No speeches after marathon count

WICKLOW:FINE GAEL TD Andrew Doyle, who headed the poll in Wicklow, has said he is keen to be awarded the agriculture portfolio in the incoming government.

Mr Doyle, who is the party spokesman on agriculture, said he would be “passionate” about the job and while he admitted to a “certain amount of trepidation”, it was something he believed he could manage.

From near Roundwood, Co Wicklow, Mr Doyle farms land that has been in his family for some six generations. “It is in my gene pool,” he said at at the election count over the weekend in Wicklow.

Incoming Independent TD Stephen Donnelly said he would talk to any party which required his political support. He said Fine Gael and Enda Kenny should not simply assume he would support them. Mr Donnelly, who said he had not been at an election count before Saturday, was aided in his assessment of the counts by a number of people who said they had supported the campaign of Shane Ross in Dublin South.

Sinn Féin’s John Brady said he would be “going back to work in the morning”. He was beaten by some 112 votes by Mr Donnelly and initially called for a recount at 3.15am yesterday, as returning officer Patricia Casey declared the results of the 19th and final count. However after Ms Casey said such a recount would only cover votes not already recounted as part of Dick Roche’s recount, Mr Brady withdrew.

He told the waiting media he believed the count had many discrepancies but to the relief of the count staff and observers, he said he would not be making any further protest.

“The next step now is to roll our sleeves back up, keep our heads high and get back to work for the people of Wicklow. We have a council meeting in Bray on Tuesday night so that’s where I’ll be,” he said.

Other incoming TDs Billy Timmins and Simon Harris of Fine Gael and Anne Ferris of Labour said little. No formal speeches were made by any candidate, elected or eliminated, and none was invited into the counting enclosure to address the hall as has been the case in the past.

Some 64 hours after the ballot boxes were opened, most were glad to go home.