Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty, lost her seat. Photo: Frank McGrath There were a number of shock high-profile casualties, with Minister for Social Protection Regina Doherty, chief whip Seán Kyne, Minister of State Michael D’Arcy as well as Kate O’Connell, Marcella Corcoran-Kennedy and Tom Neville all losing their seats. Former Transport Minister Shane Ross and Fianna Fáil’s Lisa Chambers and Fiona O’Loughlin were also amongst those who lost out. Fianna Fáil did not do near as well as expected and finished with 38 seats, while Sinn Féin celebrated a historic first, with 37 seats after receiving the most first-preference votes. It was the party’s best result since 1923. But there was another historic first about to counteract that, as Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael laid aside their Civil War-era differences and by June, together with the Green Party, agreed a programme to enter government together.