Éamon Ó Cuív, the grandson of Eamon De Valera, founder of Fianna Fail, has stated that he will challenge for the leadership of the party if current Prime Minster Brian Cowen is forced to step down, according to Journal.ie.

The move comes as a major surprise as ‘Young Dev’ as he is known, had previously announced his support for Cowen and had never been seen as a major contender.

Ó Cuív, however, has one major advantage over all other candidates -- a safe seat in the next election.

With the Fianna Fail numbers expected to plummet, Ó Cuív’s seat in Galway is considered totally safe. Other leadership contenders such as Foreign Minister Micheal Martin and Tourism Minister Mary Hanafin are uncertain of whether they can get re-elected first.

Ó Cuív, the Minster for Social Protection, has established a reputation as an excellent local politician but has not previously been seen as a major national figure.

He bears a striking resemblance to his grandfather, who created Fianna Fail in 1926 and led them to government a year later. The party have been in power 22 of the last 24 years.