It was, according to both sides, a debate free of rancour and personal bitterness, the political steam taken out of it by the realisation that none of the senior critics of Mr Bruton's leadership was making any effort to drum up support for the motion of no confidence.
At the opening of the meeting, the parliamentary party agreed that as usual, the vote would be by secret ballot and as usual, the result, but not the voting figures, would be made known afterwards.
Four tellers were appointed to count the votes - Mr Austin Deasy, Mr Michael Creed, Mr Ivan Yates and Mr Charles Flanagan.
Mr Deasy opened the debate with a trenchant criticism of the party's current standing in the polls and in the public mind. He asked rhetorically when the party had last received "a good review", and he predicted a serious electoral setback for Fine Gael unless it changed the leader.
Mr Alan Dukes said he had "been there, done that and worn the Tshirt", a reference to his resignation as party leader in 1990 after he lost the support of his parliamentary colleagues.
The challenge to Mr Bruton was ill-considered, he said, as the criticisms that were being made would probably be made of another leader as well. Ms Frances Fitzgerald said voters were generally disillusioned with politics, and Fine Gael should not believe the disillusionment was centred on its party leader.
Mr Ivan Yates said social partnership had been damaging for the Opposition's attempts to get its message across. The press was interested in what the social partners had to say about a variety of issues, but was considerably less interested in what the Opposition thought.
A major challenge faced the party in communicating its message. Young people had little interest in the Opposition's views. These problems had nothing to do with who led the party, he said.
Other speakers in favour of Mr Bruton included Mr Enda Kenny, Mr Jim Higgins, Mr P.J. Sheehan, Mr Gerry Reynolds, Mr Charlie Flanagan, Mr Gay Mitchell and Mr Fergus O'Dowd. Those against were Mr Deasy, Mr Michael Creed, Mr Louis Belton, Mr Billy Timmins, Mr Paul Bradford and Mr Gerry Reynolds.
Mr Michael Noonan attended the meeting but did not speak. He has not challenged the party's statement that the front bench, including himself, has unanimously endorsed Mr Bruton's leadership. However he made his views known on Wednesday, when he objected to the exclusion of senior experienced politicians such as himself from the party's decision-making.
Mr Bruton was the last to speak, defending his leadership, listing changes he had made to the party, revamping the front bench and the various policy initiatives taken.
In response to an earlier suggestion from Longford-Roscommon TD Mr Louis Belton that he should "look in the mirror", he said he had done so, and proceeded to list his positive attributes. He spoke - movingly according to some - of how he had given much of his life to Fine Gael, and how he intended to continue to serve the party.
He went out of his way to speak positively of those who had spoken against him, saying he welcomed their frankness and would take seriously what they had said.
The tone adopted by Mr Bruton suggested there would be no repeat of 1994, when no fewer than seven front bench members were unceremoniously dumped after opposing him.
Mr Bruton remarked after the meeting that it had taken place in a room like a bunker below ground level, but that he had emerged in much better shape than others who had taken to bunkers in the past.