They may be struggling with the lowest ratings since their foundation, but nothing was going to spoil the 21st party of the Progressive Democrats.
Last night 300 of the party faithful returned to the place of their birth in Galway city. It was in Salthill's Leisureland that former leader Des O'Malley formally launched the party with Bobby Molloy and Mary Harney after the acrimonious split from Fianna Fáil in late 1985.
Described as the "party guru", Mr Molloy was one of the guest speakers, alongside party leader and Tánaiste Michael McDowell and sitting TD in the Galway West constituency Noel Grealish.
After doing a walkabout on Shop Street, the Tánaiste insisted that he is "absolutely clear" that Mr Grealish will retain his seat despite polls showing it will likely be a battle against Green Party Galway city mayor Niall Ó Brolcháin.
When the "complete codology" preached by the Greens about roads investment hit home, voters would stick with the PDs, predicted the Tánaiste.
With balloons floating above the tables in what seemed more like an election launch than a birthday party, there was no talk among the ranks that the party had polled just 1 per cent in the latest Irish Times/TNS mrbi survey.
Indeed, all the talk was of scoring a historic victory with the election of Cllr Ciarán Cannon in the Galway East constituency.
