Al Gore won by a landslide, Ralph Nader finished a surprise second, and George Bush was beaten into an ignominious third place. But the real story from Dublin's Mansion House last night was the bumper turn-out, as the US community in Ireland gathered for the quadrennial election night party.
In fact, the US community was heavily supplemented by local guests, many of whom had no connection with the US other than admiration for the home of the brave and the land of the free beer.
There was certainly plenty of the latter last night. You couldn't have swung a swingometer at the Mansion House without knocking over a pint of sponsored Budweiser, and by midnight even Nader supporters had lost their appetite for any immediate reform of the party system.
Ambassador Mike Sullivan welcomed guests knowing his job was on the line if Bush won. In that event, an embassy spokesman explained, all ambassadors would write letters of resignation in January and, "except for the career diplomats," would be replaced quickly. "It's ironic," said the spokesman: "[Mike] knows Dick Cheney - who's also from Wyoming - much better than Al Gore."
Badges of the rival camps were issued as guests arrived, the Gore-Lieberman versions running out early. Plastic stars and stripes hats were the other fashion accessory, while RTE's Joe Duffy claimed a unique distinction by sporting official-issue White House cufflinks given him by the Clinton team during one of the Irish visits.
The giant CNN screen was being largely ignored. But it was consolation to Mr Sullivan that, whatever was happening across the Atlantic, the Mansion House was overwhelmingly Democrat.
All guests were handed a mock ballot paper on the way in, while those whose appetite for democracy was greater could help themselves to more if they liked. Encouraged by embassy staff to "vote early and vote often," the electorate plumped heavily for Gore, 265 to Bush's 71, despite having his running mate's name misspelt on the paper.
John Bruton, Michael McDowell, Michael Woods and Bernie Malone were among last night's electorate, but Fine Gael TD John Browne could claim at least an indirect influence on the real poll. His wife Nancy is a dual citizen, with a vote in New York state, and had supported "Gore and Hillary Clinton," he said.
With burgers and hot dogs in fierce demand, a fire in the catering department after midnight required the use of extinguishers. The smoke cleared quickly. But the picture on the CNN screens remained inconclusive.
