Michael Noonan had to endure a long wait before he finally took the third seat in Limerick city without reaching the quota. The 72-year-old Limerick native was first elected to the Dáil in 1981 and has held a number of senior cabinet positions during Fine Gael led governments. He was appointed Minster for Finance in 2011 and was leader of Fine Gael between February 2001 and May 2002, but resigned following the party's poor performance in the 2002 general election. A widowed father of five adult children Noonan worked as a secondary school teacher before entering politics. In 2002 he spoke on RTÉ's The Frontline about his late wife Florence's struggle with Alzheimer's disease. A frequent visitor to Thomond Park for rugby matches Noonan was a keen sportsman in his college days and hurling was his preferred game. – KATHRYN HAYES