The Government suffered a blow tonight as two of the TDs that have supported it in every vote up to this point backed Sinn Féin's bill to prevent the Central Bank from having any role in the sale of Israel's bonds.
It illustrates the depth of feeling over Israel's actions in Gaza which were described by Taoiseach Micheál Martin as genocide.
That is the widespread view in the Dáil, and it has put the Government under severe pressure to take further action.
So much so that two of the TDs it held detailed discussions with when drawing up the Programme for Government sided with the Opposition.
The Central Bank's role in all of this may be just a technical approval of the prospectus that allows Israel to sell war bonds in the EU.
But the Opposition's view was clear.
They said that this State should have no role whatsoever in facilitating Israel to sell bonds which it has publicly stated are used to fund its war in Gaza.
The explanation around why the Sinn Féin bill was rejected was vague with Government repeatedly saying it was unworkable and at odds with EU law.
Indeed, it was the lack of a detailed briefing on that question which Independent Gillian Toole cited as the reason she backed the Sinn Féin bill.
For Independent Barry Heneghan it was an urgent matter of conscience and he wanted Ireland to show leadership.
There is an effort by Government to say this does not really matter because the whip does not strictly apply to these TDs.
One summation of the evening's events suggested the TDs were simply flexing their muscles.
Furthermore, the Coalition's majority is not in jeopardy. It still has a nailed 91 votes in a chamber of 174 TDs.
However, it was not so long ago that the Dáil has in turmoil over the speaking rights for a small number of Independent TDs, which included Barry Heneghan and Gillian Toole.
A mammoth political effort and a bitter row was required to solidify those rights for the group the Ceann Comhairle ruled was not part of the Opposition.
To have two of those TDs essentially go overboard, albeit temporarily, just a few months later is unquestionably damaging for the Government.
