After five long years as leader of the Seanad, Fianna Fáil's Mary O'Rourke is making a triumphant return to the Dáil following victory over her party rival Donie Cassidy.
The Athlone-based former minister bounced back from a crushing defeat in the 2002 election, when she was the only cabinet member in the State to lose her seat.
At the time she blamed it on Cassidy's failure to abide by a vote-management strategy, but this time around there were no such squabbles. Indeed, Cassidy put up a credible performance considering the loss of his Castlepollard heartland to the new Meath West constituency, leaving him with a total of 6,664 votes after the first count.
However, polling 8,215 first preferences, O'Rourke easily trumped Cassidy and her main Athlone rivals, Fine Gael's Nicky McFadden and Sinn Féin's Paul Hogan. In line with the nationwide trend, the PD vote collapsed as sitting TD Mae Sexton secured just 2,298 votes.
As expected, Labour's Willie Penrose topped the poll for a third successive occasion with 9,692 first preferences, and was the first to be elected after the fifth count.
The bulk of Fine Gael first-timer Peter Burke's 4,287 transfers took Penrose across the line to exceed the quota of 10,984. When Cassidy was eliminated, his transfers ensured both O'Rourke and sitting Fianna Fáil TD Peter Kelly would be heading back to Leinster House.
Senator James Bannon took the final seat for Fine Gael without reaching the quota after receiving 7,652 first preferences.
Overall change: Redrawn, PD loss
Outgoing TDs
Peter Kelly FF
Donnie Cassidy FF
Paul McGrath FG
Willie Penrose Lab
Mae SextonPD