PERCHED along the railings in front of election counts around the country, the hawk-eyed tallymen use their keen vision and strong concentration to spot every movement of the ballot boxes below.

A LOCAL election candidate has claimed that he could lose votes because his picture is unrecognisable on ballot papers.

FORMER developer Tom Gilmartin hit back yesterday at business rival Owen O’Callaghan, who had attacked him and the way the Mahon Planning Tribunal was conducting its inquiry.

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern was one of several senior government politicians who asked for donations to Fianna Fáil when the party was said to be £3 million in debt, the Mahon Planning Tribunal heard yesterday.

FORMER taoiseach Albert Reynolds allegedly got the Industrial Development Authority (IDA) to block developer Tom Gilmartin’s plans to acquire lands for a proposed shopping complex, the Mahon Tribunal heard yesterday.

IN the end the only politician named during the funeral homily of Sean Doherty was Charlie Haughey.

Former Fianna Fáil national organiser, Sean Sherwin, has told the Mahon Tribunal that he informed Albert Reynolds when he took over as party leader in 1992 that Tom Gilmartin claimed to have given £50,000 to Padraig Flynn.

A brother-in-law of independent MEP Rosemary ‘Dana’ Scallon has told the Mahon Tribunal that property developer Tom Gilmartin told him about the problems he was experiencing in the late 1980s.

Fianna Fail’s national organiser, Sean Sherwin, faces a six-figure legal bill after losing his battle for costs in his High Court libel action against the Sunday Independent.

The Fianna Fail organiser Sean Sherwin has won his libel action against the Sunday Independent.