The first-count results in the Kildare North and Meath byelections are expected to be announced at tea-time today. At close of polling last night party sources estimated voter turnout had not exceeded 40 per cent.
The counts, which will begin at 9am today, will take place in Simonstown GAA club in Navan, Co Meath, and in Naas GAA club in Co Kildare. Both are expected to run late.
Estimating the turnout in Meath at approximately 40 per cent, a Fianna Fail spokesperson said they believed the turnout had varied from just 30 per cent in Dunshaughlin and Dunboyne to 33.7 per cent in Ashbourne, 36 per cent in Ratoath, 35 per cent in Trim and 42 per cent in Navan and Kells. Voting was very slow in most parts of Meath up to tea-time, but turnout improved later.
In Kildare North, the Labour Party predicted a turnout of close to 38 per cent. By the time polls closed at 8 p.m., 45 per cent of voters had cast their ballots in Straffan; 39 per cent in Sallins; 38 per cent in Naas; 35 per cent in Maynooth; 41 per cent in Leixlip and 31 per cent in Celbridge. No final figure was available for Clane but it had reported a 35 per cent turnout by 9p.m.
Fianna Fáil last night was confident that its candidate in Meath, Shane Cassells, can fend off the challenge from Fine Gael's Shane McEntee, although the different urban and rural turnouts make predictions difficult.
The Kildare North seat will be fiercely contested, where four candidates - Labour's Paddy MacNamara, Independent Catherine Murphy, Fianna Fáil's Áine Brady and Fine Gael's Darren Scully - should be bunched after the first count.
A victory for Fianna Fáil in either constituency will be a major boost for the party, since a government party has not won a byelection since 1982. Fine Gael and Labour need a good result if their hopes for a rainbow alliance are to gain momentum.
The first full-tally figures from both constituencies should be ready by lunchtime, particularly in Kildare North, although the first-count results are unlikely to be declared before tea-time.
Close attention will be paid in Meath to the performance of Sinn Féin's Joe Reilly, particularly following the poor publicity the party has suffered in recent weeks.
Traditionally, a large number of SF voters in the constituency do not use their second or subsequent preferences, although the percentage that do transfer will significantly influence the final outcome there.
In Kildare, the transfers of Gerry Browne, formerly of Labour, and the Green Party's JJ Power will play a decisive role in electing the final victor, as will those of Senator Kate Walsh.
The byelections were caused by the departure of former taoiseach John Bruton, who has left to become the EU's Ambassador to Washington, and Fianna Fáil finance minister Charlie McCreevy, who is now Ireland's European Commissioner.
