Despite a concerted effort by the establishment parties to avoid an election, when it did eventually happen, the campaign was a damp squib.

Questions about the spending at Aras an Uachtarain and the €317,000 unaudited allowance were legitimate but they never damaged the incumbent as he insulated himself from attack.

Firstly, he since taking office in 2011 had reduced his salary and he too has come in under budget year on year.

The amount of focus on such matters by the other rival candidates was simply bizarre as was their unwillingness to tackle the President on his ideas for the office.

They accepted he had done a good job and therefore severely limited the field of attack.

However in saying that, it was a far from impressive campaign from the President.

On several fronts he was seen to go back on his word.

Firstly on standing for a second term when he said he would only serve one previously.

Then at the height of the row over the allowance, he committed to issuing a formal statement on his spending, only to later say he would do it after the race was completed.

Then his explanation about using the Government Lear jet to travel to Belfast appeared to change when he was pressed on the matter.

Despite all that, in truth, not one of the other candidates came close to laying a glove on Michael D.

Seasoned businessmen like Sean Gallagher and Gavin Duffy will be scratching their heads as to why they even considered running in the first place.

Gallagher was not rewarded for standing again, despite the feeling one got from him throughout that he was owed another shot at the crown.

Given the likelihood of him taking home the wooden spoon prize, Duffy's decision to stand could prove very costly indeed to him.

For all his public relations expertise, he at times struggled to be convincing or even likeable, appearing smug and arrogant.

His involvement in a serious road traffic accident in his earlier years did clearly overshadow his campaign.

Sinn Fein's Liadh ni Riada too will be licking her wounds after a poor showing by her party's standing.

At 7% and 8% in the two exit polls, she has fallen well short of Sinn Fein's core party support level, so a sizeable chunk of her own party's supporters did not vote for her.

Perhaps her comments about being prepared to wear a poppy was a bridge too far too soon for some.

Senator Joan Freeman's campaign never got going and despite having a decent back story to tell, her message clearly did not resonate with the public. She struggled too in debates and often bemoaned the fact those debates were dominated by money issues and the business interests of other candidates.

But the big surprise of the race was Peter Casey. Shooting from the hip he clearly won admirers after he was critical of the actions of the Traveller community last week.

There was a palpable sense that what he said resonated with people, who could be heard: “I agree with him, but I just can't say it.”

The irony of Casey's result is that he is likely to get back his €200,000 election expenses, despite needing them the least of all of the runners-up.

Voter turnout in the Presidential election across the country is set to be the lowest ever, reflecting the low-key nature of the campaign.

Previously, the lowest turnout recorded in a Presidential election was in 1997, where just 46.7% of those eligible to vote cast their ballot.

On that occasion, Mary McAleese saw off the challenge of Mary Banotti, Derek Nally, Adi Roche and Dana Rosemary Scallon.

The highest turnout recorded in a Presidential election was 65.3% in 1966 when Eamon DeValera defeated Thomas F O'Higgins to secure his second term in the Aras.

Since Douglas Hyde was first elected President in 1938, seven men and two women have held the office