Despite the constant diet of political controversy fed to voters in recent months, the national percentages of the vote obtained by the main parties have remained remarkably stable. With almost all counts complete, Fianna Fail had won 37.4 per cent, down by 0.5 percentage points from its 1991 local election figure or 37.9 per cent and also down from the 39.3 per cent it received in the 1997 General Election.
Fine Gael at 27.7 per cent has gained from the 26.4 per cent it received in 1991. Labour at 10.6 per cent is unchanged from 1991. However taking into account the recent merger with Democratic Left, the party's total vote this time is down on the last local and general elections.
In terms of its national vote, the Green Party also appears unchanged from its 2.4 per cent in 1991. The PD vote has fallen since the last local elections in 1991, but the party has won a number of local authority seats in areas where it will hope to build towards making serious challenges for Dail seats.
Sinn Fein's rise from 2.1 per cent in 1991 to an estimated 3.5 per cent in these elections is significant, but its gains in specific areas, particularly in Dublin, are of more long-term benefit to the party as it tries to build towards winning extra Dail seats. Sinn Fein increased its representation in Dublin City from one to four. Mr Dessie Ellis, who served eight years for possession of explosives, topped the poll and was elected on the first count in Finglas. Mr Nicky Kehoe performed a similar feat in Cabra-Glasnevin, while Mr Larry O'Toole, shot at a First Communion service last year, was elected in the Artane Ward. The three join Mr Christy Burke, re-elected in the North Inner City Ward.
Elsewhere in Dublin, Sinn Fein won two seats on South Dublin County Council with Mr Sean Crowe and Mr Mark Daly elected in neighbouring Tallaght wards. Mr Crowe (Dublin South West) can be expected to challenge strongly for a Dail seat in the future, while Mr Ellis (Dublin North West) will also begin to build support for a Dail attempt.
Sinn Fein trebled its representation on Monaghan County Council taking six seats, the same number as Fine Gael. Elsewhere senior party figure Mr Sean McManus won a seat on Sligo Corporation while Mr Martin Ferris, jailed in the past for gun-running, was elected on the first count in Tralee. Sinn Fein won its first Meath County Council seat with the election of Ms Jo Reilly in the Navan electoral area. Mr Liam McGirl and Mr Michael Colreavy were elected for the party in Leitrim.
Fianna Fail's performance was strongest in Munster and weakest in Dublin. While it has marginally improved from the 1991 result, that was a very poor return for the party and the less than 40 per cent it garnered is considerably short of what it would need in a general election if the Government were to have a chance of being returned. However the non-party vote at 15.7 per cent is considerably higher than in a general election, bringing down the vote of the main parties including Fianna Fail.
There were, however, many strong Fianna Fail performances throughout the State. Mr Ivor Callely TD appears to have gained the highest personal vote in the State with 4,559 first preferences. The election also saw the consolidation of several political dynasties and the creation of new ones, particularly within Fianna Fail. Two brothers of the Taoiseach, Mr Maurice Ahern and Mr Noel Ahern, were both elected to Dublin Corporation.
Mr Chris Andrews, son of Mr Niall Andrews MEP, was also elected to Dublin Corporation, while his cousin Barry, son of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr David Andrews, was elected to Dun Laoghaire Corporation.
Mr John Hanafin was elected to Tipperary County Council for Fianna Fail joining his sister Ms Mary Hanafin TD as a public representative. Former Senator Des Hanafin is their father.
Mr Charles Haughey's son Mr Sean Haughey polled exceptionally well in Artane topping the poll for re-election to Dublin Corporation. The brothers of three Cabinet Ministers, Mr Micheal Martin, Mr John O'Donoghue and Mr Brian Cowen, were elected. Husband and wife team Mr Sean Ardagh (Dublin Corporation) and Mrs Maire Ardagh (Dublin South County Council) were both elected.
The sons of Ministers of State Mr Joe Jacob, Mr Danny Wallace and Mr Ned O'Keefe all won council seats, as did the son of Fianna Fail Parliamentary Party chairman Dr Rory O'Hanlon and Senator Mick Lanigan's son, also called Michael.
Ms Aileen Woods, daughter of Dr Michael, fared less well on her first outing to win a seat in Howth for Fianna Fail.
Fine Gael too saw family members of senior figures elected. Ms Fionnuala Dukes, wife of Fine Gael former leader Mr Alan Dukes, was elected in Kildare. In Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Ms Louise Cosgrave, grand-daughter of the first Head of State, Mr William T. Cosgrave, was elected.
The Progressive Democrats won important victories in key constituencies but suffered serious reverses as well. They lost their representation in Limerick City after defections and splits in recent years left the local organisation in a very poor state. Two of the new Fianna Fail members of Limerick Corporation are former PD councillors.
The PDs also lost their only councillor in Dublin Corporation, Mr Alan Robinson, who failed to be elected in Rathmines.
However the party won three seats on Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Council, including two who are likely to be Dail candidates in the next general election - Mr Helen Keogh in Dun Laoghaire and Ms Fiona O'Malley, daughter of former party leader Mr Desmond O'Malley, in Dublin South.
In Cork North Central, former PD deputy Ms Mairin Quill topped the poll to win a seat on Cork Corporation, thus strengthening her position to challenge for a Dail seat. They also established a presence on Waterford Corporation with Mr Oliver Clery. Mr Noel Grealish was elected to Galway County Council for the party. Ms Mae Sexton retained the party's seat in Longford, being elected on the first count.
Labour's result shows no electoral benefit yet accruing from its merger with Democratic Left. The party was pleased with its performance in Dublin where it won a seat in every ward in the Dublin Corporation area for the first time. The party now has 14 seats on the Corporation, up from the 10 won in 1991.
However Labour suffered a notable reverse in Meath where the merger with Democratic Left cost Labour its representation on Meath County Council. Mr Brian Fitzgerald and Mr Jimmy Cudden, who both left the party in protest at the merger, were both re-elected as independents, while Labour candidates lost out. A number of former Democratic Left figures performed well against rivals from the original Labour Party. In Crumlin-Kimmage, former Democratic Left deputy Mr Eric Byrne polled particularly well in a constituency where tensions between "new and old" Labour have been high.
Ms Kathleen Lynch was comfortably elected to Cork Corporation ahead of a Labour colleague. In Dublin Labour Councillor Paddy Bourke was defeated by his former DL colleague, Mr Anthony Creevey.
Former deputies Ms Joan Burton in Castleknock and Ms Niamh Bhreathnach each won local authority seats comfortably, giving them a platform to challenge for Dail seats.
Ms Joanna Tuffy won a seat in Lucan, and may now seek to be the party's standard bearer in the next general election in the new Dublin Mid-West constituency.
Mr Ted Howlin, brother of Labour deputy Mr Brendan Howlin, was elected to Wexford Corporation.
The Workers Party won three seats on Waterford Corporation, an area where the party was traditionally strong and has remained so after the split which led to the formation of Democratic Left.
In Dublin the Green Party's Ms Claire Wheeler lost her seat in the Pembroke Ward of Dublin Corporation. Ms Heidi Jane Bedell, who is married to Green Party deputy Mr Trevor Sargent, won a seat for the Greens on Fingal Council in Malahide, the same ward in which Fine Gael's deputy leader, Ms Nora Owen, failed to take a seat. In Clondalkin Fianna Fail's Mr Liam Lawlor was another prominent loser.
Mr Joe Higgins, until now the sole Socialist Party councillor in Co Dublin, topped the poll in Mulhuddart and will be joined on Fingal Council by Ms Clare Daly, who was elected in Swords.
In North Tipperary the former Fine Gael Minister, now independent, Mr Michael Lowry, won 2 1/2 quotas, while his running mate, Mr Willie Kennedy, was also elected in the same ward, winning close to a quota himself.