Those with very long political memories around Leinster House were yesterday recalling the return of Charles Haughey from his trip to Japan in 1989.
It was that kind of day, as politicians tried to summon up enthusiasm for the autumn presidential election by dipping into past political shocks.
Anyway, as Mr Haughey's plane touched down in Dublin, he learned that his government was facing a defeat on a private members' motion.
Encouraged by Ray Burke and others he called a snap general election.
Thinking back on those days, many believe it was the customary reverence shown to the then taoiseach in Japan, as befits that country’s culture, which fuelled him with sufficient confidence to swiftly face the electorate.
Of course, within the next 48 hours Micheál Martin will return from a visit to Japan, leading some to jokingly suggest that the experience could give him an appetite for another election, the presidential one.
The Taoiseach has categorically ruled himself out as a candidate of course, and given that he is already immersed in pre-budget arithmetic, there's nothing at all to indicate any change of mind on that front.
But there was apparently one new Fianna Fáil TD who recently told him that he is the only member of the party capable of winning that election.
In any event the party is not set to decide its approach to the presidential contest until the end of August.
Former ministers Mary Hanafin and Peter Power are interested but it is not certain at all that Fianna Fáil will ultimately be interested in selecting either of them.
Fine Gael will open its nominations on Monday with Mairead McGuinness and possibly Seán Kelly expected to put their names forward.
The party will use its electoral college system to choose a candidate, and this gives greatest sway to the parliamentary party whose votes account for 55%.
However, the result will not be announced until early September as all parties seem keen avoid entering this race in August.
Both the Social Democrats and PBP-Solidarity believe it is likely that there will be a left backed candidate in the field.
Right now, the frontrunner for that role is Independent Galway-West TD Catherine Connolly.
The former Leas-Cheann Comhairle previously told the Insights with Seán O'Rourke podcast that she would consider running if approached by a wide range of groups and parties.
Sinn Féin has yet to decide if it will select its own candidate or support the united left-wing nomination.
It is understood that not all of its TDs are overly keen on the idea of backing Catherine Connolly.
There is a view in the party that perhaps someone like disability rights campaigner Senator Tom Clonan would be a more unifying figure.
The senator insists he is not interested in running though.
And there is a certain body of opinion within Sinn Féin leaning towards Gerry Adams, on the grounds that it would guarantee a high-profile campaign and motivate the party's core supporters.
Finally, and separate to Sinn Féin's cogitations, one name mentioned as a possible independent candidate a few times this week is Declan Ganley.
Could the former Libertas leader and unsuccessful European election candidate emerge as a possible contender?
Do not rule it out, according to some members of the Oireachtas.
