Kerry result: Jimmy Deenihan and Arthur Spring lose Dáil seats

Fine Gael Minister of State Jimmy Deenihan has lost his Dáil seat in Kerry.

Fianna Fáil's John Brassil, Fine Gael's Brendan Griffin and Sinn Féin Martin Ferris took the last three seats after the Healy-Rae brothers took the first two.

Mr Ferris and Mr Brassil both failed to reach a quota.

Labour’s Arthur J Spring, nephew of former tánaiste and party leader Dick Spring, also lost his seat.

Mr Deenihan, Minister of State for the Diaspora, is the latest high profile party member to lose out.

Michael Healy-Rae topped the poll with 20,378 first preference votes and was elected on the first count. Danny Healy-Rae was elected on the second count after receiving 3,835 in transfers from his brother. He entered the race just two weeks ago.

The strains of "Danny Boy, The Dáil , the Dáil is calling!" rang out across the count centre in Killarney as Danny thanked his wife Eileen, and his daughter Maura played the accordion as the family danced the opening movements of a Kerry set.

Following his exclusion, Mr Spring said Labour should have done something to protect the party. He said he warned his party strategist six months ago the strategy of focusing on "recovery" was wrong.

Recovery was “a macro economic sentiment” and people were not feeling it. It was creating resentment because people felt others were recovering and not them.

He called on parties to abandon “the cowardice” that is going on right now and to get ready to form a government

A complete recount of 78,000 first preference votes was carried out in Killarney to ascertain correct numbers in the constituency. County Registrar Pádraig Burke denied the re-count had been due to Healy-Rae brothers’ votes becoming mixed up.