Fianna Fáil was set to retain its majority on Údarás na Gaeltachta, the Gaeltacht development authority, last night as counting continued in Connemara.
However, Fianna Fáil's ambition to take all six seats in the Galway Gaeltacht appeared to have been thwarted, while in Donegal Sinn Féin returned its first representative to the Gaeltacht authority.
A low overall turnout of 40 per cent but a strong vote in non-Irish-speaking city areas of the Galway Gaeltacht saw former Fianna Fáil councillor Val Hanley and the Progressive Democrats outgoing Údarás member Seán Creaven receiving high first preferences.
However, Fianna Fáil's Seán Ó Tuairisg was topping the poll at the 10th count in Carraroe Community Centre, closely followed by Independent Seosamh Ó Cuaig.
It was expected that Fianna Fáil would retain four of the six seats in the final shake-up.
In Donegal, sitting Fianna Fáil Údarás members Daithí Alcorn and Brian Ó Dómhnaill were elected on the first and second counts. Sinn Féin's Gráinne Mhic Géidigh took the third of four seats in this constituency, with Fine Gael taking the last.
A mother of four, Ms Mhic Géidigh maintained the vote of her Sinn Féin counterpart, Donegal councillor Pearse Doherty, from last year's local elections in almost all polling booths in the Gaeltacht area.
However, Sinn Féin recorded a disappointing performance in Galway, with its candidate Colm Ó Ceannabháin taking less than half the number of first preferences polled by Republican Sinn Féin's Tomás Ó Curraoin.
Seats in six of the Gaeltacht's seven constituencies were filled by early evening yesterday, with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael sharing wins in the two seats of Kerry and Mayo, and Fine Gael holding its own in Cork. The sitting Labour and Independent candidates were returned in Waterford and Meath, where turnouts of 70 per cent were recorded.
Seventeen of the 20 seats on the authority are elected, while three are nominees of the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.
Fianna Fáil took almost half of the seats in the last election in December 1999. The status quo was maintained in Mayo, with the two outgoing Erris candidates, Ian McAndrew (FG) and Tim Quinn (FF), retaining their seats. The third candidate, Seán Mhici Ó Gallchobhair (FF) from Achill, put in a strong performance, given that two-thirds of the electorate is in the Erris region, but both Mr McAndrew and Mr Quinn were elected on the first count. Turnout in Mayo was 43 per cent.
Two sitting Údarás candidates and serving county councillors retained their seats on the Gaeltacht authority in Kerry. Three candidates - two Fianna Fail and one Fine Gael - stood for two seats, while Sinn Féin withdrew from the contest last month.
Turnout in Kerry was just over 50 per cent, but the Iveragh peninsula some 90 miles away from west Kerry failed to return its own representative. Fianna Fáil's Breandán Mac Gearailt topped the poll with 1,599 votes, and Fine Gael's Séamus Cosai Mac Gearailt also exceeded the Kerry quota with 1,454 votes.
In Cork, Fine Gael's Micheál Ó Scanaill also retained his seat, when he exceeded the quota on the second count. Just over 2,000 voters in the Cork Gaeltacht turned out for Saturday's poll, with three candidates - one Fine Gael, one Fianna Fáil and one Independent - running for one seat. Over 200 votes separated Fianna Fáil's Aindreas Ó Muineacháin from Mr Ó Scanaill at the first count, and transfers ensured Mr Ó Scanaill's return on the second count.
In Co Waterford's Gaeltacht area of Ring/Old Parish, the Labour Party's Fiachra Ó Céilleachair held his seat by a comfortable margin.
Mr Ó Céilleachair, a former member of Waterford County Council, current member of Dungarvan Town Council and outgoing Údarás representative, was one of four candidates standing for one seat in this constituency. Turnout was high at about 70 per cent, and he was declared elected just over an hour after the count began in Ring's community centre yesterday morning.
In Meath, a turnout of almost 70 per cent saw sitting Údarás candidate Cathal Seoighe (Ind) returned on the first count, when he exceeded the quota of 421 by 17 votes. Four candidates stood for one seat, with Fianna Fáil's Una Ní Chonaire polling 231 first preferences, Sinn Féin's Seán Mac Donncha polling 176 votes, and the Green Party getting just five votes.
