After the Taoiseach's meeting with the pontiff in the private library of the Holy Father, Mr Martin made his way to the Irish College in Rome where he was shown the marble frieze, behind which the heart of Daniel O'Connell is encased.

Martin peered forward to read the famous lines carved into the stone in which O'Connell bequeathed "his soul to God, body to Ireland, and his heart to Rome".

A beaming Martin, who explained that he had attended a number of lectures on the period of The Liberator, called over his wife Mary to take a look.

With theories doing the rounds within his own party that Martin may step down from the Fianna Fáil leadership at the conclusion of the Ireland's EU presidency early next year, he was asked if his own heart is perhaps starting to stray beyond a career in Irish politics.

"My heart couldn't stray beyond Cork," he laughed.

Martin has shaken off sustained questioning on his future intentions in recent months, but his trip to Paris and Rome this week, in the final hours of the by-election campaigns, did raise eyebrows among some party members back home.

Martin said it was a "particularly important moment on a personal level" to meet the Pope.

"I admire him, and I admire his courage, and his very clear articulation of basic principles in terms of human dignity and human peace, and yes, it was a particularly important moment on a personal level as well to meet him."

It was a busy morning for the Pope with the Taoiseach's meeting sandwiched between president of the parliament of Bulgaria and president of the parliament of North Macedonia.

But Mr Martin was still given a 45-minute audience with the leader of the Catholic Church, during which the need for peace across the world was discussed as well as the Church's role in providing redress to victims of abuse.

Speaking after the meeting, the Taoiseach revealed that he had issued an invite to the Pope to visit Ireland.

"He has a very busy schedule. I did indicate he's welcome to Ireland, and I said that to him. We would appreciate a visit."

Whether Martin is in situ if and when the visit happens, will of course come down to timing, but the speculation around his future intentions shows no sign of abating.

But the trip did feel like Martin was coming full circle, as he acknowledged himself.

In an address at the Irish College, he remembered to wish his daughter a happy birthday, before recalling that he was in the Eternal City for the beatification of Edmund Rice, three decades ago with his wife Mary, when Aoibhe was just an infant.

• Elaine Loughlin, Irish Examiner Poltical Editor, in Rome