Roscommon - South Leitrim

Once again, Roscommon bucked the national trend, returning two Fine Gael and one Fianna Fáil TDs and the loss of a seat for Fianna Fáil. Michael Finneran topped the poll for Fianna Fáil, with Fine Gael's Frank Feighan and Denis Naughten taking the other two seats.

It has been said that Roscommon county, whatever constituency it has been part of, has never returned the same team to the Dáil since independence. Indeed, this unpredictability was evident prior to that as Sinn Féin secured its first ever parliamentarian with the election of Count Plunkett, father of executed 1916 leader Joseph Mary Plunkett, as MP at a Roscommon byelection in February 1917.

The defeat of Fianna Fáil TD John Ellis did not come as any great surprise as it was felt he was vulnerable in Roscommon, where some voters remained disenchanted due to events in the past concerning his business.

FG Senator Frank Feighan, based in Boyle, had been fighting a vigorous election campaign for most of the past five years, not least more recently in South Leitrim where five Fine Gael councillors campaigned energetically for him.

He was also helped by a risky strategy whereby Denis Naughten agreed to allocate him 65 per cent of the constituency. Early in the count many in the Naughten camp thought the tactic had come unstuck as tallies indicated he and John Ellis were uncomfortably close.

It was late on Friday before they felt secure. Before the count, it was expected Finneran and Naughten would be elected easily with Feighan and Ellis slugging it out for the last seat.

Overall change: New constituency

Outgoing TDs

Michael Finneran FF

John Ellis FF

Denis Naughten FG