Updated 12.10am
THE HEALY-RAE brothers have together polled over 30,000 votes and are easily on course to take the first two seats in Kerry.
Sitting deputy Michael Healy-Rae has already been elected on the first count.
He ran alongside his brother, Councillor Danny Healy-Rae, continuing a family legacy began by his father the late Jackie Healy-Rae.
The pair topped the poll in first and second place with Michael Healy-Rae easily exceeding the quota.
His surplus of over 7,000 votes will take Danny Healy-Rae over the line.
Speaking this afternoon on RTÉ before the first results came in, Michael said that they are “so thankful and grateful” to the people who canvassed for them.
The Healy-Raes were up front in their vote management strategy and published a map in local newspapers, asking voters to vote for a particular brother depending on whereabouts in Kerry they lived.
Speaking today after the early tallies, Danny says their request appears to have worked.
Well it certainly did work. And we have to thank the people who listened to us when we asked them to vote one in my council area and number two for Michael Healy-Rae.
Addressing criticism that they focus on the constiuents at the expense of national politics, Danny Healy-Rae says they “make no apologies” for that.
We’ll make no apologies to anyone for representing the people of Kerry. There’s been a lot of talk of representing the nation and that we’re not good for the nation, but the people of Kerry are part of the nation. And we’ll have to fight for those people and we make no apologies for that.
Michael Healy-Rae also had a similar message for people who’ve criticised what they stand for. He said that their support is about “ordinary down to earth work”.
“Some people in Dublin don’t get this, but I’ll send a message. It’s all about being a servant to the people that elect you,” he said.
Addressing people in Dublin for a second time, Michael Healy-Rae said his critics will now have two people to take-on.
Some of the smart alecs in Dublin who may have picked on me in the past. Well, you know what? They’ll have to pick through him to get to me.
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