 Lemass retired in 1966 after 7 years in the position and a leadership race (the first contested race in the history of the party) threatened to tear Fianna Fáil apart.Lynch, and another favourite of Lemass's, Patrick Hillery, ruled themselves out of the leadership election from the very beginning.However, other candidates such as Charles Haughey, George Colley and Neil Blaney threw their hats into the ring immediately.