The Udaras na Gaeltachta elections turned into a struggle between the two coalition parties when the Progressive Democrats and Fianna Fail demanded, and were granted, recounts for the sixth seat in Co Galway.
On Sunday evening, it emerged that Mr Padraig O Biadha (FF) was only two votes ahead of Mr Sean Creaven (PD), and the Minister of State, Mr Bobby Molloy, requested a recount.
When the first recount finished shortly after 2 a.m., sighs of desperation were heard in Carraroe's An Scoil Chuimsitheach when it emerged that the PD candidate was now just four votes ahead of the Fianna Fail candidate, and Minister of State for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Mr Eamon O Cuiv, demanded a second recount.
Counting resumed at 11 a.m. yesterday, but was stopped at 4 p.m. because some ballot papers were found without the official mark. These papers were then removed, and a third recount started.
The new board has 17 elected members and Mr O Cuiv is this week expected to appoint two more, as well as the board's chairman.
Fianna Fail holds seven seats, Fine Gael five, Labour has one and three seats are held by independent candidates.
The 17th seat is the subject of the recount. ail or The Progressive Democrats have no other seat. Smaller Gaeltacht areas within Co Kerry and Co Donegal, which failed to have a representative elected to the board, yesterday requested that representatives from the areas be appointed.
While the votes were being counted on Sunday, the point was made on a Raidio na Gaeltachta programme that jobs were available in most Gaeltacht areas, and that as na Gaeltachta's the main function of Udaras might shift from economic to social and linguistic development.