Eurovision song contest winner Dana has now become a victor at the polls as she gained a seat in the European Parliament at the expense of Ireland's ruling party Fianna Fail.
The singer-turned-politician campaigned on an anti-abortion platform emphasising family values will stand as an independent.
But aside from this setback, Fianna Fail's vote held up well as the party held on to six seats and actually secured an increased share of the vote - up three points to 38.6%.
Republican Sinn Fein failed to get a seat but also saw its share of the vote increase, nearly doubling to 6%, while the Greens took two seats.
Bucking the trend of low turnouts across Europe, the number of those voting in Ireland jumped by 6% on the last election in 1994, bringing participation up to 50%.