Aiken. Haughey on the other hand was considered a moderniser. The epitome of the "young man in a hurry", he had more support amongst the younger TDs. While a Colley-Haughey election seemed possible at an earlier stage, many members were unhappy about the choice that was on offer. It was reported that Lemass had already approached Patrick Hillery and Jack Lynch in an attempt to get them to stand, however, they both told him emphatically that they weren't interested. When no other candidate seemed likely to challenge Haughey and Colley, Neil Blaney decided to enter the race with strong support from the republican wing of the party. When it looked like the election could lead to a three-way split in the party, the pressure mounted on Jack Lynch to reverse his decision and to allow his name go forward. Lynch was the obvious choice to succeed Lemass. As Minister for Finance he was in charge of the most powerful ministry in the cabinet. He had nearly 20 years Dáil experience and had served in cabinet for nine consecutive years. Apart from his political record Lynch was a national sporting hero, winning All-Ireland medals in hurling and Gaelic football. A group of backbench TDs began a "draft Jack" campaign in the hope that he would stand for the leadership. Lynch also came under pressure from Lemass once again. Facing this pressure he finally decided that he would allow his name to go forward. Results Following Lynch's entry into the election, Haughey and Blaney withdrew in support of him. It seemed that Lynch would be unanimously elected as leader, however, Colley refused to withdraw and wanted to push for a vote. At the meeting of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party on 9 November the following votes were cast: To show that there were no hard feelings Lynch retained Colley in his first Cabinet. Colley in turn gave total loyalty to the new leader, and in time would become his closest ally in cabinet. Jack Lynch, while initially dismissed as a "compromise candidate" and "interim Taoiseach", went on to lead Fianna Fáil for thirteen years. He served as Taoiseach on two occasions; 1966–1973 and 1977–1979. References 1966 elections in Europe 1966 elections in the Republic of Ireland History of Fianna Fáil Jack Lynch Fianna Fáil leadership elections Indirect elections Fianna Fáil leadership election