Senior Sinn Féin figures, including Martin McGuinness, had to intervene to head off attempts by a significant number of delegates to rule the party out of coalition talks following the next general election, writes Mark Hennessy, Political Correspondent
The ardfheis faced a series of motions that demanded that SF should not consider coalition at all with Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael or Labour, or not even enter into coalition talks without the party membership's prior agreement.
Senior party figures took to the podium to argue against the motions, following early signs that the "no coalition" calls were being strongly supported by a significant number of delegates.
Warning delegates not to be "presumptuous", Mr McGuinness, the party's chief negotiator, said: "The people who will decide the configuration of the next government will be the electorate.
"I think it would be grossly irresponsible for us here to say to the electorate that we will have no say to decide the future of this part of our island."
Mr McGuinness, who was late to join the list of speakers to the heavily attended debate, said a decision to join a post-election coalition could not be "taken by me, or Gerry Adams. The people who will decide will be you."
Dublin delegate Justin Moran said a decision by Sinn Féin to join a coalition of any form should require a two-thirds majority of delegates because it would dictate the development of the party for years afterwards.
Waterford delegate Jackie Feehan received considerable applause when he sought support for a motion that would stop SF going into coalition with Fianna Fáil "under any circumstances".
Fianna Fáil, he said, is "a so-called republican party", had set "the Special Branch loose on republicans for 30 years" and "taken brown envelopes" from developers. "People are crying out for an alternative. We need to send FF out to grass for a number of years. They have destroyed the political system. SF should not in any circumstances go into coalition and prop up FF."
By now, delegates were roundly applauding those calling for support for the motions - to the obvious concern of the party leadership, which rapidly added people to the speakers' list. Urging delegates to reject the motions, outgoing ard comhairle member Seán MacBrádaigh said the anti-coalition motion "would hand our enemies a weapon that we are a purely opposition party.
"Nobody in the leadership is proposing going into government. Trust yourselves and make the right decision when the time comes. You have the power to decide," he told the crowded ardfheis session.
Seán Crowe TD, Dublin South West, said he had detected a lot of nervousness about going into government, though he had said he had become a bit annoyed when he heard party members fearing that it would "dilute our principles".
"I have no worries about losing my edge. I am confident about my ability. I am confident about the ability of the people in this party.
"I believe that we can bring about positive change.
"We need to go into the next election with our options open. I don't want to go into negotiations with my hands tied behind my back," the Tallaght-based TD declared.
In his speech, Sinn Féin's vice president Pat Doherty emphasised that the issue of coalition would finally be decided after the electorate had cast its vote, and party delegates had their say.
"We should not pre-empt that decision. If after a future election other parties come knocking on our door seeking to talk about future government then well and good. But, ultimately, it will be up to all of us to make that call," Mr Doherty said.