The turnaround in Fitzpatrick's fortunes is due to talks between Labour and Fianna Fail on a new two-year mayoral pact in the capital.

Contacts were continuing this weekend between the two parties, with sources indicating that, if a deal is reached, a Fianna Fail councillor would be nominated for Lord Mayor at tomorrow evening's meeting of Dublin city council.

Labour has chosen councillor Paddy Burke as its nominee but it seems the party would prefer Burke to hold the position next year in the lead-in to the 2009 local elections.

After the last local elections, Fine Gael and Labour agreed to share the mayoral position over the first year council term. But that agreement collapsed last year when Niamh Cosgrave of Fine Gael broke ranks.

The FF nominee will be chosen by the party council group at a meeting on Monday, with Fitzpatrick vying with Evelyn Byrne, Deirdre Heney and Tom Stafford for the position.

Fitzpatrick was a candidate in Dublin Central in last month's election along with Ahern and Cyprian Brady. On the eve of polling, a letter from Ahern's constituency office, signed by the Fianna Fail leader, was delivered to households across the constituency urging voters to give Ahern their number one, Brady their number two and Fitzpatrick their third preference.