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Fianna Fáil sweeps to biggest win

3 ministers fall as 7% swing routs Coalition

By Dick Walsh

THE Taoiseach, Mr Cosgrave, conceded defeat last night after it became clear that Fianna Fáil was on its way to one of the most dramatic election victories in the history of the State.The Minister for Industry and Commerce, Mr [ Justin] Keating had lost his seat, the Minister for Posts and telegraphs, Dr [ Conor Cruise] O'Brien was struggling to retain his and several leading [ Fine Gael-Labour] Coalition figures had been eliminated when Mr Cosgrave conceded.

At the time, the results of 45 constituencies were known and Fianna Fáil was doing twice as well as the Coalition parties, recovering key rural constituencies and making deep inroads in Dublin three-seat constituencies where the party was expected to lose ground.

Later as Fianna Fáil victories were reported throughout the State, and the party seemed likely to achieve more than 80 seats, the Coalition victims were to include Dr Conor Cruise O'Brien and another minister, Mr Paddy Cooney.

The Labour Party was crushed and Fine Gael severely battered as Fianna Fáil swept through constituency after constituency, its transfers intact and organisational superiority clearly demonstrated; the Coalition parties prepared to go into Opposition as separate and now almost certainly opposed groups.

Failure to grasp the importance of prices, unemployment and the volatility of young voters, especially in Dublin and errors of judgment, reflected in concentration on its record on Northern Ireland and security , bought about the Coalition government's defeat. So did the exhausting campaign and extraordinary popularity of the Opposition leader, Mr [ Jack] Lynch , the vigour with which Fianna Fáil presented its programme for national reconstruction and the professional ability of its organisers and supporters . . .

From Saturday June 18, 2007