Tánaiste's statement:Tánaiste and Progressive Democrats leader Michael McDowell was the biggest casualty of the general election yesterday when he lost his seat in Dublin South East to his long-time rival John Gormley of the Green Party, write Martin Walland Seán Mac Connell.
Mr McDowell conceded defeat at around 8.30pm at the RDS count centre and announced his retirement from public life.
The Tánaiste recalled how he had consulted his wife before starting out in public life. "Twenty years ago I asked Niamh for 10 years of family life to go into politics to try to improve Ireland, in the late 1980s. That leave of absence has taken twice as long as I thought it would. But it brought me to heights of privilege and public service I never anticipated at the time I started out in public life.
". . .It has been a huge privilege to serve the Irish people at every level - TD, Minister, Tánaiste and as AG - and a huge privilege to serve in the most successful Government the country ever had, when Ireland came from bad to good and now looks to be going from good to great."
However, on this occasion the people of Dublin South East had made their choice and he respected it as a democrat. "I love my country and I am deeply ambitious for it. But at this point, I have to say, with this outcome, at this stage of my career, it makes it very clear that as far as I am concerned, my period of public life as a public representative is over."
He said that while the day had not been good for the PDs, the party had a lot to be proud of as it had been "the dynamic force" in public life for 20 years.
Mr McDowell accepted the responsibility for the things that had gone wrong in the election campaign. When he became leader of the PDs last year, he had indicated that one danger for the party would be a major resurgence in the Fine Gael level of support. "That has happened to a large extent today."
Mr McDowell was barracked by a small number of political opponents as he made his way from the count centre.
PD president Tom Parlon, whose vote was down substantially in Laois-Offaly, expressed disappointment at the loss of Mr McDowell whom he described as a great and committed politician.
"Certainly I was disappointed, all the more because there was a major cheer in the pub where I just stepped out to get a drink. It just shows the fickle nature of the Irish public because I think there was no more committed politician or patriot than Michael McDowell," he said.
Earlier Mr Parlon said he had "lost votes, right left and centre. I cannot say they were IFA votes or Laois votes and it will be difficult to analyse where or why I lost them".