Best Politician AwardThere is no standout winner. But the Social Democrats leader delivered a very impressive result with Daniel Ennis in the Dublin Central byelection, hot on the heels of the party’s solid support for Catherine Connolly for president last year. Her party is now the second-largest Opposition grouping behind Sinn Féin while, under Holly Cairns’s leadership, the Soc Dems continue to eclipse Labour in the opinion polls with a definite purple wave in evidence, especially among younger voters.And that she continually gets under the Taoiseach’s skin during Leaders’ Questions – where she is also improving – will also go down well with supporters. But the Taoiseach also shares in the honours. For one thing he’s still in the job and his political experience is being put to good use as Ireland eases into its presidency of the Council of the European Union. He may not have had the best of terms, but Micheál Martin remains the great survivor as it looks like he may yet be able to leave as leader of Fianna Fáil on his own terms. He won approval for his refusal to sit silently in the Oval Office – as more powerful international leaders have done – while Donald Trump badmouthed UK prime minister Keir Starmer; and on the Fianna Fáil front he seems to have quelled unrest in the ranks for now as he glides towards his exit.Taoiseach Micheál Martin and US president Donald Trump at the Oval Office. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire Best Opposition TD A tie between newcomer Jen Cummins of the Social Democrats and Aontú’s Peadar Tóibín. Deputy Cummins is a lively, passionate speaker, particularly on education matters. A TD from the Liberties in Dublin South Central, she is very articulate and an impressive advocate for children with special needs in school. Her husband Dietmar’s cake-making prowess was lauded by the Ceann Comhairle during one Dáil session, which had everyone intrigued. Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín remains the Dáil’s most effective communicator. Photograph: Stephen Collins/Collins Tóibín’s conservative views may not be to everyone’s taste but he remains the Dáil’s most effective communicator, who manages to get a disproportionate amount of coverage for a party with just two seats.Backbone of the YearShared between Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, for going toe to toe with the all-powerful hospital consultants, and Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon for going up against the powerful farming lobby demanding the resignation of Bord Bia chair Larry Murrin when it emerged that his company, the international cooked meat suppliers Dawn Farm Foods, sources some beef from Brazil – 1 per cent of overall supply last year.Senators of the Year It took eight years of hard work but, finally, Senator Frances Black saw her Occupied Territories Bill passed by the Oireachtas as the end of term approached. It’s a great achievement for her but with not all aspects of the Bill, namely a proposed ban on trade in services with Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories, passing muster, she’ll be back to continue the fight.Labour senator Nessa Cosgrove has a knack of raising issues from her Sligo catchment while framing them in the national context. Photograph: Stephen Collins/Collins Labour senator Nessa Cosgrave is a good performer in the Upper House and a regular contributor to debates. She has a good knack of raising issues from her Sligo catchment while framing them in the national context.The Dog Ate My Homework AwardIndependent Ireland MEP Ciaran Mullooly was ambushed by angry senators when he visited the Upper House with fellow MEPs from Midlands-North-West to give them a progress report on their work in Europe. Senators with links to the farming community were up in arms over Ciaran’s assertion that Brazilian beef was being used in some Irish hot school lunches, demanding that he supply the proof. He didn’t. Independent Ireland MEP Ciaran Mullooly: 'The evidence has been eaten.' Photograph: Enda O'Dowd The row continued on LMFM radio when presenter Adrian Kennedy looked for clarity.“You don’t have any proof that Brazilian beef has been used in school meals, is that correct?”“The evidence has been eaten,” Mullooly replied.Bust-up of the YearThe great schism of Kilgarvan occurred when the Healy Rae brothers fell out in the turbulent aftermath of the fuel protests.Michael and Danny signed a deal to support the Government but they threw in the towel and supported the Opposition in a no-confidence vote against the Government arising from the unrest. Michael Healy-Rae outside Leinster House in April. Photograph: Stephen Collins/Collins A clearly anguished Michael blindsided his Government colleagues when he resigned from his dream job as minister of State in the Department of Agriculture while brother Danny, who was all for ditching their deal and siding with the fuel protesters, was gung-ho for a walkout.But it didn’t stop him whinging after Chief Whip Mary Butler promptly relieved him of his coveted place on the agriculture committee. On the day of his resignation, Michael went outside the gates of Leinster House and raised his fist in the air to cheers from the fuel protesters. But it was an empty gesture. He didn’t want to leave his job. The word around the Dáil was that Danny forced his hand. They sold themselves to the Coalition as a voting pair – no Danny, no job any more for Michael. The painful split between the brothers was obvious from the start. When Michael eventually returned to the Dáil after a period of reflection, he sat across the chamber from Danny. And Michael eventually confirmed to Radio Kerry that they are now estranged.Made for the JobCeann Comhairle Verona Murphy had a very rocky start to her tenure in the chair. But she has certainly grown into the role.Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy: even-tempered, measured and amiable. Photograph: Sam Boal/Collins She is an even-tempered, measured and amiable ceann, for the most part (some TDs would try the patience of a saint), while she has a great welcome for people visiting the Dáil and Leinster House. Even her Irish skills are improving. Doorstep Diplomacy Award (and stitch-up of the season)Bertie Ahern, former taoiseach and TD for Drumcongo. Ever the optimist, Bertie took to the streets of Dublin Central during the byelection in May to whip up support for Fianna Fáil’s man in the race. He always loved the aul canvassing and door knocking, buttering up the punters on the doorsteps. When one woman started giving out to him about immigrants, seasoned hustings hustler Bertie told her what he presumed she wanted to hear, confiding that he too was worried about Africans coming into the country. “We can’t be taking in people from the Congo and all these places”. Former taoiseach Bertie Ahern clarified that he has no problem with people from the Congo or Africa. Photograph: Colin Keegan/Collins What he didn’t know is that she was recording him on a phone concealed from his view. He later clarified that he has no problem with people from the Congo or Africa, and he was just trying to defuse the diatribe. Taoiseach Micheál Martin was not amused, because he ended up having to do most of the explaining.Worst Endorsement from a Pop Star CMAT, who has had a few goes at Bertie Ahern for his part in the 2008 financial crash, namechecked the former taoiseach again while performing on stage in Brooklyn, New York. The secret video of his byelection canvass comments about immigrants made it across the Atlantic and CMAT let fly at poor Bertie in front of the huge concert crowd.“He’s trying to blame Ireland’s problems on immigration instead of himself. So allow me to be very clear when I say f*** that racist c***.”Hissy Fit of the TermMichael Collins, the leader of Independent Ireland, was fit to be tied when his party’s great hope in the Galway byelections performed well on first preferences but fell by the wayside after the transfers he needed to get over the line didn’t materialise. Instead, Fine Gael’s Seán Kyne benefited most from Fianna Fáil, Social Democrat and Labour transfers – not exactly a surprise. In an exquisite fit of fulmination on the Dáil plinth, he glowered and declared “in my view there was pacts done” and that the parties provided “a crutch” for the Fine Gael candidate to get elected and he couldn’t understand why supporters of left-leaning parties might not want to vote for Indignation Ireland, which marches to a different drum.Their chances were “absolutely thrown into the bin by Labour and the Social Democrats”, he sulked.The Michael Collins awardThis one is a bit confusing. It goes to Michael Collins and Tánaiste Simon Harris.Happier times for the leader of Indignation Ireland in April when his party played a big part in supporting the mainly rural-based fuel protesters who tried to bring the country to a standstill by blockading big roads around the country with heavy machinery. The party had to temporarily suspend its membership payment portal because of high demand. On day five of the protests, he issued a rallying call to the protesters and blasted the Government for not standing by them.Michael Collins TD under a portrait of Michael Collins. Photograph: Facebook “The Government has gone up against ye, the Ordinary People,” cried Collins from his constituency office in west Cork, sitting beneath a portrait of another valiant son of west Cork General Michael Collins. They won’t have liked that in Fine Gael.And then on the last day of term, during statements on the fiscal implications of Irish unity, Harris launched an unlikely charm offensive on the Shinners by giving them Government time for the discussion. He then addressed not only the financial implications but also the benefits a united Ireland could deliver. Mary Lou McDonald found herself in the unusual situation of warmly welcoming the Tánaiste’s initiative, noting that Irish unity matters are usually raised by TDs from her side of the House. “I want to sincerely thank you for your commentary, which I find to be constructive. I actually find it very, very refreshing that, as Tánaiste and leader of Fine Gael, you advocate that we embrace this conversation. I think that is exactly where we need to be and I want to commend you, actually, for this.” Harris was dumbstruck, but maybe it was just the pigs flying overhead which surprised him.And then, Sinn Féin’s Rose Conway-Walsh, with Mary Lou beaming beside her, went one further and told the Tánaiste: “I think Michael Collins would be pleased with you today.” But which one?Mortification Once Again Not great on the gaffe front for Sinn Féin this year.Two mortifying incidents – both on European Union matters – left one of their TDs and one of their MEPs red faced when their lack of basic knowledge was exposed during public hearings. The first one was in February when Cavan-Monaghan TD Cathy Bennett, a member of the foreign affairs committee, thought Ireland’s EU council presidency was about us selecting somebody to become president of Europe, an office which doesn’t exist.No matter how much Minister of State Neale Richmond tried to explain that the presidency is a six-month leadership role taken in turn by member state governments, Cathy couldn’t grasp the concept. But Cathy’s misunderstanding happened only within the wasteland of an Oireachtas committee room. This week, her party colleague MEP Lynn Boylan swooped in to take her crown with a mortifying display at a European Parliament committee meeting when she tried to score a cheap and self-serving point over her commitment to the Irish language in the face of EU indifference. Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan: mortifying display at a European Parliament committee meeting. Photograph: Conor Ó Mearáin/Collins Gaeilgeoir extraordinaire Lynn prefaced her contribution by performatively saying thank you and good morning in Irish before sighing: “It’s unfortunate that we can’t use our own language in this committee but I will continue now in English.” Not so fast. A gentleman to the right of the committee chair quickly whispered: “She can.”“You can. You can, yeah,” smiled the chair, as Ireland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Helen McEntee, nodded in agreement. Irish has been one of the EU’s working languages for many years.A tentative little voice drifts from Lynn’s direction. “Pardon?”Followed by a plaintive: “We can?”Spanish MEP Hana Jalloul Muro – an expert in international terrorism – is in the chair. “You can. You can,” she says again.“Aah, okay. We didn’t know, sorry,” says Lynn. “So...”She gives a little laugh – music to curl your toes by. “I’ll continue in English because I wasn’t prepared.” she murmurs. “But, so...”Morto. Fianna Fáil MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú was also in action in Europe. She’s a marvellous Irish speaker and, after the Boylan debacle, she made sure to make good use of it, announcing her intention to do so before happily launching into her address. Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan at Dublin Castle on Thursday. Photograph: Bryan Meade/EPA On Thursday in Dublin Castle, it was also Jim O’Callaghan’s pleasure to chair a meeting of the EU’s justice ministers with a three-minute blast of Irish.The clip even went up on his socials with the caption, “The EU has 24 official languages, with Irish gaining full and working status in 2022. So I was very pleased to welcome my EU ministerial counterparts to Dublin Castle for the informal justice and home affairs meeting”. We are told it was always his intention to start his speech as Gaeilge.