At its outset, it was a triumvirate. Stephen Donnelly, now the health minister and a member of Fianna Fáil, joined Catherine Murphy and Róisín Shortall at the helm of a party aiming to occupy the centre left of the spectrum which many felt had been abandoned by Labour’s involvement in the 2011 to 2016 coalition.

When Ms Murphy and Ms Shortall announced earlier this week that they would step aside from the leadership of the party, it was reported in this paper that the plan had been crafted around the elevation of one TD in particular.

Holly Cairns has rocketed into the public consciousness since her election to Cork County Council in 2019. She became the first Social Democrat councillor in Cork and one of just 19 nationwide. 

Months later, she upset the odds again, taking a seat in the Cork South-West constituency. That she is telegenic and became the only female TD in Cork in the process made her success notable.

But it is the work that Ms Cairns has done since her election which has really marked her out. Appointed the party’s spokesperson on agriculture, food and the marine, Ms Cairns has been unafraid to both advocate for and criticise the farming sector where she feels it is accurate to do so. 

Likewise, she has taken the greyhound racing industry to task and addressed the “everyday sexism” she faces after a tweet demeaning her as “an ignorant little girl” was liked by Fine Gael TD Joe Carey.

Her work on the mother and baby home legislation has been empathetic, passionate, and detailed, marking her out as a formidable Dáil performer.

While being an able Dáil performer and an advocate for social issues are important traits to have, the question now is; what can we expect from Holly Cairns as the party leader?

Ms Cairns has often taken Dáil statements head-to-head with the Taoiseach and Tánaiste, but now she will be expected to tag the Government on issues across the social and political spectrum in Leaders’ Questions. 

She will have to show a broader understanding of the economy and other issues which have thus far been left to other members of the party.

While all of that can be taught, on Sunday, her housing spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan highlighted the key reason for excitement in the Social Democrats about Ms Cairns’ ascension. He said the West Cork woman has an ability to make politics appealing to those who might not be political, to bring in new supporters and new members.

If the Social Democrats want to attract younger, less politically-aligned voters, Holly Cairns is a no-brainer.