THE result was all so predictable that there was no great exuberance at the election night party in the British Embassy on Merrion Road in Dublin. The huge changes now expected to hit Britain were not greeted with pop ping of champagne corks. Instead, the embassy staff, including Ambassador Veronica Sutherland, invited personal and media friends to drop in from 10 p.m. on Wednesday for a few drinks and to watch the results on the six televisions installed in the bleak reception hall.
Rosettes of blue, red and yellow were available for those who wanted to show their preferences but, not only were the embassy staff not wearing any, in the manner of true civil servants they wouldn't even venture an opinion on what was happening.
As one Tory seat fell after another there was neither grief nor glee from the British nationals present. The majority of Irish watched it happen and thanked goodness that our system is so much more exciting.
Among those who attended although not till the 4 a.m. wind-up were Senators Maurice Manning and Mary Henry, Deputy Helen Keogh, MEP Bernie Malone, Government press secretaries Shane Kenny and Tony Heffernan and Bertie Ahern's chef de cabinet Paddy Duffy.