Part 2: Election diary from Ireland

Cathal Dervan brings you the latest on the ground in Ireland

The Green Party has been decimated in the 2011 General Election – with the junior coalition partners in the last government unlikely to have any seats in the new Dail.
Outgoing TDs Paul Gogarty and Ciaran Cuffe had already conceded defeat before the six o’clock news on RTE television.
Leader John Gormley and junior minister Eamon Ryan were hanging on to outside hopes of retaining their seats in Dublin where only Trevor Sargent had any chance of returning to Leinster House.
“John and I have little chance of holding our seats,” admitted Ryan while party colleague Mary White all but gave up on her seat in Carlow-Kilkenny.
Former Minister Cuffe admitted that: “The Faustian pact with Fianna Fáil has come back to haunt the party. However, I still believe the party performed well in government and will recover its standing in time.”

One of the youngest candidates in the 2011 Election has failed to make his mark on the ballot paper – after Dylan Haskins polled 1383 first preferences, less than half the votes of his number of friends on his campaign Facebook page in Dublin South East.

Libyan General Election candidate Hussein Hamed won’t be took bothered by his poor showing in Dublin South – he’s busy mourning the death of his step brother in the conflict back home so the fact he took just 273 votes.

Bookmaker Paddy Power decided enough was enough on Saturday afternoon and started to pay out bets on a Fine Gael-Labour coalition after less than 15 seats in the new Dail had been filled.
 

READ MORE- Part 1: Election diary from Ireland

READ MORE- Fine Gael/Labour coalition outcome of Irish election says exit poll

READ MORE- Irish Live Election Coverage Results

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Nster.com