Mary White, deputy leader of the Green Party, made electoral history by becoming the first woman elected to represent Carlow-Kilkenny and her party's first female TD.
She attracted transfers from all parties and won the final seat on the ninth count, early on Saturday, without reaching the quota. The Carlow councillor described it as "a great day for the party".
Fianna Fáil scored a spectacular success by holding its three seats despite a decline in the party's overall share of the vote. Outgoing Kilkenny city-based TD John McGuinness and newcomer councillor Bobby Aylward from south Kilkenny both exceeded the quota and were elected on the first count.
Later, there were jubilant scenes when M J Nolan, the party's Carlow-based TD, was returned on the eighth count, defying media predictions that his seat was vulnerable.
The result was a disaster for Fine Gael which failed to capture a second seat despite a surge in its share of the vote to almost 30 per cent. Outgoing Kilkenny TD Phil Hogan, the party's national director of organisation, was re-elected on the seventh count.
There was bitter disappointment and anger among party activists at the apparent collapse of Fine Gael's vote-management strategy. When Carlow candidate Senator Fergal Browne was eliminated, more of his transfers went to Labour than to his south Kilkenny running mate, Senator John Paul Phelan.
Labour's share of the vote was down almost four points and the party's supporters were despondent at the loss of a seat held for the last 46 years by Séamus Pattison, the former ceann comhairle and Europe's longest-serving parliamentarian, who is retiring from public life.
Overall change: Labour loss, Green gain
Outgoing TDs
Liam Aylward FF
John McGuinness FF
MJ Nolan FF
Phil Hogan FG
Seamus Pattison Lab
