SF 'come to terms with election failings'

Sinn Féin were today coming to terms with a disastrous end to their ambitious plan to secure major gains in the General Election.

The party’s representation in the Dáil was down at least one seat after a high-profile loss in Dublin and the failure to capture several other heavily targeted seats.

The normally stoic and resilient party leadership struck an unusually resigned note having insisted early in the campaign their expected gains would be one of the big stories.

They were grasping on to hope early into the morning that a gain in Donegal North East might lessen the pain of the collapse of their planned breakthrough.

But Padraig MacLochlainn was finally squeezed out in a long drawn out contest that went down to the wire with two outgoing Fianna Fáil TDs James McDaid and Niall Blaney returned along with shock Fine Gael poll topper Joe McHugh.

Caoimhghin O Caolain, Martin Ferris and Arthur Morgan all managed to secure their re-election to the 30th Dáil but Aengus O’Snodaigh was left fighting for his seat in Dublin South Central.

The shock loss of Sean Crowe’s seat in Dublin South West and widely-tipped MEP Mary Lou McDonald’s defeat in Dublin Central poured ice cold water on the party’s already dampened spirits.

Mary Lou McDonald says the party obviously failed to make the gains predicted by most pundits and this was a disappointment.

However, she said the election effectively became a battle between Bertie Ahern and Enda Kenny, with the smaller parties being squeezed out.

Pearse Doherty’s impact in Donegal South West failed to translate into a new seat despite doubling the party’s vote in the constituency since the 2002 poll.

Pat Doherty, Sinn Féin vice-president and national director of elections, signalled that party chiefs were resigned to the situation as early as the afternoon on the first day of counting.

“All of the smaller parties have been caught up in the surge for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael,” he said.

“The vote just didn’t come through for us and it’s going to take a bit of analysis after the election.”

Party strategists went home from count centres with a strange feeling that they had got it wrong on a day when several targeted gains failed to materialise.