It was not the emperor's new clothes but the Taoiseach's new suits which won it. Mr Ahern, who tirelessly championed the bedraggled cause of the anti-fashion anorak, stepped forward at the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin yesterday to collect the Best Groomed Male Politician title.
The female Dail class of 1997 had voted and there had been no doubt. The top dog was also the smartest.
Dapper deputies whose sartorial elegance caught the eye of the 21 women TDs and five Senators included the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, Mr Dermot Ahern; the Labour TD, Mr Ruarai Quinn; the Fine Gael TD, Mr Sean Barrett; Senator Maurice Manning; and the Minister of State for Enterprise and Employment, Mr Tom Kitt.
Fianna Fail's deputy leader, Ms Mary O'Rourke, sporting a fetching cream trouser suit, announced the winner in the ninth year of the Gillette-sponsored awards and confessed to voting for her leader.
She stressed that there had been "no vote-rigging" or "undue influence". Hadn't she linked arms with previous winners of the prize, such as Mr Dick Spring (1995) and Mr Michael Creed (1992)?
And sexist it most certainly was not. "I say so what? We've had the Rose of Tralee for 25 years. I think the Best Dressed Male Politician is time-established."
So what is this year's Taoiseach wearing? A double-breasted pinstripe suit, made from pure wool by Magees of Donegal, a crisp plain white shirt with blue spotted tie. The black laced shoes were also Irish-made.
Receiving his award, the Dail's sharpest-dressed man had been "taken completely by surprise". His transformation from Anorak Man to Best Groomed Man had not been a solo effort.
His partner, Ms Celia Larkin, and Denise from the Fianna Fail office had played their part in shaping his wardrobe, along with Mr Ahern's former school friend, men's outfitter Louis Copeland, and Declan and Alan Markey of Jim Markey's Manshop in Drumcondra Road.