With only two parliamentary party members siding with McDowell, a Sunday Tribune poll of PD councillors . . .key players in any leadership contest . . . showed 92% backing Mary Harney to remain as leader until the next general election.

A concerted effort was being made within the party this weekend to present a united front.

All sides, however, acknowledge that the PDs face a divisive leadership battle to succeed Harney who, depending on the results of the next election, will either step down next summer or sometime in 2008. McDowell is likely to contest for the leadership against former minister Liz O'Donnell. Most PD members believe the loser will leave the party.

Blame for the revelations about a leadership struggle is being pointed at McDowell supporters. The justice minister is now very isolated in the party. His only identifiable supporters are Noel Grealish in Galway West and Senator Tom Morrissey.

Many party figures, however, said O'Donnell still has to show a hunger for the position. One source said the leadership was in O'Donnell's "gift if she can demonstrate that she wants it".

There was acute embarrassment in PD circles this weekend that a description by the party's trustees of the Harney-McDowell relationship as "dysfunctional" was made public. Sources close to Harney said she did not believe the relationship could be described in that way.

"That is not a word Mary would use, " one senior source said.

Relations between Harney and McDowell have been poor since the recent statutory rape crisis. The source of the latest tension, however, was Harney's confirmation last weekend that she would continue as PD leader. Several senior PD figures have confirmed that Harney had previously signalled that she would stand down.

McDowell reacted furiously to Harney's change of mind.

"Michael felt he had been led up the garden path about the leadership, " a senior party member said. At a meeting with the party trustees last Sunday, McDowell indicated he was contemplating leaving politics. Harney then warned she would have no option but to ask him to resign from cabinet. The situation was only resolved on Tuesday evening at a tense meeting which ended with Harney and McDowell embracing.

This weekend the Sunday Tribune spoke with half of the PD councillors, most of whom expressed surprise that the leadership issue had been raised. Galway councillor Thomas Welby said, "let's wait and see what TDs are reelected after the election".

Carlow councillor Walter Lacey warned his colleagues that it was "time to knuckle down as we head towards the election".