Mood of delegates: The mood among the delegates at Saturday's ardfheis was upbeat, even euphoric. Indeed the confidence among the grassroots was such that some TDs were privately worried about complacency in the run-up to next summer's general election.
Tom Fitzgerald, from Dingle, Co Kerry, is an ardfheis veteran. A former senator, a close friend of Charles Haughey and Bertie Ahern, he reflected the confidence of delegates.
"Of course, we have had our problems. But the reality is that at the height of the controversy about Bertie accepting money, ordinary people around the country were saying the opposite to what the media and the Opposition were saying," said Mr Fizgerald.
"The prosperity of the country, the fact that the economy is doing well, are far more important than what the Taoiseach might have done, prior I might add, to the ethics legislation that came into place."
Mr Fitzgerald said that the boost for Fianna Fáil in the opinion polls was not because of sympathy for the Taoiseach's personal circumstances of years ago.
"When I walk down Dingle town for a paper in the morning, I meet people who might be pretty lukewarm towards the Government. They said to me, at the height of the controversy surrounding the Taoiseach, that was what was going on in the Dáil was disgraceful. They wanted politicians to go back to the real issues which affect people," he said.
Mr Fitzgerald, a regular visitor to Kinsealy and the late Mr Haughey's island home off Kerry, does not believe that the former taoiseach's legacy has damaged the party.
"I never saw anything of Charlie's so-called lavish lifestyle. In Dingle, today, there are at least six to eight local people with yachts in the marina which are as expensive, or even more expensive, than the yacht Charlie had," he added.
"He might have had a few cases of wine out in the island. So what? There was no local shop to walk down to."
Deirdre McLaughlin, from Donegal, said the mood was good among the grassroots.
"People got so fed up of how the media and the Opposition went on about the money Bertie received that it turned the tide completely in his favour," she said.
"I found people in Donegal, who would be supporters of the Opposition parties, saying they were fed up of it all. They were saying they would vote Fianna Fáil because of it."
Liam Fitzsimons, from Askeaton, Co Limerick, a member of the national executive, said the party was doing well in the polls and on course for a third term in office.
"Bertie Ahern is the most popular party leader of all time," he added. "Personally, I heard no adverse reaction to Bertie Ahern's recent difficulties among the party's grassroots."
Anthony Kelly, president of Ógra Fianna Fáil, said the party had its most successful year in terms of recruitment.
"We recruited 2,400 new members in colleges throughout the country," he said.
