Nobody criticised and challenged the Flood tribunal more than Liam Lawlor. There was an element within Fianna Fail which constantly denigrated the tribunals as expensive and irrelevant. Through his recent actions Mr Lawlor became leader of this element.
However, now the man identified as the "Mr Big" referred to in Mr Frank Dunlop's evidence to the tribunal last May has over six months lost his position as a member of Fianna Fail, been effectively deselected as a party candidate, forced to resign as vice-chairman of one Dail committee and from another one altogether and now, finally, jailed.
It has been a spectacular reversal of fortune for a man once a central figure in Fianna Fail's electoral machine.
Mr Lawlor has been dogged by controversy throughout his political career, possibly ensuring that this man of undoubted ability was never chosen to be a junior office-holder. Yet his skills placed him at the centre of the party's election efforts over two decades.
Last night the Opposition insisted that Fianna Fail had not moved firmly enough against Mr Lawlor as he refused to co-operate first with the party's inquiry into payments to politicians and then with the tribunal. They said he still had an office on a Fianna Fail floor in Leinster House. He enjoyed "privileges" as a result of being still "in the Fianna Fail family", as the Labour leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, put it.
"Nonsense," said Fianna Fail sources. He was out of the party and would not be a party candidate in the next general election. He had to have an office somewhere and was entitled to a Dail secretary.
Mr Lawlor is still a member of two Dail committees. While there are no plans by the Taoiseach to table a motion to have him removed from these,
the party has yet to consider fully how to react to yesterday's dramatic court decision.
It may prove impossible for Mr Ahern not to register further disapproval of Mr Lawlor's behaviour through taking such action.
Barring some legal move by Mr Lawlor today, he will tomorrow be expected to go to Mountjoy to begin serving his sentence. The sight of him going through the gates of Mountjoy will have an enormous effect on the public's perception of the effectiveness of tribunals.
The jailing has no effect on Mr Lawlor's legal right to sit in the Dail and contest elections. The 1992 Electoral Act provides that those serving sentences of more than six months are disqualified from membership of the Dail. Mr Lawlor's sentence is three months.
His political career was effectively over before yesterday's jailing. On November 28th his constituency party closed ranks against him and moved on. They selected two candidates to contest the Dublin Mid West seat he was expected to contest himself.
Mr Lawlor didn't put his name forward. He suggested he might stand as an independent, but few in the constituency took this seriously. It will be a hotly contested three-seat constituency, and his chance of election as an independent are extremely remote.
The internal Fianna Fail inquiry into payments reported bluntly that he had not co-operated with it. Mr Lawlor resigned from the party rather than fight inevitable moves to sanction him.
He had already resigned from the Oireachtas Members' Interests Committee - dealing with ethical and other matters - as the inquiry got under way. Last week, facing the loss of a vote of no confidence, he resigned as vice-chairman of the Finance and Public Service Committee.
Mr Quinn also demanded a response from the Tanaiste, Ms Harney, reminding her that in the past she had said she would not remain a member of any government dependent for Dail survival on anyone guilty of wrongdoing.
"Deputy Lawlor has been found guilty of serious wrongdoing by the High Court. What has the Tanaiste to say now?" Mr Quinn asked.
Ms Harney will undoubtedly be discomfited by the fact that she will find herself in the same division lobby as Mr Lawlor once he is released from jail.
The Government can currently muster a four-seat Dail majority with the support of four Independents and the two former Fianna Fail deputies, Mr Denis Foley and Mr Lawlor. It still has a small amount of breathing space.