After fierce speculation and passionate appeals from the candidates, the Dáil has its first female Ceann Comhairle. Michael Lowry emerges as a key player and kingmaker, if a controversial one, overseeing Verona Murphy's historic appointment. And now the Healy-Raes look set to give the new administration a half-leg up.

Things are shaping up in the process of government formation. Labour and the Soc Dems are out, and the Regionals might be in. Will Verona be the first female Ceann? Or might Sinn Féin cause an upset? Speculation is rife over who'll get a ministerial role. With the realignment of the independents, and the end of the Rurals, where will Mattie end up?

Micheál Martin has a bounce in his step, like he knows he'll be leading the next administreation, but with whom? The tortuous choreography of the government formation waltz is slowly getting underway. Slim chance of it being done by Christmas. Who'll be Ceann? Seán Ó Fearghaíl isn't a lock. Then there's the tug of war over the justice portfolio.

There's a hefty deficit of clarity as the election campaign winds down. Has the die has been cast, or are there still a raft of undecideds? Few pundits are willing to forecast with the ground having shifted in recent days. After all the plans and costings, did any of it change anyone's mind?

The weather is lousy and everyone's wrecked, so perhaps a bit of agro is to be expected. Sparks are flying on the campaign trail. Claims and counterclaims on what was or wasn't in which manifesto. As the final week approaches, the shortest campaign in memory feels likes its been underway a long time. All eyes on Saturday's opinion polls...

We're nearing the end of week one, but things have yet to catch fire on the campaign trail. Is the sparring between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil a sham or serious agro brewing? Either way, it's good news for Sinn Féin. But there's no doubt that on a constituency level, the ground war is very real (just ask Stephen Donnelly).

And they're (almost) off! A three week sprint and then we'll vote. Micheál Martin's neat footwork kept him centre-stage while Simon Harris made up his mind. Seán Ó Fearghaíl appealed for more diversity in the next Dáil. But across the pond, it's back to the future with Trump 2.0. And we bid fond farewell to a bona fide journalistic giant, DDP.

A quite day next Thursday has tongues wagging in the corridors of Leinster House. Might it be the day we get our election date? Deputies are ready to go and already wearing out the shoe leather to get a running start. Things get spicy with FF and FG ready to pivot from partners to rivals for votes.

Is the dog about to get a glimpse of the rabbit? As the election looms the Dáil has signed off on a raft of bills as the Government clears the decks. Ex-MEP Clare Daly throws her hat in the ring for a seat in Dublin Central. Sinn Féin struggles on as Darragh O'Brien grapples with falling house construction.

Mairéad Farrell is the woman of the moment, apparently on the cusp on taking the helm of the powerful PAC, following the shock departure of Brian Stanley. But how many meetings will the Galway TD get to chair before an election is called? 29 November, anyone? Sinn Féin slogged through the week from hell, but it hasn't managed to turn the page.