WHO ARE THE REAL WINNERS AND LOSERS IN THE BY-ELECTIONS FALLOUT?

WINNERS MICHEÁL MARTIN

Swiftly turning into the silver fox of Irish politics. Dealt capably with the Lorraine Clifford-Lee fuss. Then basked as Fine Gael sank beneath the Verona Murphy deluge. Achieves a lot by appearing to do little.

MARY LOU MCDONALD

Surprise! We were primed for another electoral debacle demonstrating how peripheral her party was. Yet, Sinn Féin dug in and secured its core vote in Cork and a seat in Dublin MidWest – so the real bosses in Belfast will be less uneasy.

EAMON RYAN

Just about on the winners’ side thanks to Fingal – well-tilled soil for the Greens. Their leader has gone a bit OTT with proposals to release wolves and the virtues of car pooling. The results suggest voters remain interested, but calm down a little, Eamon.

LOSERS LEO VARADKAR

Was hoping to ambush Fianna Fáil in Wexford. Instead was ambushed by his own candidate. Then he promptly, after a short and furtive mid-afternoon dalliance, ran away from the far-too-local, rural and vocal Verona Murphy. By-elections are difficult and he fared well in Dublin Mid-West, but to lose four hardly qualifies him as the great conqueror.

BRENDAN HOWLIN

By-elections in four former Labour strongholds and not a single seat. He tried to minimise expectations by claiming fourth is a good result. Won’t get many buyers for that proposition.

VERONA MURPHY

Entered the race as a credible respected candidate. Left it reduced to click-bait as her own party prayed for her demise. May well be elected to the Dáil next time, possibly as an Independent rather than for Fine Gael.