Leinster House welcomes newly-elected and re-elected TDs
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Leinster House was abuzz on the first day of the 34th Dáil, with newly-elected and re-elected TDs striding in with purpose.
The place was packed with people, not just the new deputies, but their families.
Kids ran amok almost as much as the TDs.
While people were in good form as they waltzed about the hallowed halls, not everything went to plan.
Ruairí Ó Murchú, the Sinn Féin TD for Louth, found himself in a flap out on the plinth, after an errant seagull nicked his wallet while he was posing for pictures.
A quick chase from the Louth man eventually led to the feathered fiend dropping the wallet.
Mr Ó Murchú was quick to describe the emboldened seagulls as a “security risk”, before joking that he planned to put in a complaint with the Department of Agriculture.
While Mr Ó Murchú was busy chasing seagulls, other newly-returned TDs were gathering at the gates for a bit of music.
On Kildare St, Kerry Independent Danny Healy-Rae stood with his supporters, accordion in hand, and belted out a few tunes while his brother Michael watched on.
The singsong outside the gates has become a bit of a tradition for the Healy-Raes, with music ringing out each time the two brothers are returned to the Dáil.
There was some consternation in the middle of the afternoon, after Verona Murphy had been confirmed as the first woman to hold the prestigious role of ceann comhairle.
A text went out — the new chair would be posing for photos, but journalists were under strict orders not to ask any questions.
Typically, there is no greater way to ensure hacks will show up and ask questions that are sure to annoy the TD in question.
Ms Murphy declined to address any questions put to her, not getting into politics despite a political deal with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael thrusting her into office.
In the chamber itself, one TD in particular cut a lonely figure: Eoin Hayes.
The suspended Social Democrats TD was not gathered with his newly-elected party colleagues, but instead had been shunted off to the periphery of the Dáil chamber — where he was seated alongside Mattie McGrath.
The last Green, Roderic O’Gorman, found himself nestled among Fianna Fáil backbenchers, and the ousted ceann comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl.
As the day wound down, some of the newer TDs were clearly worn out from their first proper day in the job.
This included Fine Gael TD for Laois, Willie Aird, who forgot to call out his vote during a rollcall on the nomination of Taoiseach.
It took a quick reminder from his nearby colleagues that he needed to shout out his vote.
It became clearer still when there were audible groans from those in the chamber, after the new ceann comhairle confirmed to Micheál Martin that he had a 15 minute speech in the wake of the Taoiseach vote.
The first day of the 34th Dáil is now in the books, but the newcomers should be ready for many, many more.