Despite Fine Gael’s travails longstanding, popular Louth TD Fergus O’Dowd (71) was always seen as guaranteed to keep his seat.
First elected to the Dáil in 2002, having served a term as a senator from 1997, he previously served as a Louth County councillor and as mayor of Drogheda three times.
In the last Dáil he was chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport, presiding over a number of investigations including the forensic scrutiny of the Football Association of Ireland.
Vocal about resources for Louth in the escalating crime crisis, he also opposed the Government’s proposed controversial RIC commemoration and said he would not attend.
In the previous government he served as minister of state at the Department of the Environment where he had responsibility for Irish Water, but returned to the backbenches in the 2014 reshuffle.
During his time as a TD, Mr O’Dowd has held several roles as spokesman.
He is married with three sons.
