To his supporters, who practically carried him on their shoulders to Dublin Castle for the referendum result three months later, he could do no wrong.

He was bullet-proof. A potential heir to the Taoiseach. The future.

And last night?

After his tweets taunting rivals to “bring it on” and that quitting is “not in my DNA”, he was reduced in the eyes of an increasing number of opposition TDs to what one claimed was a poor script in a B-list Clint Eastwood movie, only narrowly avoiding becoming the past.

Bring it on! We’ve worked together to repeal the 8th, pass the Public Health Alcohol Bill, help our CF patients access new medicines, introduce the HPV vaccine for boys & develop a cross party 10 year plan to reform our health service. So much more to do! Looking forward to it pic.twitter.com/ebaqGXwy2Y

— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) February 20, 2019

Yesterday’s shoot-out in the Leinster House corral caused by Sinn Féin’s decision to table a no-confidence motion in Harris did not result in the minister lying bullet-ridden in the centre of town.

However, despite Harris narrowly surviving the ballot by just one vote more than what confidence and supply requires, his reputation may take longer to recover from the shots aimed in its direction.

Throughout yesterday’s two-hour debate, Harris was targeted by Sinn Féin over the national children’s hospital, the cervical cancer scandal, the trolley count crisis, and, well, any other crisis you’ve got which has occurred under his watch.

He shot back, legitimately pointing to his achievements, including repeal of the Eighth Amendment, but was told in no uncertain terms that he did not do it by himself, the time for using the referendum result as a defence long since passing — in opposition eyes, at least.

WATCH: @SimonHarrisTD attacks @sinnfeinireland during heated Dáil confidence motion debate. He says they have added "the soap box and the no confidence motion" to the "ballot box and the amerlite". pic.twitter.com/QKLaVsPmh8

— RTÉ Politics (@rtepolitics) February 20, 2019

The situation was undoubtedly not helped by Harris’s decision to tweet “bring it on” yesterday, Twitter so long his source of significant support.

But instead of the applause ringing in his ears in early 2018, the response yesterday was far more muted, with Solidarity-PBP TD Mick Barry telling Harris he is no longer the hero in the Wild West script: “Bring it on.’ ‘Walking away is not in my DNA.’ Minister, these are like bad lines in a Clint Eastwood movie.”

While last night’s Sinn Féin no confidence motion officially failed, losing by 58 votes to 53, it is unlikely Mary Lou McDonald and others will see the result as a defeat.

Far from a miscalculation, they will believe the ballot has had the dual impact of further undermining Fianna Fáil’s insistence it is the real opposition party and damaging one of the Government’s main weapons — Harris’s public image as the political repealer of the Eighth.

After facing down his enemies, the health minister may feel like tweeting “bring it on” again as he rides off into the sunset to fight another day. But perhaps “take it back” is a better option.

The no-confidence motion has been survived, and on the surface all is well again in Government Buildings. But the sheen of perfection on Harris’s reputation has been dented, and may take some time to reclaim its former glory.

'Minister Harris has the courage and the competence to succeed as Minister for Health' - Taoiseach pic.twitter.com/cegxbZ8T6K

— RTÉ News (@rtenews) February 20, 2019