Sinn Féin candidate Mark Ward has been elected to the Dáil following the Dublin Mid-West by-election.
He was deemed elected after the ninth count, with 7,669 votes.
He received 24% of the first preference vote, but was 5,000 short of the quota - meaning transfers were crucial in determining the fate of former Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald's vacant Dáil seat.
The first count saw Fine Gael's Emer Higgins in second, with Independent Paul Gogarty in third.
Ms Higgins emerged with 7,144 votes after the final count, 525 behind Mr Ward.
Mr Ward topped the poll in a constituency which saw a record low turnout of just 26.58%.
Turnout was also low in the other three by-elections in Dublin Fingal, Wexford and Cork North-Central.
Mark Ward elected! pic.twitter.com/yYFdrZSLan
— Shane Beatty (@ShaneBeattyNews) November 30, 2019
Six candidates were eliminated after the first three counts, with the process continuing through the afternoon.
Mr Ward said voters sent a message to the government.
"Our message and the feedback we got from constituents was that workers and families need a break - they're sick to the back teeth of austerity politics, of waiting lists in hospitals, of people waiting for housing, for people being cut to the collar with high rents, stuck in gridlock and transport around Dublin Mid-West and we knew this message early on.
"Nobody gave us a chance but we knew from the people we were taking to that we had a great chance with this.
Speaking earlier today during the early counts, Mr Ward said he was delighted with the numbers he was seeing.
He said: "I'm over the moon. Our message out on the doors - talking to people all around Clondalkin, Lucan and Dublin Mid-West... about transport issues, about the housing crisis - has really resonated.
"The Sinn Féin supporters came out on the day.
He said he felt his message connected with voters.
"I think people resonated with our message - we were out talking to families and workers about giving them a break.
He continued: "Families and workers all across Dublin Mid-West and all across the country haven't been given a break by the Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil propped-up government in recent years and people have come out in their droves."
