Fianna Fáil members gathered in 3,000 separate locations around the State last night to put themselves on a general election footing.
The Taoiseach, who came up with the idea for the mass mobilisation, described it as one of the biggest political rallies ever, involving 45,000 party activists.
Mr Ahern sent a message to each of them at the beginning of January saying he wanted them to attend the meeting on February 18th to elect officers, put in place directors of election and set out plans to support general election candidates.
"The purpose is to start the work on the ground, at activist level, to build up the party vote and to put in place the work over the next three months for the election," Mr Ahern said yesterday.
"In the meantime we want them to mobilise themselves as best they can to get out a Yes vote in the abortion referendum on March 6th." Fianna Fáil as a party is probably at its strongest for "a long number of years", he said.
Asked how it was possible to measure the success of last night's exercise the party general secretary, Mr Martin Mackin, said it had already been a success given the feedback and enthusiasm created.
A recruitment campaign by the party in November had resulted in just under 1,000 new members, and the party hoped that figure would increase to 5,000 by the end of this year.
The meetings were described by the party's director of elections in Carlow, Mr Ned Burke, as a great opportunity to "rally the troops". The media coverage given to the party, he claimed, did not reflect the fact that "four out of 10 people go out and vote Fianna Fáil on a regular basis".
"This event is an acknowledgment and a realisation of that, and a way of letting members know that we are a party of significance," he said.
Mr Burke, who is chairman of the party's Carlow comhairle ceantair, said he had never seen the party organisation in the county so committed and united in advance of an election.
"There is a new spirit and a realisation that all niggles of the past have to be wiped away," he said.
The party has 36 cumainn in Carlow, five of which were meeting at the same location in Carlow town.
Mr John Kirwan, the party's director of elections in Wexford, said the local organisation was "buoyed up" since its selection convention last month, and the meetings would help to keep the momentum going. In 25 years as a party activist, he had not seen the mood of members so upbeat, he claimed.
Meanwhile nominations closed at 5 p.m. yesterday for potential general election candidates for Mr Ahern's Dublin Central constituency, the only one of the 42 where Fianna Fáil has not had its selection convention. It is to be held on Saturday night but it is not yet known who will be Mr Ahern's running mate.
A senior party source said the nominations had been received at headquarters but the envelopes had not been opened.
Those in contention are Dr Dermot Fitzpatrick, a former TD; Mr Cyprian Brady, the Taoiseach's right hand man in the constituency; and his brother, Cllr Royston Brady.