The #Tullymamder backfired so spectacularly that at the 1977 general election it handed a record majority to the opposition #FiannaFail party. To their credit, Fianna Fáil cleaned up the system by setting up an independent constituency commission. That ended blatant gerrymandering in Ireland.

There was better luck to come for minister Jim Tully. In October 1981, Jim was standing beside Egypt's to President #AnwarSadat, when #Sadat was assassinated. Jim escaped with a facial shrapnel wound.