Kerry North has been inundated with international media at the prospect of a convicted republican gun-runner grabbing a Dáil seat.
Sinn Féin in Kerry North have been forced to schedule daily media conferences to control access to their candidate, Mr Martin Ferris, such is the overwhelming level of interest from international and national media over the past few weeks.
"It was either cancel international media or fit everybody in. And it was either canvass or spend all day fitting in all the individual interviews. So each day we have slotted in a half- hour for the media. Irish media are, of course, a priority," said Mr Paul Henry, who has been seconded from Mr Martin McGuinness's constituency office in Derry for the election in Kerry North.
Danish, French, Belgian, US and UK television, radio and print media are among those lining up each day.
London-based journalist Benjamin Quenelle, who works for the Belgian newspaper Le Soir, said the main attraction with Mr Ferris in Kerry North is the candidate's republican activist past and the possibility he will be elected. This situation was proving the most interesting aspect in the otherwise unremarkable general election, Mr Quenelle said.
Mr Ferris was arrested off Fenit in 1984 on a boat packed with weapons and explosives.
The office of Ms Louise McDonagh, the returning officer, has been "inundated" with requests for media passes for Saturday, the day of the count in Kerry North, according to a member of staff.
Well over 100 print journalists, television crews and radio broadcasters have asked for passes to the count centre in the Brandon Hotel in Tralee.