Kitt dynasty: Three members of the Kitt family from Galway, two brothers and a sister, have made history by taking seats in the new Dáil.
Two of them were poll toppers, Mícheál Kitt, in Galway West, and his sister, Áine Kitt- Brady, in Kildare North, while Tom Kitt, government chief whip, had the second-highest first-preference vote in Dublin South.
The Kitts are a political dynasty of long standing, stretching back to 1948 when their father, Michael F Kitt, was elected to the Dáil. He served from 1948 to 1951 and again from 1957 to 1975, when Mícheál won the by-election caused by his death.
Mícheál lost the seat in 1977, regained it in 1981, after serving a term in the Seanad, and held it until 2002. Since then he has served in the Seanad as a taoiseach's nominee.
Tom was first elected to the Dáil in 1987 and served in a number of junior ministerial positions before his appointment as chief whip. Áine contested the 2005 by-election caused by the departure to Europe of Charlie McCreevy as European commissioner, polling 6,201 first preferences.
She is married to Jerry Brady, who was a member of the Dáil from February to November 1982.
