Michael D Higgins was tonight celebrating his imminent election as the ninth President of Ireland after the first official nationwide count gave him 40% of first preferences, well ahead of Seán Gallagher on 28.5%.
A number of further counts will be required to bring Mr Higgins past the 50% +1 barrier necessary to be officially elected, but at this stage he can’t be caught.
His six presidential rivals had admitted as much earlier in the day, each conceding defeat in turn and offering their congratulations to the septuagenarian.
With the quota at 885,882, the cumulative results of the first count were:
- Michael D Higgins 701,101 (40%)
- Seán Gallagher 504,964 (28.5%)
- Martin McGuinness 243,030 (13.7%)
- Gay Mitchell 113,321 (6.4%)
- David Norris 109,469 (6.2%)
- Dana Rosemary Scallon 51,202 (2.9%)
- Mary Davis 48,657 (2.7%)
Dana Rosemary Scallon and Mary Davis were eliminated.
“I feel a little overwhelmed,” Mr Higgins said.
“I’m very, very happy. It is something I prepared for, something I thought about for a long while.
“I am very glad as well that it is a presidency built on a campaign that emphasised ideas. I hope it will be a presidency that will enable everybody to be part of and proud of.”
Mr Higgins secured the victory for Labour – the second in a day as the party edged towards a by-election win – after the other six candidates conceded defeat.
Mr Gallagher, the opinion poll topper with a 15-point margin as recent as Sunday, saw his support vanish to 28% in a stunning defeat blamed on his ties to Fianna Fáil.
But the businessman refused to criticise.
“These are campaigns and this is the nature of a campaign,” the former political fund raiser said.
Mr Higgins will be inaugurated on November 11, the day after current president Mary McAleese leaves office.
Amid hectic scenes at the National Count Centre in Dublin Castle, and in statesmanlike fashion, Mr Higgins said the ideas of his presidential rivals would be incorporated into his term at Áras an Úachtaráin.
While his campaign was born out of an ethos of the left, he said he would serve as a president for all of the people whether they voted for him or not.
With wife Sabina and children Daniel, John, Alice Mary and Michael Junior, at his side he described the prospect as exciting and wonderful.
The official result is not expected to be declared until the early hours or tomorrow at the latest.
Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore, Labour party leader, said it had been an honour to nominate Mr Higgins for the job.
“This is a good day for the Labour Party. ”I’m really happy for him. I’m really delighted that he succeeded,“ Mr Gilmore said.
Runner-up Mr Gallagher would not blame the man who derailed his seemingly unassailable campaign on live TV last Monday.
The businessman ran into a storm of controversy amid allegations he was a “bag man” soliciting and collecting donations for Fianna Fáil.
Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness, who was ran third in the poll securing a tactical victory, dropped the bombshell that Mr Gallagher had requested and personally received a €5,000 (£4,390) cheque from a businessman with a conviction for tax fraud and fuel smuggling.
With his wife Trish by his side, Mr Gallagher admitted it had been an enduring campaign before he paid tribute to Mr Higgins.
Mr McGuinness, who is to return to his role as the North’s Deputy First Minister, later dismissed suggestions that he was in the race for tactical, party political reasons.
“I was in the contest to win,” he said.
“At the same time I knew I was up against the big battalions, and you all know who I’m speaking about. But I think it’s been a tremendous experience and it is something I will remember for the rest of my life.
“But my political career isn’t over.”
Labour were, celebrating double whammy at the polls with the certain prospect that councillor Patrick Nulty will win the seat in Dublin West left empty following the death of former finance minister Brian Lenihan last year.
It will be the first time since 1982 a governing party has won a by-election.
But Gay Mitchell was on course for the worst performance in history by a candidate from Fine Gael.
His failure to register left him vying with Senator David Norris for the fourth and fifth spots. The Senator was first candidate to declare Mr Higgins’ win in the morning.
Justice Minister Alan Shatter was again forced to deny allegations that Fine Gael failed to offer its full support to presidential flop Mr Mitchell.
He said he did not think Mr Mitchell’s defeat had anything to do with the party, saying the presidential election is more about personality than politics.
“It’s a very different election. It’s a personality election,” he said
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