Mary Hanafin has been beaten in her bid to gain Fianna FáilÂ’s nomination to run in the general election.

Over 130 Fianna Fáil members voted in the constituency convention held in Killiney last night - with Mary Hanafin topping the poll on the first count.

She held a 9-vote lead over Councillor Cormac Devlin - but based on transfers from Kate Feeney, her unhappy running mate in last yearÂ’s local elections, Devlin prevailed to win the nomination - by 68 votes to 64.

But the close outcome could be the worst possible outcome for Fianna Fáil - in a constituency where every vote will count.

Given her national profile, her performance this evening, and her gender, Mary Hanafin will almost certainly be added to the Fianna Fáil ticket.

But in a fiercely competitive three-seater with no sitting Fianna Fáil TD, the addition of a well-known face could fatally split the vote.