Ireland

McDowell loses seat to Gormley and leaves public life

Fianna Fail's Chris Andrews who was the first TD elected from the Dublin South East constituency. Photograph: Piaras Murphy

Piaras Murphy and Elaine Edwards in the RDS
Fri May 25 2007 - 01:00
Fianna Fail's Chris Andrews who was the first TD elected from the Dublin South East constituency. Photograph: Piaras Murphy

Tánaiste and Progressive Democrats leader Michael McDowell has conceded he has lost his Dáil seat and that his Green Party rival John Gormley has won the 2007 general election battle.

In a dramatic entrance to the RDS count centre in Dublin shortly before 8.30pm, Mr McDowell said it was clear that the Dublin South East constituency was now going to be represented by Chris Andrews of Fianna Fáil, Lucinda Creighton of Fine Gael, Ruairí Quinn of the Labour Party and John Gormley of the Green Party and that he had lost his seat.
Mr McDowell said he was "deeply grateful" to the Irish people for his time in office adding: "My period in public life as a public representative is over".
John Gormley of the Green party with his wife Penny in the RDS this evening. Photo: Piaras Murphy
John Gormley of the Green party with his wife Penny in the RDS this evening. Photo: Piaras Murphy

"I want to take this opportunity to thank the people of Dublin South East for all of the honour andprivilege they have given me to serve Ireland as their TD, as a Minister and as Tánaiste over the last 20 years," he said.

"We've taken 10 years off our family life to go into politics to try and improve Ireland in the late 1980s. That leave of absence from family life has taken twice as long as I thought it would but it has brought me to heights of privilege in public service that I never anticipated at the time that I started off in public life. It has been a huge privilege to serve the Irish people at every level."
"It's been a huge privilege also to participate in the most successful government that this country has ever had and at a time when Ireland has come...from bad to good and now looks to be in a position to go from good to great."

"The people every five years at least have the opportunity to decide who will represent them in public life and on this occasion they have made that choice. I respect that choice as a democrat."

Arriving at the RDS a short time later shortly before he was officially declared elected in Dublin South East, Mr Gormley said it was clear the smaller parties had been "squeezed" in this election.

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Michael McDowell leaving the RDS count centre. PA
Michael McDowell leaving the RDS count centre. PA

"I think it's clear the smaller parties were squeezed in this election and particularly in the last number of days, it became even tighter.

"There were opinion polls right up, even on the day of the election. I don't think, frankly, that helped matters at all," he said."The polls actually affect voter behaviour - it's very clear and so people felt they had no choice but to vote for the bigger parties and that was it. And we were squeezed and we're very lucky to be where we are."

Mr Gormley said Fianna Fáil had a "good day" and he was not sure yet where his own party stood in relation to the larger parties.

As he left the packed and noisy RDS count centre, Mr McDowell was heckled by a group of people chanting "cheerio, cheerio" and one young man held up a sign reading 'Michael McDole' as he spoke to reporters.

There was some jostling as supporters of Mr McDowell attempted to stop the heckling.

Fianna Fáil's Chris Andrews topped the poll in the constituency, while Ms Creighton, Mr Quinn join him in the Dáil. Mr Gormley is expected to be elected on the fifth count.

In 1997 the count for the final seat lasted a week and saw Mr Gormley beating Mr McDowell by 27 votes. There is no love lost between the two men, and they had a public spat in Ranelagh during the campaign.

Mr Andrews told ireland.com: "It's great to have a mandate as big as this in Dublin South East".

FG's Lucinda Creighton with a supporter during today's count. Photograph: Piaras Murphy
FG's Lucinda Creighton with a supporter during today's count. Photograph: Piaras Murphy
"The community I've worked with over the last five to 10 years have been good to me. Now, I'm going to be good to them. I'm going to deliver for them in Dublin South East into the future."

On Fianna Fáil's performance nationally he said: "In many ways it was a very confusing election. On one hand you were reading in the papers or hearing on the radio that Fianna Fáil were going to be in immense trouble, and that never happened."

Fine Gael's Ms Creighton told ireland.comit was "just wonderful that the work has paid off and that Fine Gael is back in Dublin.

"It's a critical constituency. . . . Frank Flannery [Fine Gael director of elections] was asked if there was only one constituency where you would see one gain in the country, where would you like to see it, and he said Dubin South East because it always has been the heartland for Fine Gael.

"So we're back and we're delighted. I think that Fine Gael will have some celebrating in Dublin tonight for all the constituencies."