ANALYSIS: On a day when some of Fine Gael's finest were tumbling like skittles in a bowling alley, Mayo TD Mr Michael Ring maintained his proud position as constituency poll-topper.
His personal happiness, however, was clouded by the poor party performance.
"We didn't stand for anything", he lamented before letting off a few angry missiles in the direction of some senior party figures suggesting they had got their roles wrong during the last term of Government.
"I think some of my colleagues believed they were still Ministers because they were Ministers at one time," Mr Ring said before adding: "I think we paid a price for that."
Mr Ring said there would have to be a root and branch appraisal of the party at local authority as well as Oireachtas level. "We have got to get issues and we have got to mean something," he continued.
The political landscape in Mayo was dramatically altered by the overall result, with two sitting TDs, Dr Tom Moffat of Fianna Fáil, Minister of State in the last Government, and Mr Jim Higgins, a former Government Whip, losing out in the battle for the final two seats.
Earlier in the count, it seemed that Mr Enda Kenny, rather than Mr Higgins, was destined for defeat. But the transfer of more than 4,000 votes after Mr Higgins was eliminated ensured the political survival of Mr Kenny.
A relieved Mr Kenny admitted afterwards that he had resigned himself to defeat.
He was very sorry that in the end it came down to a fight between himself and Mr Higgins who he described as an excellent public representative.
Independent candidate Dr Jerry Cowley and Fianna Fáil councillor Mr John Carty, from Knock, both confirmed their high pre-election poll ratings by taking seats.
Dr Cowley, an energetic, multi-issue candidate, swept to success in style, collecting votes right across the sprawling constituency to collect just over 8,700 first preferences, about 1,100 behind Mr Ring. Fianna Fáil candidate Ms Beverly Cooper Flynn confounded those who thought she might lose out, by winning the fifth seat. The victory was greeted with delight by her supporters and her father, former EU Commissioner, Mr Padraig Flynn, joined yesterday's early morning celebrations.
Dr Moffat and Mr Higgins showed immense dignity and graciousness in the way they accepted defeat. The pre-dawn victory speeches in the Royal Travellers Friend Hotel in Castlebar concluded with words of commiseration to Fianna Fáil Senator Frank Chambers who fought the last days of an unsuccessful campaign from a hospital bed having been hospitalised with car-crash injuries sustained while canvassing.