 In a cabinet meeting, the Taoiseach gave a typically ambiguous speech which seemed to encourage his cabinet to support for Mary McAleese.Reynolds won the first round of voting with a comfortable margin, but supporters of O'Kennedy backed McAleese, who was successful and went on to become the Fianna Fáil nominee and the eighth President of Ireland.Reynolds retired from politics at the 2002 general election, after 25 years as a TD; he stated, "I don't bear any grudges over Ahern."