Those byelections were all about bragging rights. Even Social Democrats would say the chances of replicating the feat of two seats in a single constituency as in Dublin Central in a general election are zero. Still, they provided an excellent primer on the transformative effect of transfers in the PR-STV (proportional representation – single transferable vote) system and a useful snapshot of the battle between the political left/centre and hard right.

In short, the right lost both, due to the power of transfers.

For anyone wondering how they are taking defeat, the answer is, not well.

Dr Marcus de Brun, who is facing Medical Council allegations of professional misconduct, posted that he was “utterly convinced that the only solution for Ireland is a military coup d’etat”. Sending his “commiserations” to Independent Ireland in Galway West, Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín said it was “incredible that FG won a byelection with the help of Labour, an ‘opposition party’”. “Well done to Independent Ireland Noel Thomas who, in the end, sadly became a victim of the voting system,” wrote radio host Niall Boylan to his 83,000 followers on Twitter/X.

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It was almost as if Tóibín, whose own candidates fell well short, had never heard of........

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