Counting in the Cork South Central by-election starts this morning with the Fine Gael candidate, Mr Simon Coveney, favourite to take the seat vacated by his late father, Mr Hugh Coveney.
Despite the poor turnout, party tallymen were still predicting that today's count in Cork's Neptune Stadium would be all about transfers and that Mr Coveney would benefit more from transfers than his main rival, Ms Sinead Behan, of Fianna Fail.
The expectation is that, even if Ms Behan is slightly ahead of Mr Coveney in first preferences, he will secure enough transfers from Labour's Mr Toddy O'Sullivan to give him the seat, possibly without reaching a quota.
Thunder and lightning, as well as some flooding, prevented many people from venturing out, and early in the evening party analysts said the turnout was as low as 25 per cent.
The weather produced one of the lowest early-morning turnouts ever seen in Cork city, when one hour after the polling stations opened only an estimated 1 per cent had voted. The electorate in Cork South Central is more than 87,000.
However, at the close of polling stations last night it was estimated that only about 50 per cent would have cast their votes. The bank holiday weekend and the Cork Jazz Festival also contributed to the low poll, party workers reckoned.
According to Mr Martin Harvey, the returning officer, it is possible that a number of the less well-placed candidates will be eliminated immediately, and the first count might be completed by 1 p.m.
If a recount is called Mr Harvey's intention is to continue counting tonight.
The Irish Times on the Web will carry the results as they are announced today. The address of the website is www.irish-times.com