Main Points

Local Election Count

• Counting in the local elections continued into Monday morning and more than 800 of the 949 seats have been declared
• Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Independent candidates filled the vast majority of seats
• Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has said “it hasn’t been our day”.
• Taoiseach Simon Harris says he still believes the general election should be held in Spring 2025

European Election Count

• Fianna Fáil’s Barry Andrews looks poised to win the first seat in the Dublin constituency, where he finished just ahead of Fine Gael’s Regina Doherty who is likely to take the second
• It’s a tight race between the other Dublin candidates in for the third and fourth seats including Sinn Féin’s Lynn Boylan, Ciarán Cuffe of the Greens, Independent Ireland’s Niall Boylan and Labour’s Aodhán Ó Riordáin
• Ursula von der Leyen says the early results of the European elections showed the centre was “holding”.
• Far-right parties have made significant gains in several countries,
• French president Emmanuel Macron has dissolved the national assembly after far-right gains there
• In the South constituency, incumbents Sean Kelly (FG) and Billy Kelleher (FF) are in contention for re-election

Limerick Mayoral Election

• A tally has John Moran (Independent) in front with 16,855 first preference votes (24 per cent) with counting to begin on Monday

Best Reads

• Analysis: Jennifer Bray - Sinn Féin falls flat in hugely ambitious local election strategy
• Miriam Lord: Mary Lou McDonald the chief mourner at RDS as Sinn Féin faces postmortem
• Analysis: Jack Horgan-Jones Taoiseach twists the knife after a bad weekend for Sinn Féin
• European elections: Centre ‘holding’ in face of far-right parties, says von der Leyen
• Podcast: Buoyant Taoiseach Simon Harris joins Election Daily to dismiss calls for early election
• Live coverage of the election counts: The Irish Times will continue its comprehensive live coverage of all three counts on Monday with up-to-the-minute news, analysis and detailed results from each council and constituency. You can select from the drop-down menu below to find the results in your area.

From our European correspondent Jack Power in Brussels

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has said the early results of the European elections showed the centre was “holding”, in the face of threats from the political extremes.

While far-right parties have made significant gains in several European countries, the current governing majority of the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), centre-left Socialists and Democrats (S&D) and centrist Renew will remain intact.

An initial projection based on early voting results from 17 countries, as well as exit polls and other data from the 10 other countries, shows the EPP will take 189 of the available 720 seats in the European Parliament. The S&D are projected to maintain their existing levels of support on 135 seats, while Renew will lose about a fifth of its MEPs, down from 102 to 80 seats.

[ Read the full story here: Centre ‘holding’ in face of far-right parties, says von der LeyenOpens in new window ]

What we know so far

So the narrative of this morning remains the same. It’s been a poor day for Sinn Féin. They are likely to get more seats than in 2019 but that’s not going to butter any turnips. That was an appalling election for the party. It was hoping to double its representation and then some. It didn’t happen. Migration as an issue affected the party.

When its support began to dip, its strategy of running loads of candidates backfired. The brand did not do it the same service as 2020. Its candidates were not as visible on the ground wearing down shoe leather as their rivals from the two parties.

A big dilemma now for the party is: how many candidates will it run in the general election? Too many. Bad. Too few. Bad. It’s going to be tricky.

Fine Gael had a slightly better election than Fianna Fáil but both will be pleased overall. Right now Fine Gael has just over 200 seats with Fianna Fáil on 180. The Greens less so. It was not a calamity but the party is slipping and will have to do something to arrest that decline in the next six months.

It was a great day for the Social Democrats and for Labour, with each looking poised to make significant gains in the locals. The Soc Dems are already on 30, 11 ahead of the 2019 total. Labour is on 45, and is likely to exceed the 57 seats it won five years ago. People Before Profit looks like it could make gains and has taken the seats on the last count in a number of LEAs across Dublin. It now stands at 9. Aontú has also taken some six seats, including two in Fingal

The far-right and anti-migration candidates have won about eight seats nationally, with four on Dublin City Council It’s not a surge or anything like that but cannot be ignored.

As against that, there are over 20 people from different ethnic backgrounds who have been elected to our councils for all parties. They provide a powerful antidote to the anti-migrant narrative.

Some of the counts have been completed but some will continue until tomorrow. There are recounts in three LEAs in Wexford, one in Mullingar, and one in Dún Laoghaire where Cormac Lucey, the independent candidate was narrowly defeated in the final count.

Dublin City Council has concluded. Here is a full list of councillors.

In terms of the European Elections, the only solid information we have is from Dublin where Barry Andrews and Regina Doherty have both received over 16 per cent of the vote and look home and hosed. They are well ahead of everybody else. At least five candidates will fight it out for the last two seats: Lynn Boylan; Ciaran Cuffe; Aodhán Ó Riordáin; Clare Daly; and Niall Boylan. All are 30,000 plus or minus five, with between 40,000 and 50,000 transfers required to reach the quota.

Ireland South and Midlands North West will not finish their first counts until tomorrow so not until then will we know the shape of the parties. Sinn Féin has a fight on its hands in Dublin – could that be the case in the other two constituencies where it has also run two candidates?

That’s me done for tonight. I will be back to play the sweeper role for The Irish Times live coverage of the count tomorrow evening.

Follow our European results hub for Dublin with all the figures, percentages and counts

More facts and figures and permutations than Leaving Cert maths

[ European Election: Dublin resultsOpens in new window ]

Taoiseach claims people don’t want Sinn Féin’s brand of change

Tim O’Brien writes

The electorate has told Opposition leader Mary Lou McDonald they do not want her type of change, Taoiseach Simon Harris said on Sunday night.

Speaking as he arrived at the count centre in his home constituency of Wicklow, Mr Harris immediately declared Fine Gael had done “extremely well” and had confounded those who said the electorate who wanted a political game change.

The real winner tonight!

Never worries about getting boxed in!

Last seat and possibly second last seat in play in Dublin

It’s going to be a cliffhanger of a battle in Dublin for the third and fourth seats with a group of five candidates grouped closely together.

The quota is 20 per cent plus one vote in this four-seat constituency. Translated into English, that is 75,345 votes. No candidate has come close to topping the poll in the first count.

Two candidates are so far ahead of the others they cannot be caught.

Barry Andrews of Fianna Fáil tops the poll with 16.5 per cent of the vote (62,147). He is closely followed by Regina Doherty of Fine Gael with 16.3 per cent of the vote (61,344).

Sinn Féin’s Lynn Boylan is third with 35,431 votes (9.4 per cent). However, she will be bolstered by running mate Daithí Doolan who won 10,766 votes (2.9 per cent).

Sinn Féin may regret running a two-candidate strategy, but it was decided at the time when the party was running high in the polls and the leading party in Dublin.

The party is not as transfer-friendly as it was in 2019. Not all of Doolan’s votes will transfer although Sinn Féin tends to be more disciplined in that regard to other parties.

Ciarán Cuffe of the Greens is still in the mix and cannot be written off. He has won 8.5 per cent of the vote or 32,204 votes. He is in fourth place and almost 2,000 ahead of Independent Ireland’s Niall Boylan, the radio presenter, and Labour’s Aodhán Ó Riordáin. Cuffe’s task will be to stay ahead of Boylan and Ó Riordáin, and also Clare Daly of Independents 4 Change.

Ó Riordáin has done well securing 8.2 per cent of the vote and 30,733 votes. Niall Boylan has 30,637 votes and he will need a lot of transfers from other candidates to overtake both Ó Riordáin and Cuffe.

Daly has 26,855 votes (7.1 per cent) and will need to rely on very heavy transfers from Bríd Smith of People Before Profit (PBP), who won 5.7 per cent of the vote (21,577), if she has any chance.

Sinéad Gibney of the Social Democrats has won 4.3 per cent of the vote (a little ahead of the party’s profile) and her 16,319 votes could travel in the direction of Ó Riordáin and perhaps Cuffe.

Aisling Considine of Aontú has won a respectable 10,693. Niall Boylan could get some transfers from her and will also look to newly elected councillor Malachy Steenson (7,128 votes) and other right-wing candidates, who are hovering at 1 per cent and below, for transfers. But it’s a big ask for him to bridge the gap.

At the moment, it looks like the first two seats for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, and then Sinn Féin, the Greens, Labour, Niall Boylan and Clare Daly all vying for the last two seats, with Sinn Féin’s Lynn Boylan perhaps a nose ahead of the other candidates.

Andrews tops poll in Dublin

Fianna Fáil’s Barry Andrews looks poised to win the first seat in the Dublin constituency after winning over 62,000 votes in the first count. He finished just ahead of Regina Doherty, who also looks likely to win a seat in the four-seat constituency.

Despite a fall in the Sinn Féin vote, Lynn Boylan has finished third with over 35,000 votes. With her running mate Daithí Doolan getting almost 11,000 votes, she is well placed to win a seat.

There are a large number of candidates clustered around 30,000 votes and all will be in contention for the final seat. Ciaran Cuffee of the Greens has 32,000 and Aodhan O’Riordan and Niall Boylan are both just over 30,000,

Claire Daly is a little further back at 26,000.

Political drubbing for Macron’s centrists had a sense of inevitability

Jack Power writes

The European election results could not have come as a shock to French president Emmanuel Macron.

For months his centrist coalition has been trailing way behind Marine Le Pen’s far right National Rally in the polls.

Macron, who has been one of the big beasts of European politics for years, had tried in vain to kick-start the flagging campaign.

The far right’s campaign had been led by the 28-year-old Jordan Bardella, a National Rally MEP who has become a fresh, popular face in French politics. Savvy on social media, Bardella had pitched the European elections as a vote on Macron’s record.

Exit polls show the National Rally winning 31 per cent of the vote, to become one of the largest parties in the European Parliament. Macron’s centrist coalition are predicted to secure half of that, at 15 per cent.

Five years ago the two parties were neck and neck, now the distance in support between the centre and the far right is jarring.

A traditional anti-immigrant and Eurosceptic party, National Rally has made gains by targeting bread and butter issues like the cost of living crisis, and may win close to 30 seats, up from their current 18. Le Pen has also tried to soften the party’s image, ahead of a run for president in 2027.

The disastrous result this weekend could have been even worse for the current French president, as at one point it looked like his group would finish third rather than second.

In a dramatic response on Sunday night, Mr Macron decided to call a snap parliamentary election, despite his current unpopularity among the public.

The first round of the parliamentary election will be held in just three weeks, on June 30th, with a run-off on July 7th.

Two councillors who left FF over migrant accommodation in Galway are elected

John Fallon writes

Noel Thomas, who resigned from Fianna Fáil in a row over their accommodation policy for refugees, has topped the poll in Connemara South and will be re-elected.

Seamus Walsh, who left Fianna Fáil for a similar reason, was re-elected in Connemara North yesterday after significantly increasing his vote.

Both were involved in protests against a proposed accommodation centre for asylum seekers in Roscahill, close to Lough Corrib. The party initiated internal action against both councillors but they resigned before the process began. Walsh stood as an Independent while Thomas joined Independent Ireland.

Two Thirds of Seats Filled in local council elections

We are beginning to quickly (or less slowly) move towards the end game of the local election count, as we brace ourselves for the next endurance race, otherwise known as the European election counts.

There has been a lot happening. We have seen Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael view for top spot. Sinn Féin is now winning more seats and will soon pass the 80 it won in 2019 but it’s still long way off its targets.

The Social Democrats have already exceeded their total of 19 in 2019, with 22 seats so far. PBP are on 6 and the Greens are on 12, which is considerably down from this stage of the count five years ago.

It is noteworthy that about seven anti-immigration activists have been elected, three of them on Dublin City Council, with a fourth likely to be elected in Artane. It is still 7 out of 949 but it is not insignificant.

Video of elections of candidates in Dublin including anti-immigration activist Gavin Pepper and Felin Jose of the Green Party.

Enda O’Dowd captures the scenes at the RDS on Sunday evening.

Centre majority in European Parliament to hold, despite far right gains

Jack Power writes

Overall, European People’s Party (EPP), the centre right group which includes Fine Gael MEPs, is expected to remain as the largest grouping in the European Parliament.

The EPP is forecast to win 186 of the available 720 seats, with the centre left Socialists and Democrats (S&D) is predicted to take 133 seats.

Centrist group Renew, which includes Fianna Fáil MEPs, will drop to 82 seats from 102, according to a projection of the make-up of the next parliament.

The projection was based on exit polls from 15 countries and surveys taken during campaigns where exit polls were not conducted.

The Green grouping is forecast to lose a significant portion of its seats, falling from 71 to 53 seats. Hard right and far right parties, which are splintered between groupings, are expected to take north of 160 seats in the new parliament, according to the projection.

An update on the snap election called by President Macron.

In France, National Rally (Rassamblement National) won 33 per cent of the vote, according to exit polls, compared to the Centrist Alliance of President Emmanuel Macron.

Macron’s rationale was that an election was needed because he could not consider a France that did not believe in a united and strong Europe. He said he was giving the choice to the French people.

It is a high-risk strategy and could strengthen the hand of Marine le Pen ahead of the next Presidential elections.

Ciara Mageean wins gold for Ireland

Just in from Ian O’Riordan in Rome

Another generation of the Haughey family elected in Dublin

Martin Wall writes from Fingal

A grandson of Charles Haughey, Cathal, has been elected for Fianna Fáil in the Howth-Malahide LEA.

Barry Andrews says he will be the first Fianna Fáil MEP reelected in Dublin in 25 years

Barry Andrews arrived in the RDS this evening where Cormac McQuinn and other reporters caught up with hi. He said that it was a difficult campaign but he tried to put forward a positive EU message at a time when there was increasing ideological fervour on the extremes of the political spectrum”. Here’s some of what he said to Cormac.

The State of Play

We are now just an hour from the first announcements being opened in the European elections. We are not expecting any of the Irish first counts to be announced at 10pm.

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are very close in the local elections. Fianna Fáil at 23 per cent has marginally higher percentage support than its Coalition partner (22.8) but Fine Gael has more seats (173 to 147). The highest percentage support has gone to the Independents.

Of the smaller parties it has been a good election for the Social Democrats. At this stage, it is only one short of its 2019 total (it has 18 seats right now). Labour has also had a good day and could surpass its 2019 total of 57 seats.

There was no big breakthrough by the far-right but that is not to say it did not advance somewhate. Three explicitly anti-migration candidates elected in Dublin is not irrelevant.

And the moment when JHJ cajoled the Taoiseach into the Inside Politics podcast

Jack Horgan-Jones was in the RDS giving his tuppence worth to Hugh Linehan on when the next election would be held. And then who hoved into view only Simon Harris. With a ‘G’wan, g’wan, g’wan’ worthy of Mrs Doyle, the intrepid Horgan-Jones press-ganged the Taoiseach into making his debut on the Inside Politics podcast. Naturally, he was a little nervous but he acquitted himself well.

If there’s smoke, there’s a Healy Rae homecoming!

Jerry O’Sullivan of Radio Kerry captured this on his drive into Kilgarvan this evening. Our late colleague Michael O’Regan would have loved it.

With Gavin Pepper’s election there are three anti-migrant councillors on Dublin City Council

Olivia Kelly writes

Gavin Pepper an anti-immigration activist with a prominent social media presence has become the third far-right candidate elected in Dublin city, joining Malachy Steenson and Phil Sutcliffe. The Independent councillor has been a leader in several recent anti-immigration demonstrations.

A proponent of the view that “Ireland is full” Pepper attended a protest in the city centre in May of last year that ended with a migrant camp on Sandwith Street being set alight. Pepper later said gardaí raided his house and accused him of being responsible.

He also encouraged crowds to gather in the city centre in the wake of the stabbing of three children and a carer on Parnell Square last November.

“Everyone city centre tonight 7pm no excuses everyone out enough is enough,” he said in a later-deleted post on X, formerly Twitter. The ensuing riots resulted in extensive damage in the city centre with buses and a Luas tram set alight and shops looted.

Pepper was also present at the infamous demonstration outside Leinster House last September which featured a noose.

His is the third anti-migrant candidate to be elected to the Council, following the election of Malachy Steenson in the North Inner City and the Conor McGregor-backed Phil Sutcliffe, who also stood on an anti-migrant platform in Ballyfermot.

Dublin Mayor de Róiste loses Council seat, anti-migrant candidate elected

Olivia Kelly writes

Independent Ireland candidate Phil Sutcliffe, a former boxer and boxing coach for UFC fighter Conor McGregor’s, is the second far right candidate elected to Dublin City Council following Malachy Steenson.

Sutcliffe, whose campaign was supported by McGregor ran on an anti-immigration platform. He was elected to the Ballyfermot Drimnagh area on the 10th count, along with Ray Cunningham of the Green Party.

Sutcliffe and Cunningham were over 300 votes ahead of Fianna Fáil Lord Mayor Daithí de Róiste after the votes of Sophie Niccolaud were distributed.

Macron dissolves French parliament and calls Snap Election

French president Emmanuel Macron has dissolved the national assembly and announced a snap election on June 30th and July 7th.

After exit polls showed that Marine le Pen’s right-wing National Rally had won 31.5 per cent of the vote, more than double that of the president’s list (party), Mr Macron said in a national address that it was pointless to pretend that nothing had happened.

The move was unexpected and came as a shock. Mr Macron argued the EU parliament election results was not good for his party or for France and warned about the rise of nationalism, which he described as a danger to France and to Europe.

Lord Mayor of Cork shows off dance moves after being elected

Kieran McCarthy did not disguise his excitement when his election was announced in the South East Ward of Cork City Council. An impressive spin was followed by a quick two-step of delight.

Lisa Chambers says Sinn Féin drop has put her “in the mix” for fifth seat in MNW

Fiachra Gallagher writes from Castlebar

Lisa Chamber told reporters in Castlebar on Sunday that she was confident her party would win at least one seat in Midlands North West (MNW), and predicated that she would “be in the mix” for the fifth and final seat.

“There appears to be a decline in the Sinn Féin support base that we weren’t expecting, certainly on the level that’s there, that’s shaking things up a little bit,” she said.

Ms Chambers attributed the slump in Sinn Féin support to “errors” in recent months – namely their messaging on immigration and housing. “They’ve tried to be all things to all people,” she said.

A first count in MNW is not expected until Monday evening at the earliest.

Right-wing candidate Philip Dwyer removed from South Dublin count centre after ‘altercation’.

Sarah Burns writes

The right-wing anti-migration candidate, Philip Dwyer, has been removed by gardaí from the Weston Centre, where the South Dublin local election count is being held.

Dwyer, who styles himself as a citizen journalist, is believed to have become involved in an altercation with Gino Kenny and Paul Murphy, both TDs with People Before Profit.

A spokesperson for South Dublin County Council said that “gardaí removed a candidate from the Weston Airport count centre this evening following an altercation with another candidate at the centre”.

Dwyer is a candidate in Tallaght Central standing for Ireland First. He received 556 votes in the first count and is unlikely to get elected in the six-seater.

Micheál Martin says he did not foresee extent of drop in Sinn Féin support

Barry Roche writes

Tánaiste Micheál Martin says he was surprised by the collapse of Sinn Féin vote down to 11pc and said he didn’t see it coming to that extent

But he also warned against commentators attaching too much importance to opinion polls as they don’t always capture the mood on the ground and don’t capture the importance of campaigns.

He expressed satisfaction with the party’s performance in Europe pointing out that Billy Kelleher is on course to hold his seat in Ireland South while he still had hopes that Cynthia ni Mhurchu would be in the mix for the final seat

Second Female Poll Topper in County Meath

Louise Walsh Ferriter writes

Fine Gael has a second woman poll topper after Cllr Sharon Tolan took the first seat in Laytown/Bettystown area of Meath Co. Council.

She had 1,782 first preference votes, exceeding the quota of 1,681.

With five seats now filled in the county, the count stands at three FG and two independents. There is still along way to go to fill the remaining 35 seats.

New Soc Dem councillor elected in leader Holly Cairn’s constituency

from David Forsythe

Holly Cairns was an unexpected winner of a council seat in west Cork in 2109. And her margin was the thinnest possible. She won the last seat by a single vote after rechecks and a recount. Less than a year later she was a TD. Now, five years later she is leader of the Social Democrats.

It has been a good day for the Soc Dems in Cairn’s home patch. Two of its candidates could be elected in West Cork. A short while ago, Ann Bambury was the first; elected in Bandon Kinsale, taking the fourth seat. She exceeded the quota of 2,379 on the seventh count.

The State of Play – Half Way There

We have reached the half way point of the local election count. As of now there are 475 seats filled. Fine Gael leads the way with 138 seats, followed by Fianna Fáil with 123. There is battle between the two traditional parties as to who will be the largest. Fianna Fáil won that contest in 2019 but it looks like Fine Gael will be slightly ahead this time around, albeit with some relatively small seat losses for both parties. Fianna Fáil won 279 five years ago but won’t emulate that feat.

Does this signal an early election? No, says Taoiseach Simon Harris. “I have been Taoiseach of this country for 61 days. I promised the people we would hit the ground running and I would bring an energy to the campaign trail and to Government buildings.

“I want to continue that work tomorrow. There is lots of work to be done.

“That the Government will do its full term is important and I look forward to continuing that.”

For now, that is.

Two months ago Sinn Féin would have been vying with the other two. But a precipitous drop in its poll ratings in addition to a poor candidate strategy have combined to suppress the surge that everybody expected from the main Opposition party. The party’s reverse engineering after the 2020 election has backfired.

Then, it ran too few candidates and left nine or ten gains in the Dáil behind.

It has now over-compensated and has ran too many.

In Dublin South West Inner City, it ran three in a ward where it could take one seat at most. The same was true of Mary Lou McDonald’s own bailiwick of Cabra-Glasnevin where it ran four candidates.

At this moment in time it has 36 seats and only 11.6 per cent of the vote. That is a third of the heady support levels it was getting in the opinion polls until recent months.

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are both on about 23 per cent support. There is also evidence the parties are transferring to each other, although it seems the traffic is heavier coming from the Fine Gael side!

The party’s poor performance has been the prime story from these elections. Sure it will make gains but it was starting from a low base. It won only 80 seats in 2019, compared to 160 in 2014. Another factor was that the party had too many new and inexperience candidates. Some months ago, rivals from other parties in County Galway told me they saw no evidence of Sinn Féin representatives at local meetings, or events, or on the streets. The party relied too heavily, they argued, on its overall branding and image, as well as social media. It is also true that the party lost some support on the back of the migration issue.

“We have made some gains. They are modest, but they’re there. It hasn’t been our day. Clearly frustrations and indeed anger with Government policy, on this occasion, has translated into votes for Independents and others,” Ms McDonald said today.

She accepted the candidate strategy was not right.

“In 2020 we didn’t run enough candidates and as you know I heard a message loud and clear in that regard. I wanted to be sure that we didn’t make that mistake again. I wanted to be sure that everybody, wherever you lived, that you would have a chance to vote for Sinn Féin candidates,” she said. “But look, clearly we didn’t get that right.”

Of the other parties the Greens look like they will fall from about 50 councillors to mid 20s. The party’s support held up partially in Dublin but it has lost councillors in rural Ireland. Labour looks poised to make gains and there are signs of recovery of a party that some predicted might struggle for survival after the next election.

The Soc Dems also look they will make gains. In 2019, the party won a lot of the very last seats in marginal constituencies and has proved to be very transfer friendly.

The other big narrative is that of the Independent candidates who are sure better the total from 2109. There are now a number of alliances or groups with a cluster of independent councillors. The largest of them is the new whip-less party Independent Ireland, which may return up to 20 councillors, and possibly two MEPs. Then there are the Independents associated with Michael Lowry in Tipperary, Verona Murphy in Wexford, and the three single-issue Mica councillors in Donegal.

Seven councillors elected on first count in much-delayed Longford counts

Jess Thompson writes

It’s all go in Longford now after a very long wait. The first count for Longford LEA has seen not one, not two, not three, but four councillors elected – all four of whom are sitting councillors in the area.

Gerry Hagan (FG) topped the poll with 1,071 votes, with Martin Monaghan (FF) coming in just behind him at 1,051 votes. Seamus Butler (FF) was just ten votes behind with 1,041, while Peggy Nolan (FG) won 890 votes.

Meanwhile, the first count in Granard LEA has seen three elected in one fell swoop. Fine Gael’s Garry Murtagh topped the poll with 1,450 votes. Turlough ‘Pott’ McGovern (Ind) followed with 1,413 votes, while Paraic Brady (FG) won 1,211 votes.

The surplus votes for Paul Ross (FG) are currently being transferred in Ballymahon LEA following his election on the first count earlier this afternoon.

There are five seats still up for grabs in Ballymahon, with three remaining in Longford and just two in Granard.

Far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) makes gains in Germany

Derek Scally writes from Berlin

Germany’s European election result saw nearly every fourth voter choose populist parties on the right and left fringes, with losses for all three parties in the coalition of Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

The far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) finished up nearly six points in second place, according to early projections, with 16.5 per cent and 17 seats in the new parliament.

Meanwhile the new Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), a breakaway from the Linke (Left) with pro-Russian and anti-immigration policies, took 5.5 per cent from a standing start to take five seats.

Some 22 per cent support for populist parties sent an alarming signal to Germany’s established parties, given AfD and BSW performed even stronger in eastern regions where voters choose new state parliaments in September.

The results mean considerable changes in the 96 German seats, the largest country bloc in the European Parliament.

Among Berlin’s warring three-party “traffic light” coalition, losses were most dramatic among the Green Party: it lost nearly nine points and could shed up to nine seats in the new parliament.

First data from Eu-wide exit polls suggests gains for far right and losses for Greens

Jack Power writes from Brussels

The European Greens are projected to lose a large number of the seats they won five years ago, with exit polls indicating a big drop in support in their traditional heartland of Germany.

While the far right Alternative for Germany (AfD) are set to become the second biggest party in Germany, despite a rocky campaign full of controversy.

Exit poll data shows the centre right Christian Democratic Union are to top the poll in Germany, with chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SDP) to finish in third place, behind AfD.

The far right Freedom Party of Austria are projected to top the poll there and gain a number of seats, with exit polls showing them finishing ahead of the centre right Austrian People’s Party and the centre left Social Democratic Party of Austria.

In Greece the centre right New Democracy will remain the largest party, with an exit poll showing it taking 30 per cent of the votes. Left wing Syriza are on course to finish as runners up, with around 16 per cent of the vote. Greek Solution, a far right party, is expected to be the fifth largest party, with exit polls show it winning about 8 per cent of votes.

Geert Wilders’ far right Party for Freedom will gain several seats in the Netherlands, where support for centre parties appears to have held up well, according to exit polls.

Michael Healy-Rae has the Last Word

Back in April Green Party leader Eamon Ryan told a news conference that he had shocking news for the Healy Rae family. “The Kingdom is going Green,” he declared, predicting big seat gains for the party in the Kingdom at the expense of the Healy Raes.

The Kerry TD waited until today to give his response to Ryan. What do they say about revenge being a dish best served cold.

And here it is:

Britto Pereppadan (FG) follows his father, Baby, on to South Dublin County Council.

Fine Gael’s Britto Pereppadan (24) is elected on ninth count for Tallaght Central. His father, Baby Pereppadan, was elected for Tallaght South, earlier on sixth count.

Here is Bryan O’Brien’s lovely video of that moment.

Dublin Lord Mayor Daithí de Róiste in battle to save his seat

The current Lord Mayor of Dublin Daithí de Róiste is in a struggle to regain his seat in the Ballyfermot-Drimnagh LEA.

He is currently lying fifth after the eighth count on 1,291 but only one vote ahead of Independent Philip Sutcliffe (1,290) and less than 200 votes ahead of the other remaining candidates, Sophie Nicollaud and Dolores Webster.

Webster came to prominence as an anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine protester and de Róiste’s fate will depend on transfers. Nicollaud is a left-wing candidate and is part of the Independents 4 Change group.

Sutcliffe is the former boxing coach of Conor McGregor and is endorsed by the MMA fighter.

It’s very hard to predict where the transfers will go.

Another long-serving incumbent retains seat on Dublin City Council

Olivia Kelly writes

Long serving Independent councillor Cieran Perry is the first councillor elected on the 9th count in the extremely crowded field of Cabra-Glasnevin.

Perry was first elected in 2009, topped the poll in 2014 and was comfortably re-elected in 2019. The Cabra-Glasnevin area has the highest number of candidates in running for Dublin City Council at 21.

Shay Brennan reelected to Dún Laoghaire Rathdown

Marie O’Halloran writes

Fianna Fáil Cllr Shay Brennan has been re-elected to the Dundrum LEA of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Council on the fourth count. He is the first of Fianna Fáil’s councillors to be re-elected. His colleague Cllr Colette O’Sullivan lost her seat in the Dún Laoghaire ward when she was excluded on the second count.

Green Party Cllr Tom Kivlehan was re-elected in Dún Laoghaire on the fifth count, the second councillor in that electoral area to be elected. Cllr Kivlehan said that he and poll topper Fine Gael Cllr Lorraine Hall were both in favour of the controversial Living Streets initiative in the town and they got the votes.

People are in favour of green initiatives he said. The Living Streets initiative will allow for the main street to be both pedestrianised and for vehicular use but with priority for pedestrians. He added that there was no inclusion of cycle lanes. “That’s a myth,” he said.

Hi It’s Harry McGee taking over for the evening shift taking you into the wee hours.

I’ve just come from The Irish Times podcast and we were audiobombed towards the end by Taoiseach Simon Harris who was visiting the count centre in the RDS.

Jack Horgan-Jones, intrepid as always, cajoled him into saying a few words to Hugh Linehan.

What he had to say was interesting.

We had just been talking about the prospect of an early general election and Hugh told him we all believed it would be “bonkers” for the Government to wait until Spring.

“My position in relation to the General election is the same,” he said.

“I have been Taoiseach of this country for 61 days. I promised the people we would hit the ground running and I would bring an energy to the campaign trail and to Government buildings.

“I want to continue that work tomorrow. There is lots of work to be done.

“The Government will do its full term is important and I look forward to continuing that.”

So he is saying the Government will do his full term. And the Government will continue to say that until it says the Government is not doing its full term.

The Taoiseach was also interesting about the transfers that are passing between the Government parties.

“There is no transfer pact between the Government parties and I don’t expect to be one,” he said.

“What you are seeing now is an organic agreement between the Government parties.”

That’s a trend that will be evident as we go into the general election. Essentially, there will be an unspoken agreement between the parties in the expectation that the electorate will view them as a bloc.

Okay, so that’s it from me, Conor Pope. I am leaving you in the more than capable hand of Harry McGee but in the words of the Terminator, I’ll be back ... from early tomorrow morning.

Scenes in the RDS as anti-immigration candidate Malachy Steenson is elected in the north inner city LEA.

NEWS SNAP: Anti-immigration candidate Derek Blighe eliminated on sixth count in Fermoy.

Sinn Féin is back in Co Offaly after its 2019 wipeout, writes Ellen O’Riordan. First-timer Aoife Masterson won a seat in Tullamore on the fourth count. Her running mate Tim Farrell received just 201 first-preference votes and was eliminated on the second count. Fianna Fáil has run four candidates in Tullamore, two of which have been elected. Its other two are leading among those competing for the final two seats in this area.

They have their priorities right in Clare.

Harris says position on early election ‘hasn’t changed’

The Taoiseach Simon Harris has said his position on when the general election should be held “hasn’t changed” despite Fine Gael’s success in the Local Elections.

Mr Harris has previously said he wanted the Coalition to continue for its full term, which would mean the general election would not happen until early next year.

Fine Gael may well end up as the largest party in Local Government after Friday’s vote while the main Opposition party, Sinn Féin is disappointed by their own results.

Speaking at the RDS count centre in Dublin, Mr Harris said: “I’ve answered this question many times since becoming Taoiseach ... but my position in relation to that hasn’t changed.”

He said he was “absolutely delighted with the performance of the Fine Gael team right across the country in rural Ireland and in urban Ireland.”

Mr Harris added that it was “great to see hard working councillors being rewarded” and he thanked people for voting for his party.

Anti-immigration activist Steenson elected in Dublin’s north inner city

Anti-immigration activist Malachy Steenson has been elected in the North Inner City becoming the first far-right councillor elected to Dublin City Council, writes Olivia Kelly.

Shortly after 3pm on Sunday Steenson’s supporters hoisted him aloft and declared him elected, posting the same across social media. He hadn’t been, and it was not until more than an hour and a half later that he was elected to the North Inner City area on the 12th count.

Steenson a former Workers’ Party candidate has swung to the extreme opposite end of the political spectrum as a far-right activist.

A solicitor, Steenson has a history of association with anti-immigration activists including Irish Freedom Party leader Hermann Kelly.

Steenson led anti-immigration protests in East Wall in late 2022 and has shared social media posts referencing the “plantation” of migrants into Ireland as well as a video of an asylum seeker being told to “get your stuff and f**k off out”.

A lifelong republican, Steenson was expelled from the Workers Party more than a decade ago for attending an anti-abortion rally.

NEWS SNAP: The first count has been completed in Meath where Independent Cllr Noel French and Fine Gael Cllr Joe Fox were elected on the first count, writes Louise Walsh Ferriter. French, who left the Fine Gael party last year received over double the quota of 1,690 with an impressive 3,963 first preference votes.

Looking good for FG in Longford

Finally, we have Longford news from Jessica Thompson. Newly elected councillor Paul Ross (FG) has said he’s confident Fine Gael will do well across the county of Longford – including Ballymahon, where Colm Murray is in danger of losing his seat.

Cllr Ross soared into the lead in yesterday’s tallies and was elected this afternoon on the first count, with 1,300 votes (18.5 per cent), surpassing the quota by 297 votes.

“I’m absolutely delighted,” he said. “This is a tough job and days like today with your family and getting a great vote – it’s what it’s all about.

“I have been here on the other side of the coin, ten years ago when it took four days to get elected to the second last seat in the Ballymahon area – the fifth seat out of sixth – and today I got the first seat going in Ballymahon, so it’s very, very satisfying and I’m delighted.”

His party has polled well across Longford, particularly in Granard Municipal District, where tallies suggest four out of five seats will be taken by Fine Gael candidates.

“I think Fine Gael have polled extremely well across the county. In Granard it looks like we’re going to get four (seats) out of five. In Longford town, we’re going to get three out of seven and, in Ballymahon, I’m still confident we can get three out of six,” he said. “We have very good candidates in Martin Skelly and Colm Murray.”

He recalled his time ten years ago when his election relied on transfers and said he is confident that Colm Murray will keep his seat.

Oh. Hi. They’re filled in Athenry

All even seats in Athenry-Oranmore in Galway are filled and announced, but word starting to emerge that Fine Gael may seek a recount as their candidate Eoghan Gallagher – who is President of Young Fine Gael – only lost out by 19 votes to another newcomer Cillian Keane of Fianna Fáil, reports John Fallon.

Christy Burke is home and hosed in Dublin.

Just some of the Healy Raes getting a lift in Kerry.

NEWS SNAP: Athy councillor Aoife Breslin (Labour) has scored a stunning victory in her local electoral area. Her 2,347 votes were almost 700 above the quota in the five seat constituency. It was also the highest individual vote for any candidate in Co Kildare. She is confident that her transfers will bring home her running mate Mark Leigh.

NEWS SNAP: Fine Gael’s Baby Pereppadan elected for Tallaght Central on sixth count.

NEWS SNAP: Oh my word. The result of count the fourth count in Bailieborough-Cootehill has resulted in a tie between the two lowest candidates – Kristofer Shakelton (II) and Garry Cosgrove (Ind) who are each on 727 votes.

The Returning Officer, Lynda McGavigan, has acceded to a request for a full recount of those candidates’ votes. While they are both unlikely to be in contention for a seat, the order in which they are eliminated will have a major bearing on which candidates secure the remaining seats.

NEWS SNAP: Ireland First’s Derek Blighe may be eliminated on Fermoy’s 6th count, reports Liz Dunphy. There was no one elected on the fifth count there are three seats to fill. Kay Dawson (FG) on 1,254 votes; Peter O’Donoghue (NP) 1,192 votes; Diarmuid Hanley (Lab) 1,125 votes. Blighe on 1,070 gained 69 transfers from outgoing cllr Frank Roche who was eliminated in the last round.

These things take time, lots and lots of time

We won’t have a result for the first count of the Midlands-North-West constituency until at least tomorrow afternoon, according to count staff.

Some 320 counters are working their way through the hundreds of thousands of votes from across the vast constituency, sorting into pigeon holes and then stacking in piles of 50.

Incumbent MEP Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan said earlier that he booked a hotel room for the whole week.

NEWS SNAP: All seven seats in Monaghan LEA now filled, reports Seanín Graham. SF’s Sean Conlon elected on seventh count. FG’s Pauric Clerkin – Heather Humphreys’ assistant – is first time candidate and wins seat without reaching quota. SF’s Bronagh McAree, another new candidate, also wins seat without meeting quota. FG’s David Maxwell retains his seat – again, doesn’t meet quota. SF is bucking national trend – party’s gamble of fielding its highest ever number of candidates in Monaghan has paid off.

Elections are like buses, or are they?

Fine Gael TD Michael Ring believes the Taoiseach should call a general election in October, and build on Fine Gael’s steady local elections performance, writes Fiachra Gallagher.

“I think Fine Gael would be well to go to the country, go to the country in October,” the Mayo TD said, speaking at the Midlands-North-West count centre in Castlebar on Sunday. “Now is the time.”

Mr Ring also praised the role of Mr Harris in rejuvenating the party. He admitted that had there been a leadership battle following Leo Varadkar’s stepping down as Fine Gael leader earlier this year, he would have voted for Paschal Donohoe – but Mr Harris’s energy has really impressed him, he said.

“Certainly, Simon Harris, and I have to be very honest here, has done a superb job. He has really lifted us and he lifted the campaign.”

NEWS SNAP: Sinn Féin retained their seat for the southeast Inner City LEA after Kourtney Kenny was elected following the 10th count.

And on the other side of the country, the Belmullet LEA is complete. Gerry Coyle (FG) and Paul McNamara (FF) elected on the fourth count. McNamara got a tremendous vote from his native Achill. Sean Carey (FF) elected on the fifth and final count. All three councillors elected in 2019 returned again. Another massive blow for Sinn Féin in Mayo, who had high hopes for Rosaleen Dixon-Lally in Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh’s home constituency. Sinn Féin councillor Daniel Céitinn lost his seat in this LEA after the ninth count.

She didn’t use an ‘I’m Janet Horner, I’m in your corner’ slogan on her posters – or indeed anywhere else – which seems like an open goal missed to me, but she has still been re-elected as this video proves.

NEWS SNAP: Half of the Monaghan county council’s 18 seats have now been filled, reports Seanín Graham. That’s three FG, three FF, two SF and one Independent. All eyes now on the Independent seat vacated by the local authority’s most colourful representative, Hugh McElvaney, who stepped down in Ballybay Clones after 50 years of service. SF hotly tipped to get it.

NEWS SNAP: Sean Murray writes that we are “close to filling the remaining two seats in the Kilmuckridge LEA in Wexford. The SF candidate Declan Kenny has been eliminated so it’s a straight shoot-out between Paddy Kavanagh (Ind), Willie Kavanagh (FF) and Oliver Walsh (FG) for the last two seats.

NEWS SNAP: The fourth count s under way in Bailieborough Cootehill. Just three votes separate the bottom two candidates – Kristofer Shekelton (II) and Garry Cosgrove (Ind) – with 12 of Carmel Brady’s surplus up for distribution. It’s as close as it can be but the order in which close candidates are eliminated will make or break the count for other candidates still in the race. The question on everyone’s lips here is – what happens if they are tied after the next count? Linda O’Reilly will have the answers presently.

News to gladden the heart in Galway

The count to elect the 18 councillors for Galway City Council has traditionally been like the city’s traffic – frustratingly slow – and this year will not be an exception with a third day of counting now inevitable after a full recount was called in one of the three wards, writes John Fallon.

So far, just five of the 18 councillors have been elected. Current mayor Eddie Hoare (FG) and former mayor Mike Cubbard (Ind) have been elected in Galway City Central, while in Galway City East three of the six seats have been filled with sitting councillors Alan Cheevers (FF), and Independents Declan McDonnell and Terry O’Flaherty elected.

However, a full recount has now been called in this ward with four candidates chasing the remaining three seats. Aisling Burke of Sinn Féin and first-time Labour candidate Helen Ogbu look good to claim seats but with Shane Forde (FG) just 16 votes ahead of sitting councillor Mike Crowe, the Fianna Fáil candidate has sought a recount which Galway City Returning Officer Gary McMahon was ‘an acceptable request’.

A full recount is now due to start at Westside Community Centre and with the count for the six seats in Galway City West not yet started, it’s inevitable the count will continue for a third day.

DLR seats start to fill up

The Labour Party has had its second success in Dún Laoghaire Rathdown with the re-election of Cllr Carrie Smyth who topped the poll in the Killiney-Shankill electoral area with 13.4 per cent of the vote.

Ms Smyth said Labour has held its own in the constituency and expects to return five of its six electoral seats. “Unfortunately we’re not going to hold probably, the second seat in Killiney-Shankill”, held by retiring Cllr and outgoing mayor Denis O’Callaghan.

“We’re doing extremely well nationally, a lot higher than the polls were giving us before this election, which was down to 3 per cent or 4 per cent” when the party was actually on around 10 per cent.

Cllr Smyth believed that “with the Simon surge there could be an early general election. People are talking about the 4th of July, quick and snappy,” she laughed.

Fine Gael has elected its sixth councillor after John Kennedy passed the quota on the second count in Stillorgan. All six are incumbents.

Independent Cllr Sean McLoughlin has topped the poll in Dundrum electoral area of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown with 16 per cent of the vote and has been returned on the first count along with Fine Gael Cllr Jim O’Leary.

It is the second poll topping performance for an Independent following the election of Michael Fleming Glencullen-Sandyford with 32.9 per cent of the vote. Both councillors said their election was not a reflection of a surge for Independents but based on their own hard work in their communities.

Cllr Fleming said he worked hard for his community. Mr Fleming who has two butchers shops in Stepaside and Kilmacud has often groups with free burgers and other food.

“I’ve aways supported sports clubs and community groups, long before I became a councillor. I was born and bred in Sandyford and am very much involved in the area.” The poll topper has not ruled out running in the general election, but said he would have to consult his family and supporters.

Historic victory for Sinn Féin in Waterford

Sinn Féin have won their first seat ever in Waterford’s Lismore LEA, as Donnchadh Mulcahy saw off the challenge of Independent candidate Brian Buckley by 39 votes.

Speaking on the victory, Mulcahy said, “I really appreciate the fact that the far west of the county have put their belief in me. It’s a great honour to be the first, it’s something I will remember for a long time. It’s been a long campaign, but now the real work starts.”

All three seats have been filled in Lismore, the first LEA in the county to do so.

John Pratt (Labour), Niamh O’Donovan (Fine Gael) and Donnchadh Mulcahy (Sinn Féin) make up the new council.

I wonder do the teams surrounding the would-be politicians do much training for the possible shoulder lifting that might be expected of them? This short video is worth watching for the three whoos at the end of it alone!

NEWS SNAP: The first count is in for the Athlone electoral area and Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran is officially elected with 3,782 votes. The first count in Kinnegad has also been announced but no candidate has made the quota.

NEWS SNAP: Fine Gael’s Noel O’Donovan is the first candidate to be elected for the Skibbereen west Cork LEA. The former garda topped the poll on the first count and was elected on the fourth count, exceeding the quota of 2,531.

NEWS SNAP: Carina Johnson of Labour wins second seat for the party in Rush/Lusk area in Fingal on third count.

A general election this year ‘inevitable’ Green MEP says

Green Party MEP Ciarán Cuffe who is in a real battle to save his seat has said that an election this year is “inevitable”, reports Jack Horgan Jones.

At the Dublin count in the RDS this afternoon he was asked if the results had changed the electoral calculus and in response he suggested that a 2024 general election “was inevitable anyway”.

He expressed the view that March 2025 – the latest a general election can be held – was too late and asked “do you really want to stretch it to March of next year”, citing the weather as a key factor.

He said Barry Andrews (FF), Regina Doherty (FG) and Lynn Boylan (SF) would win seats to the European Parliament in the days ahead and then it would be all to play for. He said he felt immigration came up on the campaign trail less often than the media coverage might have suggested.

We have news from Sligo from Marese McDonagh.

First count in the Ballymote Tubbercurry LEA is in and former Sligo footballer Paul Taylor (FF) has topped the poll. Nobody reached the quota on the first count in this seven seater where outgoing councillors Gerard Mullaney (FG), Dara Mulvey (FG) Michael Clarke (Ind) and Joe Queenan (Ind) are set to be re-elected. A battle for the final two seats is anticipated.

Meanwhile Green Party candidate Johnny Gogan has been eliminated on the sixth count in the Sligo-Strandhill LEA. His votes are now being distributed.

‘Not our day’ – McDonald

The leader of Sinn Féin Mary Lou McDonald has been speaking to reporters at the count centre in the RDS and, it is fair to say, she was pretty downbeat about the results but determined that that party will do better in the future.

“We have made some gains, they are modest and but they’re there,” she said. “It hasn’t been our day [and] frustration – anger indeed – with Government policy on this occasion has translated into votes for independents and others.”

NEWS SNAP: First count in Meath due in next hour. It is expected it will be Trim MD where independent Noel French, who left the Fine Gael party last year, is expected to top the poll. Louise Walsh Ferriter is there for us.

Nip and tuck to see who will finish on top, Chambers

Speaking on Radio 1, Fianna Fáil Minister for State and director of elections for the local elections Jack Chambers said it was not yet clear which party would be the largest in local government

“We are within less than a per cent of each of each other and a lot of this is going to come down to transfers in 5, 6, and 7 seat constituencies and local geography and candidate strategy will play a key role. If you take the wider picture and the last two or three weeks we had Sinn Féin and Fine Gael polling in all of the opinion polls at 20-22 per cent, Fianna Fáil was apparently in the mid teens and that was kind of setting the wider analysis of the political picture entering into this local elections [but] we’re nip and tuck with Fine Gael about who will become the largest party local government.”

He said it was “clear that both parties are going to be strong forces across councils in across the country. We’re going to be larger in some and Fine Gael in others but one thing is clear that Sinn Féin have had a devastating result a complete rejection of their message of change.”

NEWS SNAP: Kanturk is the first LEA in Cork County to fill all seats as Fianna Fáil’s Ian Doyle, former county mayor, takes the fourth and final seat on the eighth count, writes Liz Dunphy

The battle to be the largest party of local government remains too close to call between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil as the second day of counting continues in local and European elections, writes Jack Horgan Jones.

With just under a quarter of seats filled on local authorities, Fine Gael have 73 seats and a first preference vote share of 23.23 per cent, ahead of Fianna Fáil’s 64 seats with a 22 per cent share of the vote.

Speaking privately, a Fianna Fáil Minister said it was “neck and neck”.

“Neither party can confidently say they will be ahead of the other at this point,” the Minister said on Sunday.

We’re mad for the shoulder hoisting so we are

NEWS SNAP: Independent Cllr Maeve Yore has been re-elected to Louth County Council, after topping the poll for the Dundalk South local electoral Area, reports Shauna Bowers. After receiving 2,150 of votes, surpassing the quota of 1,513, this will be Cllr Yore’s third term in the chamber.

Women likely to be poorly represented in Donegal

Only the 100 per cent Redress candidate Joy Beard and sitting councillor Niamh Kennedy stand any chance of becoming a woman voice on the council in Donegal, writes Stephen Maguire.

First-timer Beard has tallied very well in Inishowen and looks in a strong position to take a seat for the first time.

Sitting independent councillor Niamh Kennedy will have to fight all the way if she is to hold on to her seat in the Donegal Constituency.

A total of just 19 of the 91 candidates for the 2024 local elections in Donegal are women.

A total of four councillors elected in the 2019 were woman.

But that number will at least half if tally figures are correct for the 2024 election.

The passing of Fianna Fáil Councillor Noreen McGarvey, the resignation of Sinn Féin’s Marie Therese Gallagher and the decision by Rena Donaghey not to seek re-election, meant that Niamh Kennedy was the only sitting councillor seeking re-election after the term of the last council expired.

Just 12 women have served as Donegal County Councillors with Independent Fianna Fáil candidate Susan McGonagle becoming Donegal’s first woman councillor 45 years ago.

Roscommon people make it Independents day

After a long adjudication process over uncertain votes, the first South Roscommon count finally happened at just after midday today, with three sitting councillors returned, reports James Fogarty.

In the Athlone Local Election Area, first time candidate Emer Kelly, who was co-opted on to the council in May 2021, put in a stunning performance, with 1,946 votes, and topping the poll. The 24 old year old occupational therapist said she was delighted and humbled to be elected as the first woman councillor elected in the area.

“I am so, so grateful for everyone who came out to vote and gave me this opportunity. We had a fantastic team of canvassers over the last couple of weeks,” the 24 year old independent councillor said. “They put in Trojan work, there was no house in the constituency that we didn’t knock on the door. It was an incredible response, I am so happy and honoured and humbled. I never expected this.”

Veteran councillor Tony Ward was also elected on the first count. A tremendous vote getter, he secured 1786 votes from all around the district. An independent councillor and former cathaoirleach of the county, he was first elected in 2004 and previously topped the poll in 2019, with 1,864.

Cllr John Naughten, brother of Independent TD Denis Naughten, was also elected on the first count with 1,750.

Update from Barry Roche in Cork. Count Staff in the Nemo Rangers GAA clubsay they are noticing a lot of papers are showing No 1 for Sean Kelly and No 2 for Billy Kelleher and vice versa – again comes with a health warning, no idea where the papers are from or how representative they are.

NEWS SNAP: There’s a wrap from the Celbridge LEA in Co Kildare with Labour’s Rupert Heather elected on the 7th count, writes Ronan McGreevy. The four seats have been filled by David Trost (FF), Claire O’Rourke (SD) and Lumi Panaite Fahey (FG), a Romanian woman who only entered the race four weeks ago.

Niall Boylan not ruling out a general election run out

No change highly likely in Killarney

From Anne Lucey – A first count is due in Killarney at 2pm and it is highly likely that all seven sitting councillors will be returned to Kerry County Council.

While Maura Healy-Rae’s performance will again be impressive in Killarney, it is another Independent, first-time candidate Martin Grady, who is the surprise story here. Co-opted following the retirement of his father Donal less than a year ago, the firefighter battled to get on the ballot. Guidelines on council employees seeking election were changed on the eve of a court case brought by Grady challenging a Department of Housing circular to Kerry County Council on retained firefighters.

Grady has been outspoken on immigration issues, with his first motion on the council last September calling for Ukrainian refugees who were working while living in hotels to pay towards their accommodation and other costs. He failed to get support.

He has also objected to the use of Killarney’s only homeless facility for Ukrainian refugees and has been outspoken on concerns about the opening of a fifth international protection centre in Killarney, at the Harmony Inn on Muckross Road.

With tallies putting him on some 2,000 first preferences, Grady is set to be 400 votes over the estimated quota of 1,700.

So, where are we now when it comes to the local election counts? Well as of a few minutes ago this was the state of play around the country. You’d have to feel sorry for the politicians, their campaign teams, the count centre staff – and maybe even the journalists – working in Donegal, Meath Laois and Longford right now.

• Carlow 10/18
• Cavan 5/18
• Clare 17/28
• Cork City 5/31
• Cork Co 21/55
• Donegal 0/37
• Dublin city 11/63
• DLR 7/40
• Fingal 7/40
• Galway City 2/18
• Galway Co 17/39
• Kerry 7/33
• Kildare 15/40
• Kilkenny 8/24
• Laois 0/19
• Leitrim 18/18
• Limerick 13/40
• Longford 0/18
• Louth 3/29
• Mayo 13/30
• Meath 0/40
• Monaghan 6/18
• Offaly 3/19
• Roscommon 2/18
• Sligo 3/18
• South Dublin 6/40
• Tipperary 23/40
• Waterford 10/32
• Westmeath 1/20
• Wexford 7/34
• Wicklow 7/32

FG get more than 50 per cent of the Stillorgan vote

Fine Gael Councillors Barry Saul and Maeve O’Connell were re-elected on the first count in the Stillorgan electoral area of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown after the party’s spectacular 53 per cent vote in the area, writes Marie O’Halloran.

A third Fine Gael candidate, John Kennedy is expected to be elected in this area, while Fianna Fáil and the Greens will also likely win a seat each, with the prospect of a seat for the Social Democrats as well.

Cllr Maeve O’Connell said the party’s 53 per cent “is a phenomenal result” an “it does seem to be a vote for stability and a reinforcement of the centre”. Asked if she believed a general election should be called sooner given the party’s good results, Ms O’Connell said that after a “bit of a rest” they would be out canvassing again, but it was not a decision for her. Pressed on whether that meant she wanted an earlier election she said she had always been known for not wanting to fight an election in the middle of November.

Fine Gael Minister of State Neale Richmond said it had been a really good campaign “given that six months ago we were being written off. Now we will end up as the largest party in local Government and in Dún Laoghaire Rathdown again”. He put their success down to “good candidates, good campaign and strong leadership”. Taoiseach Simon Harris was a “large part of it. He ran a really high energy campaign and gave us a real lift with a clear message – that we know there are challenges, we don’t hide from them and we’re addressing them with the right policies” and action.

In the first count in Dún Laoghaire electoral area Fine Gael Cllr Lorraine Hall was just seven votes shy of the 1,943 quota for election and is expected to be returned at the second count. Green Party Cllr Tom Kivlehan will also be re-elected, coming second in the first count with 1,749 votes. Fine Gael JP Durkan, a former community garda in the area is expected to win a seat and Cllr Mary Fayne will also be returned. People Before Profit-Solidarity Cllr Melissa Halpin is also expected to keep her seat, the party’s only representative on the council currently. Sinn Féin candidate Shane O’Brien, the party’s only hope for a seat in the constituency is unlikely to make it, standing in ninth place after Aontú's Máiréad Tóibín, sister of her party leader Peadar.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

Long, long day ahead in Longford

The first count is under way in Edgeworthstown with a result expected at 1.30pm.

Jessica Thompson has a recap of how things have been progressing.

In Ballymahon LEA, Fine Gael’s Paul Ross is set to top the polls, with 18.7 per cent of the votes, while Fianna Fáil’s Mick Cahill and Pat O’Toole are in second and third with 12.2 per cent and 10.3 per cent respectively. All three are outgoing councillors in the area.

The tallies have put outgoing councillor and Independent, Mark Casey (9 per cent) in the running for the fourth seat, with newcomers, Fianna Fáil’s Sean Mimnagh (8.4 per cent) and Fine Gael’s Martin Skelly (8.3 per cent) currently in line for the fifth and sixth seats.

Outgoing Fine Gael councillor and Cathaoirleach of Longford County Council, Colm Murray, could be at risk of losing his seat. With a vote of 7.6 per cent putting him ninth in the rankings, he’ll be relying heavily on surplus votes from his colleagues.

In Granard LEA, Fine Gael came out on top, with outgoing councillor Garry Murtagh topping the polls, not just in his own MD, but across the county. He received 20.4 per cent of the overall vote.

His party colleague and outgoing councillor Paraic Brady has also done well, shooting into the lead with 17 per cent of the vote and putting him third in the rankings.

Outgoing Cathaoirleach of Granard MD and polltopper of 2019, Turlough McGovern brought in 19.8 per cent of the votes, setting him firmly in place for a seat once again.

Yesterday’s tallies have Fine Gael set to take the remaining two seats in north Longford, with Colin Dalton and Padraig McNamara taking 11.6 per cent and 9.8 per cent of the vote respectively.

Meanwhile, in Longford LEA, Fine Gael’s outgoing councillor Gerry Hagan is in flying form at the count this morning as he looks set to top the polls in Longford MD at 15.6 per cent.

But, with 15.5 per cent of the votes, outgoing Fianna Fáil councillor Martin Monaghan is hot on his heels, and only six votes behind him.

Snapping at the pair’s pair of heels is his party and council colleague, Seamus Butler, with 15.3 per cent of the votes, while Fine Gael’s Peggy Nolan also looks set to secure a seat, with 13.2 per cent.

Yesterday’s tallies put Fine Gael’s Niall Gannon (7.4 per cent), and Fianna Fáil’s Kevin Hussey (6.5 per cent) and Uruemu Adejinmi (6.2 per cent) in with a strong chance of winning the remaining three seats in Longford LEA.

But we’re only on the first count. The distribution of surplus votes in all three areas will tell a tale in the second count.

Wexford’s count centres come alive

The first counts are starting to come in thick and fast in Wexford, with both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael winning a seat each in the first count in Enniscorthy, reports Sean Murray.

Aidan Browne (FF) and Cathal Byrne (FG) exceeded the quota of 1,608 by 1,617 and 2,275 votes respectively.

Fianna Fáil are in the hunt for another seat here in this six-seater with Barbara-Anne Murphy on 1,340 votes. Two independents in John O’Rourke and Jackser Owens are well placed to take seats too with Fine Gael, Sinn Féin and Wexford Independent Alliance in the hunt for the last seat.

NEWS SNAP: Barry Heneghan is the first Independent elected to Dublin City Council. He is first time councillor elected on the 5th in Clontarf, reports Olivia Kelly.

‘A real act of citizenship’ to run for office.

We have news in from Wexford, the Kilmuckridge local electoral area to be precise.

The four incumbents in this four-seater were expected to retain their seats and this may well be the case going by the first count. Independent Mary Farrell has topped the poll on 1,720 votes, exceeding the quota of 1,498, and is the first councillor elected in Wexford. Pip Breen (FF) and Oliver Walsh (FG) are looking strong on 1,461 and 1,371 votes respectively. Willie Kavanagh for Fianna Fáil is in fourth place on 1,101. Only two other candidates contested this constituency – Paddy Kavanagh for the Wexford Independent Alliance on 914 votes and Declan Kenny for Sinn Féin on 921 votes.

‘The main opposition party can be satisfied’

The Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien has been quick to point to Sinn Féin’s election disappointment. “This was a party that was apparently just going to waltz into Government,” he said on RTÉ radio. “It’s obviously clear that we’ve parts of the country where they’re in single digits, Dublin probably at 11 (or) 12%. They can’t be satisfied with that performance,” he said. “Of course, they’ll make gains because they’re coming from a very low base of about 9 per cent. I don’t think the main opposition party can be satisfied with a gain like that.”

An (extremely) partial tally of just over 27,000 votes run by a cross-party group in Dublin (also not geographically balanced, so, handle with care) warns Jack Horgan Jones.

• Barry Andrews (FF): 13.1 per cent
• Lynn Boylan (SF): 10.6 per cent
• Niall Boylan (II): 7.6 per cent
• Ciaran Cuffe (GP): 8.4 per cent
• Clare Daly (14C): 7.2 per cent
• Regina Doherty (FG): 12.3 per cent
• Daithi Doolan (SF): 3.3 per cent
• Sinéad Gibney (SD): 5 per cent
• Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (LP): 12.2 per cent
• Bríd Smith (PBP): 6.5 per cent

Still a lot of votes being spoiled out there.

This is from yesterday but I was wondering it myself so ...

Easy like a Sunday morning for Byrne

The Green Party’s Claire Byrne was the first councillor elected in Dublin city on Sunday morning on the sixth count in the southeast Inner City, joining eight other councillors who had past the post by close of business on Saturday, report Olivia Kelly and Jack White.

These were her southside colleagues Hazel Chu and Micheal Pidgeon, with Fine Gael’s Emma Blain and James Geoghegan, and Labour’s Dermot Lacey also elected on the southside. On the northside of the city it was two for Fianna Fáil with Tom Brabazon and Deirdre Heney and one for Fine Gael with Naoise Ó Muirí.

Fianna Fáil’s Dierdre Conroy was the first sitting city councillor eliminated losing her seat after the second count in Kimmage Rathmines late on Saturday.

Counting continues in the 11 Dublin electoral areas in the RDS.

Up, up and away

NEWS SNAP: Independent candidate Tony Murphy elected on the first count for Balbriggan area in Fingal, reports Martin Wall

Sinn Féin a long way from seats in Tipperary

Count staff at the Tipperary count centre in Thurles are distributing the surpluses of a number of candidates who topped the polls across the eight LEAs.

The councillors were among 20 elected in just 20 minutes just before midnight last night.

They include independent Máirín McGrath in Cahir, Fianna Fáil’s Imelda Goldsboro in Carrick-in-Suir and independent John O’Heney.

Surpluses from Fine Gael’s Michael Murphy in Clonmel, independent Joe Hannigan in Nenagh and Labour’s Fiona Bonfield in Newport.

Those of Fianna Fáil’s Michael Smith in Rosscrea-Templemore and independent Jim Ryan in Thurles are also being redistributed.

Last night’s wins saw an early indication of independents holding their own, and Sinn Féin not doing as well as they expected and will be lucky to keep the two seats it already had.

There is little change to Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, while Labour have just one seat so far.

FG and independent first elected in Dún Laoghaire Rathdown

In the first results from Dún Laoghaire Rathdown election count two Fine Gael councillors and one Independent have been elected in the 40-seat local authority, reports Marie O’Halloran.

Fine Gael Councillor Marie Baker has topped the poll with 3,045 votes and been elected on the first count in the Blackrock electoral area of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown with just under two quotas.

She is the first councillor elected to the new council and her win reflects the party’s leading performance in the local authority. Fine Gael won 13 seats in the last council and will hold them all and win at least two, if not three more in 2024, based on the tallies.

In Glencullen-Sandyford Independent Michael Fleming has topped the poll with a spectacular 3,687 and two-and-a-half quotas, followed by Fine Gael’s Lettie McCarthy on 1,869 votes, both elected on the first count.

At least the sun is shining on parts of Dublin.

Don’t hold your breath in Cork

“Interesting insights from Ireland South count manager, Tim Healy who says all going well on the sorting front, he hopes to have a first count around 11pm tonight but the number of candidates and the size of the ballot paper is adding to the amount of sorting before they can start counting,” reports Barry Roche.

Tim, a veteran of both local, general and European counts, explained that compared to a general election count, a count involving 23 candidates and a ballot paper 64 centimetres long and 16 centimetres wide means the ballot paper is over 3cms than the counting tables.

Tim says that it’s the same number of candidates in Ireland South as in 2019 when the count took some six days to complete after a recheck and a recount when Green Party candidate Grace O’Sullivan and Sinn Féin’s Liadh NI Riada ended up in close contention for the last seat.

The ballot papers this time are 64 cms long which makes them just over three centimetres longer than the sorting tables but because there are so many candidates, what staff are doing is first checking the paper is valid and then sorting them into three groups.

The first group are those with first preferences in the top of the paper – the first ten candidates from Derek Blighe to Billy Kelleher, the second group is those with first preferences at the lower end of the paper from Sean Kelly to Mick Wallace and a third group are Doubtful papers.

The cubby holes where the sorted papers are placed are in two rows – one row for the Blighe to Kelleher votes and the next separate row behind it for the Kelly to Wallace votes as if they didn’t have two rows, sorting staff would have to walk 4m to allocate the sorted votes from Blighe to Wallace.

Instead, those allocating the sorting votes in either row have to shuttle just 2m from Blighe’s box to Kelleher’s box and 2m from Kelly’s box to Wallace’s box with both rows also containing cubby holes for doubtful votes which will be examined later, says Tim.

“Up in the RDS, they probably have around 700 staff on because they have the space but we have only space for 200 counting staff and another 50 staff – four people can’t sit at a table because the ballot papers are too big so we have two people per table seated diagonally.

The consensus is there’s no consensus

RDS Simmonscourt is waking up for Dublin’s MEP race, reports Jack Horgan Jones.

“The consensus around the place is that ... there is no consensus. The lack of a reliable tallying operation means that beyond a general view that Barry Andrews (FF) and Regina Doherty (FG) will take seats, the final two are too close to call with any degree of confidence.

“Green Party sources say they’re not feeling optimistic about retaining Ciarán Cuffe’s seat in Dublin – or Grace O’Sullivan’s in Ireland South.

“The Social Democrats are pleased with their outing in the Dublin local elections, pointing to a strong performance on the North Side, especially in donaghmede and Howth Malahide, and in the Greater Dublin Area and commuter belt – as well as city councils in Limerick, Cork and Galway. But there seems to be (at this stage) little hope for a tilt at a European seat in Dublin.

Labour feel they’re in the fight with Aodhán Ó Ríordáin.”

Things are getting under way in Dublin

NEWS SNAP: Seanín Graham is in a “slow Threemilehouse” where “magician/children’s entertainer Colin Waller, who was running on an anti-immigration ticket as an independent candidate in Monaghan, has been eliminated on the second count. No one reached the quota. Total of four people elected to 18 seats across three LEAs since last night.”

‘Not where we want to be’

Sinn Féin TD David Cullinane has said the party is “not where we want to be” after indications it has won around 11 per cent of first preference votes based on declarations so far in the local election.

Mr Cullinane warned against underestimating the resilience of the Sinn Féin party and said some council seats would “come down to very complicated transfers”.

“Obviously we expected to do better, I’m not saying that it was a good result for Sinn Féin, of course I’m not,” he told RTÉ radio.

“Absolutely there was no complacency. When we don’t have a good day we accept it. We will have to ask the questions you asked me – why did we not get the votes that we expected to get?”

ELECTION SNAP: Robert O’Donoghue of the Labour Party elected for the Rush/Lusk area in Fingal with a vote of a quota and a half. Tania Doyle, non-party, elected for the Ongar electoral area in Fingal on the first count, reports Martin Wall.

Two LEAs in Kildare done, six to go

Counting has concluded in two of Kildare’s eight local electoral areas (LEA), reports Ronan McGreevy.

The five seats each in the Clane and Maynooth areas were filled just before midnight. Incumbent councillors Brendan Wyse (Fine Gael) in Clane and Naoise Ó'Cearúil (Maynooth) topped the polls and were elected on the first count.

It has been a good election for the Social Democrats in the county. They are confident of getting seven out of their eight candidates elected. Two first-time councillors were voted on to the council for the party.

Claire O’Rourke, a retired HSE counsellor, was elected on the first count in the Celbridge local electoral area (LEA). She received 1,412 votes exceeding the quota of 1,376 and was elected along with Fianna Fáil poll topper David Trost who received 1,687 votes. He was also a first-time candidate.

O’Rourke came to prominence in her opposition to an entrance on to the M4 from Castletown House in Celbridge.

Peter Melrose was elected in the Maynooth LEA. He gained national attention in 2021 when he highlighted that a new housing development, Mullen Park in Maynooth, was sold to a vulture fund. Following a political outcry, the Government introduced a 10 per cent levy on bulk purchases of 10 or more houses over a 12 month period.

Former Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy said that having six certainties and possibly a seventh is a “very good day for the party”.

“We knew on the doors that there wasn’t any real surge for Sinn Féin. We were quite hopeful that our estimate was going to be correct for us,” she said. “We were concentrating on our own game.”

It was a good election for the Government parties in the constituency. A Romanian woman who only became a candidate four weeks ago was elected in the Celbridge LEA.

Lumi Panaite Fahey has been living in Ireland for 20 years and was elected on the third count for Fine Gael.

She entered politics as a result of her experience with her son who has additional needs. She is likely to win the seat at the expense of Sinn Féin.

Sinn Féin though may get the youngest candidate in the country, 18-year-old James Stokes, elected in the Newbridge area. He was sixth in the tally count with six seats in the area.

Counting resumes in the Naas and Celbridge local electoral areas (LEA) this morning. When it concluded counters at the Punchestown racecourse pavilion will begin the four remaining electoral areas – Athy, Newbridge, Kildare and Leixlip.

But why does it all take so long?

You might find yourself wondering why the counting of votes in Ireland drags on for days and days and days – after all we are a small country and France and Germany will be finished with it all long before we are.

If you are wondering, you are not alone.

The question has been asked for decades and for a brief period in the early part of this century it looked like we were going to leave the pencils behind and move into the digital age.

That never happened.

In 2014 in the aftermath of that year’s European and Local elections, Mary Minihan wrote a fine piece in which she noted that “long after the rest of Europe had wrapped up, the count in Castlebar to fill the European Parliament seats in the Midlands North West constituency was continuing.”

Meanwhile electing MEPs for the South constituency “involved 12 counts spread over four days in Cork,” she said.

By the time they counted everybody on each count, the election staff had handled over one million pieces of paper. “It’s hard to see how that could be quick,” said one observer.

As was the case this time out there were two ballot papers in 2014 – one for the Europeans and one for the local elections. They had to be separated before the counts proper could begin.

“Our quirky system of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote (PR-STV) in multi-seat constituencies cannot be rushed. Malta is the only other country that uses PR-STV, which is beloved by many but truly understood by few,” Minihan wrote.

An obvious alternative is electronic voting.

But we tried that once and it was not a triumph.

A pilot scheme in 2002 saw the results in three constituencies announced quickly on the night of the election.

Former Fine Gael minister Nora Owen dramatically lost her seat without warning. “I would never want to see it resurrected ... I don’t think the Irish people would ever want to go back to electronic voting,” she said.

The e-voting machines were never rolled out nationally due to security concerns and the experiment cost the State €54 million.

And while the time takes might be wearying betimes, we love it all the same.

“What is lost in speed and efficiency is made up for in transparency and a sense of the importance of the voting process,” according to the editorial in yesterday’s paper. “The long count is both an in-depth civics lesson and a piece of political theatre. It can combine the emotional drama of a knockout sporting fixture with the challenge of a knotty mathematical problem.”

And we’re off ... at least in some places

Our man in Cork, Barry Roche has arrived at the Ireland South Centre at Nemo Rangers GAA Club where counting has just started. It will be a long day there – and everywhere, really. The count in Cork involves “5 seats, 23 candidates and an electorate of 1, 345,792. Approximately 713,000 votes cast, weighing almost 6 tonnes – 5,818 kilos to be precise – to be counted by 250 counting staff under returning officer, Cork City Sheriff Martin Harvey.”

Meanwhile in Wexford counting is due to resume shortly and as Sean Murray notes there were “no first count from any of the LEAs last night so we are hoping they come in thick and fast from early today. The vote for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael was strong across the county here, with Verona Murphy’s nascent Wexford Independent Alliance in the mix for a few seats.”

And Martin Wall is in Fingal where counting is about to re-commence with just one of the 40 seats filled. That went to Fine Gael’s Ted Leddy in the Castleknock electoral area who was elected on the first count.

Our Political Editor Pat Leahy had a good wrap of what we learned from the first day of the count that was published late last night in case you missed it. It will bring you up to speed pretty quickly.

Done and dusted in Castlebar after all-night count

They are a hardy lot in Mayo, that’s for sure. The Castlebar count went through the night and it has only just finished, reports Paul O’Malley.

Fianna Fáil’s Blackie Gavin was elected on the 11th Count with fellow party member Al McDonnell joining him on the 13th count. Fine Gael’s Ger Deere and independent Michael Kilcoyne were both elected on the first count, which might seem like a lifetime ago for those at the centre.

Independent Harry Barrett, Fine Gael’s Donna Sheridan and Cyril Burke were all elected on the 14th and final count meaning there is no room in the chamber for Stephen Kerr who ran on an anti-immigration platform while incumbent Fianna Fáil councillor Martin McLoughlin also missed out.

Independents and Sinn Féin have a good day out in Leitrim

The number of independents on who will have a seat on Leitrim’s county council has climbed from four to five while Sinn Féin managed to double their number of seats, admittedly from a low base of two up to four, reports Sorcha Crowley.

Fianna Fáil held on to six seats while Fine Gael lost half their seats which will see their presence in the chamber fall from six to just three.

Sitting FG councillor Enda McGloin, comfortably re-elected on the first count in Ballinamore LEA on 1,033 votes, described the party’s performance in north Leitrim as “a complete debacle.” It will be the first time in living memory that there hasn’t been a Fine Gael councillor in the Manorhamilton LEA. Carrick-on-Shannon first-time candidate Maeve Reynolds won a second seat for the party while Ita Reynolds-Flynn, former TD Gerry Reynolds sister, took the third and last Fine Gael seat in Ballinamore shortly before 5am Sunday.

Fianna Fáil had a good day out in Leitrim with stalwart Paddy O’Rourke topping the poll in Ballinamore on 1,434 votes in the first count. Another long-serving Fianna Fáil councillor Mary Bohan was re-elected to the Manorhamilton Local Electoral Area on 925 votes in the third count. Justin Warnock was elected to that LEA on the sixth count. The party won two more seats in the Carrick-on-Shannon LEA thanks to Sean McGowan (912) and Paddy Farrell, who was elected without reaching the quota of 824. Gary Prior won the last seat for Fianna Fáil in the Ballinamore LEA on the seventh count on 984 votes.

Independents have emerged as the second largest grouping on Leitrim County Council. Maths and Agricultural Science teacher James Gilmartin was the first of five independents elected, winning his seat in the Manorhamilton LEA thanks to a massive first preference vote of 1,335.

Enda Stenson and Des Guckian won seats in the Carrick-on-Shannon LEA on the fourth count while Felim Gurn won a seat in Manorhamilton also on the fourth count. Eddie Mitchell won the fifth independent seat on the seventh count in Manorhamilton LEA with 866 votes, without reaching the quota.

Sinn Féin had to wait until 3.07am to see their first candidate deemed elected in the county, with Brendan Barry finally making it over the line with 1,007 votes on the fifth count of the Ballinamore LEA. He was followed by Padraig Fallon on the sixth count of Manorhamilton LEA (1,145 votes) and Cormac Flynn on the seventh count of Carrick-on-Shannon LEA on 841 votes. Roisín Kenny, sister of Sligo-Leitrim Sinn Féin TD Martin Kenny, took the last council seat in the Ballinamore LEA on count eight at 4.54am.

It leaves Leitrim County Council finely balanced 50:50 between the two Government parties of Fianna Fáil (6 seats) and Fine Gael (3 seats) versus five independents and four Sinn Féin councillors. Four women were elected, one more than in 2019 and three of them are newcomers. No breakthrough for any parties of the far right or left in Leitrim.

As it stands, only Leitrim Country Council has elected all its councillors with the final seat being taken by Sinn Féin’s Róisín Kenny in the Ballinamore electoral area at 5am. By contrast, the counting of votes across the Local Electoral Areas of Meath and Donegal are yet to begin.

Good morning. So, here we are again. And where is that? Well, almost 24 hours after counting began, less than a quarter of the council seats have been filled, the count for the European elections has yet to start and we are a still full day away from counting the votes in the Limerick Mayoral election.

Never let it be said the Irish electoral system doesn’t get value for money from the hard working counters in the centres across the country, many of whom were sifting papers and totting up numbers well into the early hours of this morning. I’m Conor Pope and I will be manning this live news story for much of today.