The prospect of Tom Parlon's arrival and Michael McDowell's return created a buzz among the delegates at the conference, writes Mark Hennessy, Political Reporter.
Bouyed by the return to the ranks of Michael McDowell, Progressive Democrats conference delegates happily applauded themselves for the achievements in power over the last five years.
However, the coming abortion referendum hung over the heads of some like a cloud. "The party is going to lose out on this one," said a Sligo delegate, Mr Tony Clarke.
"Personally, women should be entitled to an abortion if there are cases of incest. And I am speaking as a grandfather. I don't agree with the call for a Yes vote," he told The Irish Times.
But he understood Mary Harney's difficulties, faced as she is with Bertie Ahern's determination to hold a referendum. "Still, she has her problems, and I have my beliefs," said Mr Clarke.
The issue was not discussed during the conference's formal sessions, with most agreeing that a debate would do nothing for the party other than highlight divisions in the ranks.
"There are divisions on this subject in every party. If we had a debate, we would simply have to agree to disagree at the end of it and let everyone have a conscience vote," said one party adviser.
Admitting that there was "a bit of unease" about the referendum, a Waterford delegate, John Blackwell, preferred to concentrate on "the buzz" now within the party following McDowell's return and the arrival of Tom Parlon.
"The party has been reinvigorated by McDowell. Both of them will bring fresh thinking. McDowell appeals to the intellectual, policy-making side of the party," he said.
In the 1970s Blackwell sat on Lambeth Borough Council in London alongside the former British Prime Minister, John Major, and the current Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone.
Accustomed from that to being pilloried, or just simply misunderstood, Blackwell is more than forgiving of Harney for using an Air Corps flight to get to the opening of a Manorhamilton off-licence.
"I thought all of that was rather petty. She is a busy lady. The amount of work that she packs into a working day is amazing. Virtually every waking hour. She is entitled to the facilities available," he said.
However, not everyone thinks likewise.
A Young Progressive Democrat, Brian Hassett, commented: "We were very lucky that the flight story coincided with the news about McDowell and Parlon. Otherwise, it would not have looked too good for us.
"I was annoyed, and a lot of Young Progressive Democrats were annoyed. It was a mistake to take the flight. We can't afford to make mistakes like that."
The conference floor rarely became vocal, preferring in the main to listen.
Anna Murphy, from Dún Laoghaire, called on the party to take action to deal with the increasing problems caused by Traveller halting sites.
Sooner or later the problem will have to be faced, she said. The solution was houses, not halting sites, she said. Romantic notions about "preserving a way of life that disappeared years ago" would have to be jettisoned.
Calling on the Progressive Democrats to return planning powers on the issue to councillors, she said legislation introduced in 1998 allowed for consultation of everybody, except local residents.
The party's determination to remain committed to low taxes survived a warning from a leading IBEC figure, Peter Brennan, who raised the prospect that taxes might have to rise to fund infrastructural development.
Ireland spent far less now on infrastructure than the EU's biggest countries, "and they have a far better infrastructural stock than we do", warned Brennan, managing director of A&L Goodbody Consultants.
The former Progressive Democrats general secretary, Garvin McGinley, was back as a delegate and convinced that life was on the up.
"There is a real feel-good factor around the place. People are just mad to get on with it," said the Mullingar-based hotelier, who knows more than most how difficult it will be to reach the eight-seat target set by Harney.
"Her popularity has to transfer downwards, but we are going about it the right way. If we don't get back into power, that won't be the be all and end all of everything. There are many other things to do in Opposition," he declared.