Outgoing Independent TD Finian McGrath survived the swing from Independents to be returned for Dublin North Central, ousting Fianna Fáil's Ivor Callely.
In a constituency boundary change resulting in the former four-seater being reduced to three, McGrath retained his seat to become one of just five Independent TDs in the 30th Dáil, a drop from 14.
Fine Gael's deputy leader Richard Bruton, the party's only northside Dublin TD after the last election, comfortably topped the poll and was elected on the first count with 25.5 per cent or 9,303 votes, 198 votes over the quota and an increase of 8.5 per cent on 2002.
The Fianna Fáil vote was down 6 per cent from an almost 50 per cent high in 2002 when it was a four-seater and the party nearly elected three TDs. Outgoing Fianna Fáil Minister of State Seán Haughey was re-elected. He was second highest in first preferences with 9,026 votes, and was elected on the third count. Paying tribute to his running mate he said the competition between himself and Callely was "legendary but exaggerated".
The combined left-wing vote in Dublin North Central usually makes up a quota, 25 per cent in a three-seater. On this occasion the first preferences totalled 30.43 per cent, with McGrath taking 14.19 per cent. Callely received 7,003 first preference votes ahead of McGrath's 5,169.
The Independent secured half of the Sinn Féin transfers and 80 per cent of the combined transfers of Labour's Derek McDowell and the Greens'.
Overall change: Labour loss, FG gain
Outgoing TDs
Jim Glennon FF
GV Wright FF
Seán Ryan Lab
Trevor Sargent GP