FG performanc/analysis: There are lots of reasons for Enda Kenny's party to be cheerful, writes Deaglán de Bréadún.
The natural order of things has been restored. After the meltdown of 2002, when the party went out with 54 TDs and came back with only 31, Fine Gael is set to recover a substantial number of seats and become a greatly enhanced presence in Leinster House.
Although the "rainbow" option may be off the agenda, there are plenty of reasons for Fine Gael to be cheerful.
In Enda Kenny it has an energetic, vibrant leader who can still be a credible contender for the office of taoiseach at the next general election, even if an incoming administration under Fianna Fáil survives for a full five-year term.
Having recruited Wexford Independent Dr Liam Twomey along the way, Fine Gael went to the hustings with an extremely modest 32 deputies. It has put in a substantially better performance than was expected even six months ago, when pundits were forecasting only a very limited increase for the main opposition party.
Much of the credit must go to the party leader and his team. Kenny tirelessly stomped the country, glad-handing voters at every opportunity and displaying a common touch to rival that of Bertie Ahern.
His greatest achievement was to persuade his followers that Fine Gael had a real chance of getting into government. The surge in party morale was much in evidence at the ardfheis, where he made an impressive speech. It was also reflected around the country, with cheering supporters queuing up to get their picture taken with the leader.
It is questionable, however, whether his Contract for a Better Ireland caught the imagination: the electorate wasn't ready for such American-style razzmatazz.
Given public reaction to the revelations about the Taoiseach's finances late last September, smart people in Fine Gael knew there was quite literally no percentage in being seen to exploit the matter when further details began to emerge at the start of the campaign.
But when the dust settles and the postmortems begin, questions must be asked about the excessive emphasis placed instead on the health services. In retrospect it might have been better to put more effort into convincing the electorate that the economy would continue to thrive under a Fine Gael-led government.
The party also placed huge emphasis on the issue of stamp duty. This looked like a winner at the start but, in the end, it is likely that relatively few voters were swayed one way or the other by the debate on this issue.
An issue which received surprisingly little attention from Fine Gael and which could have benefited its candidates was the sheer longevity of Fianna Fáil in power over recent decades. The Soldiers of Destiny have been at the controls for almost 24 out of the last 30 years.
There was also the issue of the lack of experience on the Fine Gael front bench, most of whom had never previously served in cabinet. Nor could Kenny hope to challenge his opposite number in terms of his contribution to the Northern Ireland peace process, an issue Fianna Fáil exploited with the aid of Tony Blair, Bill Clinton and George Mitchell.
A great deal hinged on the leaders' debate and, if Kenny had wiped the floor with the Taoiseach on the night, he might have swept to victory at the polling booth. In the event, while he performed quite creditably in the TV studio, opinion was divided as to which man was the winner, with recent polls suggesting victory for Mr Ahern.
Fine Gael will be 75 years in existence next year and can celebrate this significant milestone by pointing to the increase in its Dáil seats as evidence of robust good health. But the party needs to broaden its appeal even further if it is to defeat Fianna Fáil next time. Obviously an alliance with Labour is a virtual necessity, if the smaller party is again willing to make such an arrangement, but drawing in other forces, such as the Greens, may be required for ultimate success.