McFadden secures seat in bitter-sweet victory

The buzz, the excitement: it just wasn’t there at the count centre in Keenagh in Co Longford on Saturday where counting of votes in the Longford-Westmeath by-election was taking place.

Partly, perhaps, because by the time just 40% of the boxes had been tallied, it was already clear that Gabrielle McFadden of Fine Gael had got the nod from the voters of Longford and Westmeath, and was going to claim the seat left vacant through the death of her sister, the late Nicky McFadden.

However, while the tallies may have been over, there was a long wait ahead for the first count, with at least two hours having been spent on the adjudication of doubtful votes.