Kelly wins and Ganley quits on day of drama
And in equally dramatic circumstances in the North West, Libertas founder Declan Ganley announced that he was “bowing out” of politics after it became clear he would not win a seat.
“I am out of this game now,” Mr Ganley said.
“The fact is we sought a mandate to effect change. We didn’t get it.
“We can take no for an answer. We move on,” he said.
Asked if this meant he would not lead another campaign against the Lisbon treaty when the second referendum takes place in the autumn, Mr Ganley replied: “I will not be involved in the second Lisbon campaign.”
Mr Ganley conceded defeat after a recheck which he sought backfired and saw him lose some 3,000 votes.
As a result, the three seats in North West will go to Independent MEP Marian Harkin, Fine Gael MEP Jim Higgins and Fianna Fáil TD Pat ‘The Cope’ Gallagher, who will have to resign his Dáil seat, further decreasing the Government’s majority.
Labour, meanwhile, was jubilant after Mr Kelly’s stunning victory meant the party had trebled its number of European Parliament seats. Mr Kelly now joins sitting MEP Proinsias de Rossa, who retained his seat in Dublin, and Nessa Childers, who won a seat for Labour in the East constituency.
The first two seats in Ireland South went to sitting Fianna Fáil MEP Brian Crowley and Fine Gael’s Sean Kelly, who unseated his party colleague Colm Burke.
In Dublin, Fianna Fáil’s meltdown continued, with the party’s sitting MEP Eoin Ryan unseated by the Socialist Party’s Joe Higgins in a result which will further increase the pressure on Taoiseach Brian Cowen.
Mr Higgins took the final seat after Fine Gael MEP Gay Mitchell and Labour’s Mr de Rossa both retained theirs.
In the final constituency, East, Fine Gael MEP Máiréad McGuinness comfortably won re-election and was joined by Labour’s Ms Childers and sitting Fianna Fáil MEP Liam Aylward.
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