Dáil Sketch: Bertie Ahern stared down at his brief as abuse was heaped on the Government from the Opposition benches. When he was not speaking, his only body movements were for an occasional sip from a glass of water. And although his mood was decidedly tetchy, he kept his cool for the most part.
But not so Minister for Justice Michael McDowell and Minister for Transport Martin Cullen, who produced some minor volcanic eruptions during bad-tempered exchanges.
Enda Kenny returned to the nursing home controversy, outlining a grim case history which had come to his attention following some detective work. Mr McDowell, seated next to Mr Ahern, was accused by Mr Kenny of smirking.
An outraged Minister for Justice glared at Mr Kenny. "The deputy is a fraud," he snorted. Mr Kenny accused Mr McDowell of knowing nothing about the nursing home controversy.
"The deputy is an amateur detective," Mr McDowell said.
Mr Ahern continued to defend the Government's record, always retreating to the uninterrupted stare at his brief when he had finished speaking. Clearly, he does not believe in staring the enemy in the eye.
"They didn't like that," he muttered in Mr McDowell's direction as he sat down, clearly confident that he had outwitted the Opposition.
Fine Gael accused Mr Ahern of failing to take responsibility for the abuses in nursing homes. "Pontius Pilate had nothing on the Taoiseach," Jim O'Keeffe said.
Mr Cullen's outburst came when Pat Rabbitte referred to the "daily hell" experienced by motorists on the M50. The same motorists, he added, were staring into a Dante's Inferno because of the work to be carried out there.
"Perhaps the Labour Party has a magic wand," Mr Cullen snapped.
Mr Rabbitte replied: "If I needed any corroboration of the mess on the M50, I can tell taxpayers that it is in the safe hands of Deputy Cullen."
Mr Cullen, referring to the alleged money-creating pursuits of the Workers' Party many years ago, remarked: "While Deputy Rabbitte was printing money, we were working on it."
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern observed: "Money was not growing on trees."
Independent Finian McGrath recalled Mr Ahern's Ray Burke-related metaphorical climbing of trees in north Dublin. "The Minister for Foreign Affairs should tell us about the trees," Mr McGrath said.
The Taoiseach referred to the bad old days for the economy when, he said, there was speculation that the M50 might not be viable.
Mayo Independent Dr Jerry Cowley asked about the plight of the west of Ireland, which, he said, needed development.
Mr Ahern continued, in lyrical terms, about the M50. Dr Cowley again made a case for the west.
Mr Ahern went on to predict great things for the M50, but stopped short of promising to drain the Shannon.