So, who did the people of Dublin Central and Galway West send to the Dáil?
Meet the two new TDs joining the 34th Dáil.
Dublin Central | Social Democrats | Daniel Ennis
Daniel Ennis is from Dublin's North Strand. He was a former League of Ireland footballer, operations manager in a shopping centre in Tallaght and volunteer with East Wall Bessborough Football Club before entering politics three years ago.
The 38-year-old father of two says an "emotional shift" following the death of a friend and the birth of his second child prompted him to get involved in politics in 2023.
He first worked in the constituency for TD Gary Gannon before becoming a councillor in 2024 after his first election run.
Mr Ennis said he first learned in 2016, after the death of his father Geoffrey Ennis, that he had been involved in crime and had gone to prison in the early '90s. However, he said his father subsequently "turned his life around", adding that his father's story is not his own and that he is on his "own road".
Community safety, drug dealing, housing availability and standards, the cost of living and increasing support for sports clubs and facilities were among the issues he campaigned on.
During the campaign, Mr Ennis said he was encouraged by the good "vibes" he was getting on doorsteps and on social media, and the name recognition he was experiencing outside his core support base.
Watch: Daniel Ennis says he will be an 'honest, hardworking' TD
This weekend, the 38-year-old won the Dáil seat left vacant by the departure of Fine Gael's Paschal Donohoe to the World Bank.
He led the field from count one, when he took 19.7% of first preference votes.
A second constituency seat for the Social Democrats was a major coup.
Now, Mr Ennis will join his party colleague Gary Gannon, Labour's Marie Sherlock and Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald in representing the people of Dublin Central, which takes in the North city centre, Cabra, Phibsborough, Drumcondra, East Wall, Glasnevin.
View the full breakdown the Dublin Central result here.
Galway West | Fine Gael | Seán Kyne
Seán Kyne first entered the Dáil in 2011 when he squeezed past the now Uachtarán na hÉireann Catherine Connolly by just 17 votes.
Ironically, he now returns to the Dáil chamber to fill President Connolly's seat.
The Maigh Cuilinn man holds an MA in Agricultural Science from UCD and has previously worked as an agri-environmental consultant.
His success in this bye-election - leapfrogging Independent Ireland's Noel Thomas on the 11th count -mirrors his first foray into electoral politics in 2004 - when he came from tenth place to fill the seventh and final seat for Conamara on Galway County Council.
On that occasion, he squeezed past his running mate Eileen Mannion-Mullen by just 27 votes - the first of several intra-party battles he faced over his long political career.
The 50-year-old ran unsuccessfully in the 2007 Dáil and Seanad elections before claiming a Dáil seat for Galway West in 2011 - the first time Fine Gael secured two seats in the constituency since 1982.
In 2016, the redrawn constituency boundary favoured Mr Kyne as south Mayo came into play and he took the third of five seats, with 6,136 first preferences, or a 9.5% share.
He was appointed Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs and Natural Resources in Enda Kenny's minority Government in May 2016. He changed roles in June 2017 after Leo Varadkar's election as Taoiseach to become Minister of State for Natural Resources, Community Development and Digital Development.
In 2018, Mr Kyne moved to the Cabinet table as he was appointed Government Chief Whip and Minister of State for the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Islands.
Watch: Seán Kyne 'thrilled' to be elected in Galway West bye-election
As chief whip, he oversaw one of the highest legislative outputs in a decade but also faced turbulence with Government numbers thin for a no confidence motion in then minister for housing Eoghan Murphy.
He also faced volatility in his constituency amid plans to house asylum seekers in Oughterard.
Mr Kyne was heckled at a public event as he reminded people of Ireland's obligations to take in people fleeing persecution in their native country.
In 2020, Mr Kyne lost his Dáil seat after he was outperformed by his running mate Hildegarde Naughton, who claimed the fifth and final seat.
He attracted 5,284 first preferences, or 8.8%, but this was 852 fewer than in 2016 and he failed to gain ground on transfers.
In February 2020, he was appointed to the Seanad to replace the newly elected TD Frank Feighan and taking a seat on the Cultural and Education Panel.
In June 2024, he was appointed deputy leader of the Seanad and leader of Fine Gael's Seanad group by then taoiseach Simon Harris.
Fine Gael went into the 2024 General Election with hopes of winning two seats, but those hopes receded as the campaign unfolded.
Mr Kyne missed out after increasing his vote by 51 first preferences compared to 2020 to return with the same vote share - 8.8%.
Ms Naughton retained her seat.
Speaking in the aftermath of the election, Mr Kyne said he would retire from politics after unsuccessfully trying to regain his seat.
However, he reversed that decision to retain his Seanad seat, saying he had received lots of calls from constituents to reverse his initial decision.
Until this weekend, Mr Kyne was the leader of the Seanad and the first office holder from Co Galway.
He has been long a supporter of building the Galway City Ring Road - something which he will likely push for now he is back as a TD.
He was one of only three candidates in this bye-election with fluency in Irish, a significant factor in a constituency containing the biggest Gaeltacht in the country.
His name recognition and years of electoral battles ultimately proved decisive in this bye-election, as he overtook Noel Thomas on transfers in the eleventh dramatic and final count.
Mr Kyne polled 9,647 first preferences and 20.1% vote share to help give a Government party a rare win in a bye-election.
View the full breakdown the Galway West result here.
