Fianna Fail has admitted it faces a huge task to turn around support across Donegal if the by-election result is anything to go by.
The party’s level of support in Donegal South West more than halved compared with 2007 in one of its strongest heartlands.
The by-election results marked a historic win for Sinn Fein, a steady performance by Fine Gael, but a disappointing finish for Labour.
Privately, Fianna Fail sources recognised that if it was now on just over 20pc in one of its safest constituencies in the country, it was on a much lower level of support in many other constituencies.
That suggests the party poised to lose seats in every corner of the country at the next election.
Tanaiste Mary Coughlan was left picking up the pieces as Taoiseach Brian Cowen was absent for a comment in the atfermath of the by-election.
Ms Coughlan conceded that Fianna Fail was going to have a “tough fight” ahead.
She said that the party will be “dusting itself down” after its support crashed in Donegal from 50pc to just over 20pc.
Fianna Fail MEP Pat ‘the Cope’ Gallagher, whose election to Brussels caused the by-election, claimed Fianna Fail now needed to “regroup”.
However he said many Fianna Fail voters would have used their vote to express their satisfaction and vote for Pearse Doherty.
He added that a General Election situation would be much different.
“This was the first opportunity that the electorate got tot express their dissatisfaction, and in Pearse Doherty’s vote I think Sinn Fein would acknowledge that there were many Fianna Fail votes in that.
“I believe that a lot of the Fianna Fail votes that stayed at home and that voted by way of protest will be back on side in the General Election,” he said.
COUGHLAN ADMITS DONEGAL BATTLE
