Ahern praised by the British media

The Taoiseach's electoral triumph has won plaudits in the British media, although the main focus of the editorial writers is on Sinn Féin.

The Taoiseach is also honoured with a piece in Le Monde, which records how "l'homme à l'anorak" and "le vrai Dublinois" has become the all-powerful "l'homme de consensus".

According to the London Times, Sinn Féin's success binds the party even further into the peace process. Any return to outright terrorism would have a negative impact on its standing.

The paper's editorial predicts the party will seek to portray the outcome as "some sort of political earthquake" but says that this is "a massive exaggeration". Most of its voters were not endorsing the IRA Army Council but were attracted by the party's socialist policies and "pavement politics".

"This has been, in many ways, a rather dull election. The island of Ireland, North and South, will be well served by competent if mundane continuity," it concludes.

The Daily Telegraph also concentrates on Sinn Féin. Its editorial criticises the Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, for failing to react adequately to the party's successes.

"Imagine that, in the hours following the BNP's electoral breakthrough in Burnley, Tony Blair had gone on television to welcome that party's commitment to the democratic process.

"The country would rightly have been horrified. And yet, in the aftermath of Sinn Féin's gains in the Irish Republic, this was precisely the reaction of the Taoiseach, albeit while reiterating his demand that the IRA disband."

As for Mr Blair: "He is perfectly happy to condemn far-Right parties across the EU, yet he cannot bring himself to speak out against the election of convicted terrorists in his own backyard".

However, the Daily Telegraph's editorial goes on to describe the result as a vindication of Fianna Fáil's stewardship of the economy. It puts Ireland's success down to "low costs, the English language and an educated workforce" rather than Euro-subsidies.

"In the final analysis, Mr Ahern deserved his success. We wish him well."

The Financial Times puts Mr Ahern's success down to "unprecedented prosperity and a competent economic record".

But with spending cuts and a second Nice referendum on the way, "Mr Ahern's shine may not last long," the leader-writer concludes.

According to the Independent, the result was "a victory for prosperity". Mr Ahern has "skilfully reaped the reward for his compatriots' good fortune".