Simon Coveney wins the Cork South Central by-election for the seat that had been occupied by his late father.
The result of the by-election was declared on the third count after transfers from Toddy O'Sullivan of Labour brought Simon Coveney over the required quota. The Fianna Fáil candidate Sinéad Behan although disappointed with the result is pleased with her performance as a relatively unknown candidate against one of the great Fine Gael names.
The day belonged to just one man, one party and one family.
Addressing the crowd gathered at the count centre, Simon Coveney thanks his family for their support. Fine Gael leader John Bruton describes the by-election win as a huge boost for the party.
We have outpaced our principal opponents by probably the largest margin in history.
Fianna Fáil has now lost three successive by-election campaigns.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 24 October 1998. The reporter is Paschal Sheehy.
