Mr Brendan Howlin, the defeated candidate in the Labour Party leadership contest, said he was glad Mr Ruairi Quinn's win had been decisive. If five people had voted the other way the vote would have been a tie. Fear of an inconclusive vote was "our common horror this morning", Mr Howlin said.
"There is no division whatsoever in the party now," he said. "Every single person who voted for either of us pledged support for the ultimate winner."
Mr Howlin said he was honoured to be made deputy leader of the Labour Party. He was speaking at a press conference held directly after the leadership election. He made a short address following that of Mr Quinn. He would be brief, he said: "The few remarks I had prepared for this moment are currently being shredded."
He said he wanted to "most sincerely congratulate" Mr Quinn. During the election, he had spoken with every member of the parliamentary party and the national council. People felt "bruised and battered", but "there is a sense of vitality in the party now that only needs to be ignited and Ruairi Quinn will do that for us".
He pledged his support to the leadership of Mr Quinn.