Niall expects we won’t see much news from the Cork North Central recount until around 6pm.

Counting well under way here in Cork North Central - next moment in the timeline will be 6pm. #GE24 @thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/FJj0xNnvkF

— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) December 2, 2024

We have our first elections of the day (in daylight hours, that is).

Sinn Féin’s Réada Cronin, Fine Gael’s Joe Neville and Fianna Fáil’s Naoise Ó Cearúil have been elected on the twelfth and final count in Kildare North.

That means Fine Gael’s Bernard Durkan, a veteran TD since 1981, has lost his seat.

No luck for independent candidate Kevin Callan in his hope for a different result after calling that re-check in Louth.

The check found no discrepancies and Callan remains eliminated, allowing the next count to proceed.

Cavan-Monaghan has announced the results of its eleventh count and it’s bad news for outgoing Sinn Féin TD Pauline Tully, who only received six transfers from the surplus of elected Fine Gael candidate David Maxwell and has now been knocked out.

Transfers from Tully’s 7,868 votes will now be distributed. Her two Sinn Féin colleagues Matt Carthy and Cathy Bennett, currently on 10,981 and 8,220 votes should do well from those.

The Journal understands that members of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party are due to meet in Leinster House on Wednesday at Leinster House to discuss the outcome of the election.

Fianna Fáil is expected to emerge from the election with the largest share of seats, giving it a big advantage going into government formation talks.

Fianna Fáil’s deputy leader Jack Chambers, who was re-elected in Dublin West, has said he does not expect a coalition to be formed before Christmas.

“I don’t expect a government to be formed in mid-December. When the Dail is due to meet on the 18th of December, probably a Ceann Comhairle (speaker) can be elected, and there’ll have to be time and space taken to make sure we can form a coherent, stable government,” Chambers told RTÉ.

“I don’t think it should take five months like it did the last time – Covid obviously complicated that – but I think all political parties need to take the time to see what’s possible and try and form a stable government for the Irish people.”

Jack Chambers PA PA

More rechecking happening, this time in Louth. 

Independent candidate Kevin Callan was deemed eliminated on the nineteenth count but he was only four votes below the candidate above him, Alison Comyn of Fianna Fáil, and so has requested those votes be checked again.

This is what happens in election end games – every vote really does count.

In a sample of 25% of ballot papers, there were 29 discrepancies found, according to People Before Profit-Solidarity’s Mick Barry.

A full recount is getting underway, which could take several days unless the candidate withdraws the request early.

Full recount called in Cork North Central. 29 discrepancies in a sample of 25% of papers. Mick Barry said one vote extra but believes it is indicative possibly of broader errors. It could take three days. @thejournal_ie #GE24 pic.twitter.com/n5F412eyU5

— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) December 2, 2024

However, it’s a different story in Cork North Central.

After a recount this morning of the latest count, a full recount has been requested, our News Correspondent Niall O’Connor tells us.

The recount put Jim Ryan three votes ahead of Michael Smith in Tipperary North. Michael Smith has now conceded and subsequent counts can proceed.

In Tipperary North, the recount has actually now been withdrawn, RTÉ is reporting.

Recounting is also ongoing in Tipperary North.

After its ninth count, the two lowest candidates – Fianna Fáil’s Michael Smith and independent Jim Ryan – where apart by only seven votes, with the edge going to Smith.

There’s been two rechecks done, which put Smith one and two votes ahead respectively, after which Ryan requested a recount.

Lunchtime at the Nemo Rangers GAA club. Niall reckons the number of errors found has been small.

Cork North Central counters have broken for sandwiches in the Nemo canteen.
Here are the bundles gathered - keep an eye for yellow and pink post-its marking the errors. A cursory scan from me doesn’t look like there are a lot. #GE24 @thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/6AEPgxuPwj

— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) December 2, 2024

Louth is one of the few constituencies still counting.

It has just finished its nineteenth count and eliminated independent Kevin Callan, who leaves behind 5,682 votes.

Any transfers will now be redistributed between the remaining candidates: Labour’s Ged Nash, Fine Gael’s Paula Butterly, Fianna Fáil’s Erin McGreehan and Fianna Fáil’s Alison Comyn.

Nash is only a measly 50 votes away from the quota so will likely be elected on the next count or the one after to take the constituency’s third seat. He’d be joining Sinn Féin’s Ruarí Ó Murchú and Joanna Byrne, both already elected here. 

Let’s check in on how the recount is going in Cork North Central.

Here’s what Niall O’Connor has written about it from the ground:

In the early hours of this morning as Eoghan Kenny of Labour was declared as taking the last seat by just 35 votes Barry, of People Before Profit Solidarity (PBPS), requested the move.

Martin Harvey, the returning officer for Cork City, met with both Labour and PBPS representatives. It was decided after that meeting that the recount would begin with an examination of bundles of 50 votes at a time.

Tally keepers have said that it is understood that 15 individual errors have been identified in the bundles.

Harvey has told The Journal this morning that if there is a discrepancy in those bundles then a full recount will get underway – we are likely to get a result from that initial examination around lunchtime.

Counters begin work in Cork North Central this morning. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Thanks for the liveblogging Muiris. No thanks for the on-the-spot lunch question, which was a rather unsophisticated assortment of snacks.

I’m heading off to work in the background of Journal towers.

I’ll let Lauren Boland fill you in on the rest, including on what she had for her lunch.

Independent Councillor Barry Heneghan, elected late last night on the 16th count in Dublin Bay North, will be one of the youngest members of the new Dáil at 26 years of age.

He’s a protégé of Finian McGrath, former Independent TD for the same constituency and junior minister for disability in the 2016-2020 government of Fine Gael and the Independent Alliance.

Barry Heneghan (IND) told @rtenews that he was elected in Dublin Bay North because constituents wanted an "independent young voice to represent them in Dáil Eireann" #GE24 #Election24 pic.twitter.com/P4Sxjk89Ed

— RTÉ Dublin Bay North (@RTEDublinBayNth) December 2, 2024

The Journal spoke to McGrath yesterday evening, before Heneghan’s election to the fourth of five seats in this closely contested constituency, about the advice he’d give any potential junior coalition partner about entering government formation talks.

McGrath said it’s important to have six or seven clear priorities ready before getting round the table with the big parties – and added that he and Heneghan “have our six items already in our head”.

“No talks about talks,” McGrath said.

His prediction? The next government will comprise Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and a handful of Independents, rather than Labour or the Social Democrats.

That’s what former Progressive Democrats leader Michael McDowell and former Labour leader Pat Rabbitte told us too.

You can read the full article here:

Women for Elections have said the gender balance in the Dáil is heading in the right direction, but slowly.

CEO of the advocacy organisation, Brian Sheehan, said it was a “historic” election for women, with female candidates representing 32% of first-preference votes – the equivalent of 70 quotes. 

A total of 39 women candidate were elected, as of this morning, and the group expects 44 female TDs to be elected to the Dáil – representing a quarter of all politicians in the Irish parliament.

“We are going in the right direction, but far too slowly,” Sheehan said.

“With a record number of women running, we could have expected to see more women to be elected. If we are serious about achieving equal representation for women in political life, further work is necessary,” he added.

Emma Hickey has detailed the election of the 100% Redress candidate Charles Ward in Donegal yesterday.

Ward ran for the party in the local elections earlier this year and failed to be elected, but now he’s headed for Dáil Eireann, where he plans to represent homes in the area that have been affected by defective building blocks. 

Speaking to Ocean FM prior to his election yesterday, Ward said that the government would be forced to listen to his party’s demands for 100% redress.

“They’ve got one choice now. They have to listen to us, because I’m going to be on the floor of the Dáil.”

You can read Emma’s full write up here:

Fianna Fáil Dublin West TD Jack Chambers has told Newstalk Breakfast  this morning that his party will be waiting to discuss government formation until after all the votes have been counted.

He said Fianna Fáil are hopeful that it will return 48 seats to the Dáil, as is projected, and will then internally debate the next move.

Meanwhile, parties on the left are calling for their colleagues to stall talks with the major political groups in order to gain power over those seeking for form a coalition (or, maybe, bragging rights).

Sinn Féin are making the point that, with so many left and centre-left TDs elected on a “mandate of change”, it is necessary for smaller parties of shared values, and who may be seen as a potential coalition partner to make their case on behalf of those groups.

As is the topic of the day – recounts.

And no better man to tell us about the latest re-tallying of votes than Cork Returning Officer Martin Harvey.

He managed the longest-ever recount in Irish history when Sinn Féin’s Liadh Ní Riada was up against the Green Party’s Grace O’Sullivan during the 2019 Euro elections. 

Harvey is now overseeing the recount in Cork North Central, where People Before Profit’s Mick Barry requested a recount to double check the votes between himself and Labour’s Eoghan Kenny.

Harvey spoke with our news correspondent Niall O’Connor outside Nemo Rangers in Cork, telling us about the latest deal that was reached between staff and the candidates.

Martin Harvey, returning officer, managed the longest recount in the history of the State when Líadh Ní Riada was up against the Green Party’s Grace O’Sullivan during the 2019 Euro elections.
He is now in charge of the Cork North Central recount today. @thejournal_ie #GE24 pic.twitter.com/nNgIDj9IBE

— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) December 2, 2024

Good afternoon.

Muiris Ó Cearbhaill here after escaping from the RDS last night. Who knew more than 10 hours under fluorescent lighting would have no impact on your state of mind?

As was said, I’m covering for Lauren for the hour as she heads to get a break.

As the dust is settling on the campaign – though some madness is still ongoing – ‘coalitionogy’ is in full swing.

You’ll hear a lot of chatter around this party going into government with that party and other parties calling for that party to stay out of government with this party.

Votes are still left to be counted however.

While some discussions might take place today, it will be a little while longer before we get the full, real picture as to how this election played out.

Stick with us anyways as we bring you everything and anything you need to know.

I’m jumping out for a quick lunch and leaving you in the hands of my colleague Muiris Ó Cearbhaill (who managed to make it from the RDS yesterday after reporting on the results there, unlike our Niall still down at counting in Cork).

Labour’s candidate Eoghan Kenny, who was considered to have won the seat last night but is now subject to the recount, is also waiting for the result, though he’s not at the centre yet.

Labour Councillor Peter Horgan spoke to Niall at the centre about the recount process.

Cllr Peter Horgan of Labour is working with Eoghan Kenny on his campaign - Eoghan isn’t here yet so I asked Peter about the team’s view on the recount. @thejournal_ie #GE24 pic.twitter.com/yFuw0RodJt

— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) December 2, 2024

People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Mick Barry is awaiting the results of the recount. 

Mick Barry of People Before Profit Solidarity has requested the recount in Cork North Central. 35 votes separate him and his opponent Eoghan Kenny of Labour.
He gives his view on what happens today and why he has requested it. @thejournal_ie #EP24 pic.twitter.com/7k3JGH1SNJ

— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) December 2, 2024

On government formation talks, Kerry Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae has said this morning that his “phone is always on”.

The party leaders have my number and my phone is always on. I’ll talk to anybody but I won’t sell my soul and I have three items to discuss before going into government with anyone and that’s KERRY, KERRY and KERRY. https://t.co/0Q6TZWC3aH

— Michael Healy-Rae (@MHealyRae) December 2, 2024

Not too many count centres still active today but our News Correspondent Niall O’Connor has arrived at the at the Nemo Rangers GAA club, where a recount called last night has now commenced.

Good morning from Nemo Rangers GAA club in Cork city where a recount is underway in Cork North Central as People Before Profit’s Mick Barry fights to retain his Dáil seat against Eoghan Kenny of Labour. @thejournal_ie #GE24 pic.twitter.com/fmW7oj4TeW

— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) December 2, 2024

Writing an opinion piece in The Journal this morning, Dr Brendan Flynn of University of Galway says that overall, this election has given us “more of the same”.

“It arguably was an election where reality took a sneaky pre-Christmas holiday. Manifestos tripped over each to promise lavish spending plans combined with a medley of tax cuts in various fetching ideological hues,” Dry Flynn writes.

“The strong whiff of ‘promising cake, and eating it as well’ sat oddly with the rest of the planet careering towards climate melt-down, casual threats of nuclear war on Europe’s periphery, or an impending dismantling of the free trade system, so vital to our economic success over the last decades.”

Of the seats filled at this stage, Fianna Fáil is leading with 43 TDs. Sinn Féin and Fine Gael follow with 36 each.

15 independent candidates have been elected so far.

The Social Democrats have enjoyed a boost to numbers this election, with 11 TDs over the line.

The Labour Party has won eight seats so far while Independent Ireland has won four.

People Before Profit/Solidarity will have at least three TDs in the next Dáil and Aontú will have at least two.

It’s been a challenging election for the Greens, with only one seat won, which was by party leader Roderic O’Gorman.

The 100% Redress party and Workers and Unemployed Action party have each won one seat.

If you were following along with the results over the weekend and you’re looking to catch up on what you missed while you were asleep, we have you covered. Here are all the late-night elections that have happened since around midnight in the early hours of this morning:

The majority of the seats in the 34th Dáil have now been filled across the first two days of counting.

Here’s a full list of all the TDs elected so far on Saturday and Sunday:

And here’s our Results Centre, where you can explore exactly how the votes were distributed in each count in every constituency: