honan 3. Was this Micheál Martin’s last ardfheis?There little evidence of any desire to restart the recurring psychodrama over Martin’s leadership, even if the byelections are a disaster. However, there was also a sense around the conference venue that this could be Martin’s last ardfheis as leader. Once the EU presidency is concluded at the end of this year, the leadership issue will probably resurface. Few, if any, of his TDs really believe that Martin will lead them into the next general election. If so, the question becomes not if he will go, but when. It will be hard to put that into the bottle next year. Of course, much in politics depends on the surrounding context – but the march of time waits for nobody. Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan speaking during the Fianna Fáil ardfheis at the Dublin Convention Centre on Saturday. Photograph: Conor O Mearain/PA Wire Delegates were looking at potential contenders like Jim O’Callaghan, Dara Calleary and Darragh O’Brien not just as Ministers, but as possible next leaders. 4. The grassroots still love Bertie. The leadership, not so muchThere were cheers whenever Bertie Ahern’s face was shown on the giant screen during the warm-up for Martin’s televised leader’s address, though no one seemed to have spotted the former taoiseach around, despite his pledge on Friday to attend. Fianna Fáil’s leadership was expecting him, not least because they knew his presence would cause them some embarrassment. But delegates who spoke to The Irish Times were keen to express their support for their former leader, despite the controversy his remarks about immigration caused last week. Bertie Ahern: Images of former Fianna Fáil leader and taoiseach drew cheers from ardfheis delegates. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw “He was dead right,” said one, “and at least he didn’t bring in abortion.” Election posters of Fianna Fáil councillors from immigrant backgrounds were prominently displayed around the venue. Some party bigwigs were happy to quietly point out that Martin’s resolve not to have Ahern as the party’s presidential candidate looks a little better now.5. A lot done, more to doUnderstandably, there was a lot of focus on the party’s achievements over the last century, though Martin’s speech was focused on the future and on Fianna Fáil’s plans for housing, education, disabilities and so forth. Ministers and TDs do believe they are making progress. If they can make a difference in areas like housing, they believe, then the electorate will recognise that and reward them as a party that “gets things done”. But they say this more with a sense of hope than of confidence.