Cormac O'Keeffe: Far right's success cannot be measured just in seats gained 

The far right has made inroads in creating division, mistrust, fear, and even hatred of immigrants, even foreigners, in Irish society

Malachy Steenson celebrates in the RDS, Dublin. Picture: Sasko Lazarov

There has been a mixed assessment on the fortunes of the far right in the Irish local and European elections.

Some political and media analysis has suggested that a feared, even predicted, wave of far-right sentiment, fuelled by discontent on the immigration issue, threatened to steal significant numbers of voters from Fine Gael, Sinn Féin, and Fianna Fáil.