Leo Varadkar has become the 11th leader of Fine Gael.
The Social Protection Minister beat Simon Coveney in the parliamentary party and among councillors, though a majority of grassroots members voted for Simon Coveney.
Leo Varadkar had won 51 of the 73 members of the PP, and a majority of councillors.
Simon Coveney had won 65 per cent of the grassroots members, but it was nowhere near enough without getting more of the PP.
He says the result is decisive for Leo; they hugged and embraced and he promised to work with Varadkar side by side.
Varadkar says he accepts the position with humility and an awareness of the challenges ahead, and that his election shows prejudice has no hold in this republic.
Varadkar will in the coming week or fortnight hold talks with Independents and Fianna Fáil before a Dáil vote to elect him as Taoiseach.
Speaking to Shannonside FM’s Eoghan Murphy, local Senator Gabrielle McFadden has expressed disappointment at the outcome, having supported Coveney.
Roscommon-Galway Independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice has also been reacting to Varadkar’s victory, also speaking to Eoghan Murphy.
