Cowen in the drink over interview 'hangover' claims

Mr Cowen was challenged over his handling of an RTE broadcast made yesterday morning from his Fianna Fail party's annual get together ahead of the new Dail (parliament) term.

The opposition claimed the interview came on the back of a late night and prompted concerns over Mr Cowen's ability to lead the country.

Mr Cowen spoke to RTE's Morning Ireland from the Ardilaun Hotel in Galway on the second day of the party meeting. A hoarse-sounding Mr Cowen confused the recent Croke Park public-sector pay agreement with the "Good Friday Agreement".

Fine Gael's transport spokesman, Simon Coveney, claimed in a post on the Twitter website later that the taoiseach sounded "between drunk and hungover". Asked whether he was feeling the effects of the night before Mr Cowen later told reporters: "Absolutely not, that's ridiculous."

Renowned for his gruff public persona, Mr Cowen traditionally lets his hair down at the annual conference with sing-songs and beer. On Monday night, he entertained colleagues with impressions of Irish golfers Philip Walton and Des Smyth as well legendary sports broadcaster Michel Muircheartaigh.

Several Fianna Fail members took their turn in a traditional sing-song, which started after midnight. Mr Cowen sang the ballad Lakes of Ponchartrain, about an Irish immigrant who falls in love with a Louisiana Creole woman but is spurned because she is promised to a sailor.

Others present at The Blazers bar in the hotel said the taoiseach was drinking lager and left at about 3:30am. The interview was conducted at 8:50am.

Headlines about a party-time taoiseach are the last thing the government needs as it seeks to squeeze more cutbacks out of a badly-stretched electorate and convince investors that Ireland is not on the rocks.

A string of cabinet ministers offered a number of explanations for the heavily-criticised performance - from Mr Cowen's documented sinus problems to a poorly prepared broadcast studio.

Justice minister Dermot Ahern described the opposition accusations as "typical Fine Gael". He added: "They have a history over the years of playing the man instead of the ball.

"Everyone is human and we all have frailties. Brian Cowen has a difficulty in relation to nasal congestion; I think that is well known and there are times when that does affect him."

Defence minister Tony Killeen said the poor sound on the interview was more to do with the broadcast set-up than the taoiseach's delivery."A lot of people might not realise that the studio that was in operation this morning was a corner of the restaurant in the hotel where people had tables very close by, were having their breakfast, the clattering of knives, forks, teapots and stuff," Mr Killeen said.

But Labour's Roisin Shorthall said the interview was "one of the most inept and unconvincing ever given by a taoiseach in the history of the state" and called for a general election.

"This is an exhausted man running an exhausted government," said David Farrell, professor of politics at University College Dublin.

"For me, this is just another example of why we could really do with another election as soon as possible,"