The last seat on Udaras na Gaeltachta's new board was finally filled early yesterday after three days and more than 40 hours of counting and re counting.
Fianna Fail candidate Mr Padraig O Biadha beat the Progressive Democrats' candidate Mr Sean Creaven by exactly one vote. Mr Creaven had 937 votes, Mr O Biadha had 938.
The count, which took place in Carraroe's An Scoil Chuim sitheach, was also slowed down by several ballot papers which didn't have the official mark on them.
The Fianna Fail victory completes a successful election for the party.
Out of the 17 seats, FF has eight, Fine Gael has five, Labour one, and three Independent members were also elected.
The Minister of State for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Mr Eamon O Cuiv, is expected to appoint two more members and the board's chairman this week.
Mr O Biadha, who is from Lettermullen in the Ceantar na nOilean area of the Connemara Gaeltacht, said he now intended to give the people a voice on Udaras na Gaeltachta's board as he promised in his campaign.
Mr Creaven said he hoped he would be appointed a member to the board, but that that was up to the Minister of State.