The government parties, Fine Gael and the Labour Party, did not nominate a candidate due to the row over Ó Dálaigh's resignation and the government's role in it. As no other candidate was nominated, it was not necessary to proceed to a ballot for the election.
^The powers and functions of the president were exercised and performed by the Presidential Commission from the resignation of Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh on 22 October until the inauguration of Patrick Hillery on 3 December.
^It was widely believed at the time, including by Ó Dálaigh himself, that Donegan's actual words were "thundering bollocks and fucking disgrace", and that the version published by the media was sanitised. However, the one journalist present at the occasion (a correspondent for The Cork Examiner newspaper) has always insisted that the actual words used were "thundering disgrace" and nothing else. Of more offence was Donegan's comment that "the fact is the army must stand behind the state", a comment which the President interpreted as implying that he, the Army's Commander-in-Chief, did not. Donegan was ultimately demoted from cabinet on 2 December, the day before Hillery took office as president, and received treatment for his drink problem.[citation needed]
