Trolley Watch injures Fine Gael support

As he sat in a quiet corner of the count centre around 1am on Sunday, Michael Noonan could have been forgiven for feeling bewildered.

A finance minister hailed by his peers in Europe for the economic miracle they saw blossom in Ireland was now back to basics — waiting for the final sixth-count declaration which would see him elected with cabinet colleague Jan O’Sullivan, neither reaching the quota.

O’Sullivan’s mood was in absolute contrast.