It would be so, so nice to be smug and to point out that I suggested on January 20th that a Fianna Fáil/Green coalition was a viable possibility and that a Fine Gael/Labour/Green alliance would not gain enough seats to form a government, writes Breda O'Brien..
Except for the small problem that it never even crossed my mind that a coalition comprising the Greens, the remnants of the PDs, Michael Lowry, Finian McGrath, Beverley Flynn and Jackie Healy-Rae would be the eventual outcome.
In fact, if anyone claims that it crossed his or her mind, and that person's name is not Bertie Ahern, I would suggest that the individual concerned had been smoking some very evil weed. Even looking at those names written in the same sentence makes my head spin.
The motivation underlying the choice of this particular combination is the most bizarre mixture of auction politics, loyalty and innovative thinking that can be imagined.
The Independents are not just drawn from the Fianna Fáil gene pool, if you will excuse the use of a phrase that claims the prize as the most overused cliché of the election campaign. The Independents are an ex-Fine Gael minister, an activist northside politician, a woman who failed in a libel action and now faces possible bankruptcy, and a man whose ambition seems to be to pave south Kerry while his tarmacadam-deprived neighbours an inch over the border of his constituency can only look on in envious amazement.
Loyalty explains at least in part the retention of Mary Harney. The other part may be accounted for by the fact that having a PD about the place to blame has worked wonderfully in the past, so why change a winning strategy? But why the Greens? The cynical response would be that it might increase the chance they will be wiped out at the next election. They can also be blamed, albeit for very different things, just as the PDs were.
However, nothing is ever as simple as it appears to be with Bertie. It is quite possible that he feels the time has come to make cautious progress on issues such as climate change, without having to commit himself totally to it.
The Greens are also fresh blood, and the novelty of it all has enabled him to get away with making very few changes to the Cabinet line-up. Mind you, Dick Roche's last act regarding Tara, where he signed an order allowing the motorway to built over the prehistoric henge, does prove the truth of the adage that revenge is a dish best served cold.
John Gormley and Eamon Ryan are both very able individuals, and will work their socks off to make any progress possible on the issues about which they are both passionate. Such commitment may come at a high price.
This week, the Taoiseach made it clear that one of the things he prizes most in a minister is the ability to maintain a punishing work ethic. He himself routinely works 70- 80-hour weeks. While admirable on one level, it is also insane, not least because it sets the bar so high that many people are scared away from involvement in politics.
Much has been made about our disgracefully low numbers of women TDs. It is not unconnected to the fact that it is still acceptable for a woman to look at the crazy levels of personal availability that are demanded, and to reject them out of hand.
In the previous and current Cabinet, two of the female Ministers do not have children, and the third admitted sadly in interviews that she was missing out on important parts of her children's lives. Before the European elections, Mairead McGuinness was angry that people asked her so often about how she would cope as a woman with young children. It is naturally annoying that it is only women who tend to be asked such things. It is also in an obscure way a compliment, because it is still presumed that women want to maintain a healthier balance in their lives.
Yet real change will not come about until men, too, adopt different values.
The Greens modelled some very interesting values this past week. They decided to maintain silence about details of the negotiations, and both they and Fianna Fáil managed to frustrate every political journalist in Ireland.
It was delicious to see politicians realise they do not have to accede to every media demand for information. For that they will pay, but that is another day's work.
Trevor Sargent modelled an unusual degree of integrity. He had said he would resign in the event of a coalition with Fianna Fáil, and moments after the decision was made, he resigned. Nor did he accept a Cabinet post, although he may accept a junior ministry.
The Greens also showed they were mature enough to accept compromise, and they were refreshingly honest about the deal they had made.
There was no attempt to spin it as a wild success, but instead it was presented as the best that skilled negotiation could accomplish, and that in their judgment being inside the tent far surpassed being outside.
Naturally, much of the energy of the Greens will be focused on proving their ability to master portfolios, and to advance their policies. These are important tasks, but they could also make a contribution by challenging the "long-hours" culture that Bertie deems essential.
Political life, especially at Cabinet level, practically demands that people sacrifice time that should be spent with their families. It may be more acceptable for women to refuse to do so, but the reality is that it is not until men, too, begin to press for change that reform will happen.
The Greens will be under enormous pressure and scrutiny. There is a macho element to politics where the ability to work until you drop is a badge of honour. Any attempt to change that will be sneered at as typically touchy-feely Green stuff.
Yet the Greens consider themselves a value-driven party. They claim to be in government to promote their policies. They also have an opportunity to try and promote a more human and balanced style of living, not least in political life. Oddly, that may prove to be the bigger challenge.