Mr Brendan Howlin has emerged as the early favourite to be the next leader of the Labour Party after Mr Ruairí Quinn announced yesterday that he would step down after almost five years in the job.
A half-dozen Labour deputies were last night believed to be considering entering the contest. It is the first time in the history of the State that the entire membership of a major party will choose its leader, making the outcome less predictable than usual.
Mr Eamon Gilmore, Mr Pat Rabbitte, Ms Róisín Shortall and Ms Joan Burton were understood to be discussing with supporters the prospect of entering the race.
The Westmeath TD, Mr Willie Penrose, said he had "an open mind" about running.
However, the Limerick East TD, Ms Jan O'Sullivan, about whom there had been some speculation, ruled herself out.
Mr Quinn made his announcement yesterday on his return to Leinster House from holiday, during which he considered his future role.
His decision ended speculation that followed the party's disappointing performance in the general election when it came back with the same number of seats - 21 - with which it entered the campaign.
He put a positive gloss on the result yesterday, saying Labour now had the second-largest parliamentary party in its history.
However, he conceded Labour had failed to get its message across and "seemed to fail to convince people that you cannot have your cake and eat it.
"You cannot have such low tax rates and still have the public services we require."
While most senior party figures now expect the deputy leader, Mr Howlin, to seek the leadership, some sources said last night that he had not finally made up his mind.
He declined to confirm his candidacy last night, saying there must first be "some detailed discussions to see what formulation is needed to lead the party".
There was some speculation that Mr Howlin might seek to put together a new leadership team with him at the head of it, thus avoiding the prospect of a contest.
However, with at least five other possible candidates, a contest among the party's 3,600 members appeared likely.
With the party heading into what one senior source called an "unprecedented democratic experiment", there was some speculation that Mr Rabbitte's and Mr Gilmore's background in Democratic Left would be a handicap for them among a membership overwhelmingly composed of members of the old Labour Party.
However, sources who came into Labour from Democratic Left in the 1998 merger said this factor was overstated.
They were confident that the party would not divide significantly along pre-merger lines.
The field should be known when Labour's parliamentary party meets next Wednesday. Nominations for the leadership and deputy leadership will open on the same day and close a fortnight later on September 18th.
If there is more than one nomination for either position, all Labour members who have been in good standing for at least two years - an estimated 3,600 - will be sent ballot papers by post. The poll will close on October 25th with the result expected that day.
Mr Quinn said yesterday he would not seek a second six-year term in the job. The post involved "an enormous intrusion on a person's time. I didn't feel I could do the job with the commitment with which I have done it in the past five years."
Paddy Power installed Brendan Howlin last night as 4-6 favourite to win the leadership contest. Eamon Gilmore was at 3-1, while Pat Rabbitte, Liz McManus and Jan O'Sullivan were tied at 6-1.