IT’S THE SECOND day of vote counting in the 2016 general election, and one thing is clear: Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are neck-and-neck.
The prospect of a FG/FF coalition is getting closer – and Taoiseach Enda Kenny has become increasingly pragmatic on the possibility of the two parties ruling together. Fianna Fáil, meanwhile, have been repeatedly ruling it out.
With counting yet to conclude across a number of counties we’ll keep you up to date as the situation unfolds. Here’s a list of marquee moments and things to watch for:
Aoife Barry here, by the way! Here to keep you up to date with everything that emerges from the latest vote counts.
By the way, when I say Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are currently neck-and-neck, I do mean it…
If you’re just waking up, you’ll want to know what on earth has been happening overnight.
Here’s how everything went from 6.45pm yesterday, straight through to just a few hours ago.
You can also catch up on who’s been elected to your constituency by checking out our Election Centre here.
The count in Wexford has been adjourned until 10am on Monday for a recount, which was requested by Johnny Mythen of Sinn Féin, says RTÉ.
Meanwhile, the only constituency still counting is Cork East.
There’s another recount due in Clare – that’s going to kick off at 11am.
Mick Wallace was elected on the 13th count in Wexford, on 13,420 votes.
His reaction was quite understated:
There’s going to be a recount in Wexford tomorrow.
Want to know who the winners, losers and newbies are so far?
You’ll find them all here:
We’ve finally got a result in four-seat Cork East: Labour’s Seán Sherlock has just scooped the first seat, followed by David Stanton (Fine Gael) and Kevin O’Keeffe (Fianna Fáil).
This is a count that was going through the night, and now Sherlock’s surplus votes are being distributed to see who will get the final seat.
Recounts have been requested in Dublin South Central and Dublin South West, but the returning officer has to make a decision on it today.
It’s down to the wire in Dublin South Central between Brid Smith of AAA-PBP and Catherine Ardagh of Fianna Fáil, with 35 votes between.
Over in Dublin South West, RTÉ reports that Independent Katherine Zappone celebrated after being 152 votes ahead of Ann Marie Dermody from Fine Gael.
We have our final seat in Cork East filled on the tenth count – by Sinn Féin’s Pat Buckley.
Here’s how Cork East looks now that all of its seats have been filled:
Counting has been adjourned in Donegal, after a request made by Sinn Féin for a recount of their candidates’ votes.
The recheck will begin at 10am.
Did the government get the mood of the country wrong?
That’s what Julien Mercille believes – you can read his column here.
Among his reasons: ”Voters don’t want the kind of “stability” Fine Gael and Labour have given us “
Just checking in on the current state of play with seats taken, and things are still neck-and-neck across the three tiers:
Regina Doherty says there won’t be a heave, and that there is nobody looking for Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny to go.
She was just speaking to Morning Ireland, where she told them that “there are a lot of Fine Gael people hurting today”.
“I think we collectively need to look at what we did wrong,” she said. “We all need to learn by it”.
Labour has suffered heavier losses than Fine Gael – and here’s how one hopeful who missed out on a seat is feeling today:
Earthquakes and knives abound in some of the Sunday papers today…
We’ve heard talk of a number of recounts and a recheck being requested – but what goes into the process?
My colleague Michelle Hennessy has taken a look, and explains the whole thing here.
Looks like the Healy-Rae brothers are the most popular men in Kerry – and they might just have inspired another pair of Irish brothers…
It’s going to be a pretty intense day and night for Ireland – not only do we have the election counts, but we have nine nominations in tonight’s Oscars.
Here’s our look at our chances of winning a golden statuette.
If we do win, at least it will give people something to celebrate, if they’ve had a bad weekend of it…
Here’s Hugh’s update on what’s happening at the RDS:
At the RDS, we’re expecting a recount in Dublin South Central where there are 35 votes between Fianna Fáil’s Catherine Ardagh and AAA-PBP’s Brid Smith. There could also be a recount in Dublin Bay South where Labour’s Kevin Humphreys and Fianna Fáil’s Jim O’Callaghan are neck-and-neck
Dublin Central is complete. Dublin North West is not far behind where Fine Gael’s Noel Rock is set to take the last seat.
But Dublin Bay North, which only declared its first count last night, is expected to run long into the night
Our Political Editor Hugh O’Connell is back at the RDS for the count, and the mood is… tired:
Speaking of the Oscars, some alternative government suggestions from our pals over at DailyEdge.ie:
Here’s how our treats table is looking this morning. We’ve been eating a bit of fruit, in fairness to us, but the Christmas biscuits were most hard hit.
Mary Lou McDonald was speaking to Morning Ireland earlier, and told them that Sinn Féin “will not be the facilitator or enablers of Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael running rampant across an unequal society”.
Meanwhile, Michael McCarthy of Labour told the same programme that what has happened to Labour in this election was “absolutely horrendous”.
Katherine Zappone was elected to her seat at a tiny margin – but now there’s going to be a recheck.
“I am feeling a reserved jubilance,” she told Morning Ireland, adding she feels “pretty confident”.
If she retains her seat on the recheck, she’ll become the first woman to take a seat in Dublin South-West in 15 years.
Counting has resumed across the country:
The results of Count 6 in Sligo/Leitrim are out – no one elected yet, but AAA-PBP candidate Nigel Gallagher eliminated.
Looks like things aren’t good for Kathleen Lynch in Cork North Central:
Labour TD John Lyons was a prominent figure during the same-sex marriage referendum campaign, but he won’t be returning to his seat. He’s just one of Labour’s casualties in the GE16.
He’s sent a message to his supporters:
Have you had your say in our poll yet?
We’re asking: Should Enda Kenny step down as Fine Gael leader?
Here’s the state of play so far:
Fianna Fáil’s Eamon O Cuiv will be returning to the Dáil after being elected on Count Nine in Galway West:
And here’s an update from Dublin Bay South:
Mattie McGrath, an Independent, has just been elected on the fourth count in Tipperary.
Still in contention for seats in Tipperary, now that Mattie McGrath has gone through, are
They’re battling it out for three seats.
Over in Dublin Bay South, Chris Andrews of Sinn Féin has been eliminated after Lucinda Creighton’s transfers were distributed.
Mattie McGrath told Newstalk he was feeling “joyous” after winning the second seat in Tipperary. He thanked everyone who helped him in his campaign.
He then had a go at Ivan Yates “because you never gave me a look in”.
The recount won’t be happening in Clare, according to those on the ground:
Let’s head over to Mayo now, where our reporter Órla Ryan is at the count centre.
As the 8th count (distribution of just under 3,000 votes) began this morning, Fine Gael’s local director of elections Brendan O’Dowd told Ryan:
Here in Mayo we’re in with a fighting chance of taking the third seat [for Fine Gael, and fourth seat overall]. Obviously we have Enda Kenny elected, Michael Ring is 1,100 votes short of the quota. And Michelle Mulherin is still there. She’s 176 behind Lisa Chambers so obviously it’s down to transfers at the moment.
O’Dowd says he not confident of Mulherin securing the seat.
A lot of things have to fall into place and be right to take the fourth seat … The longer Michael Ring is not elected, the better. And we would hope when he would be elected he’ll be elected with a massive surplus … that would push Michelle Mulherin over the finishing line. It’s a very, very long shot. All the gods are with Lisa Chambers.
Our Daragh Brophy is over at Dublin Fingal count centre this morning:
Danny Healy-Rae has been elected in Kerry – that means that two Healy-Rae brothers are now TDs.
Danny Healy-Rae’s win means that he’ll be joining his brother Michael up in Leinster House – here’s how their canny strategy ensured the both got a seat.
The celebrations for Danny Healy-Rae are only mighty…
Let’s pop back to the RDS and see how Hugh O’Connell is getting on:
He has an update for us too:
Richard Boyd-Barrett told Newstalk that Fine Gael “represents the 26% of people who felt the recovery”.
When asked by George Hook how he became “ferociously left”, having come from a privileged background, he responded:
That’s a good question, which I’ve often asked myself.
He put it down to time he spent in Palestine as a student and to seeing the disparity in wealth growing up in Dún Laoghaire.
Newly-elected Fine Gael TD Josepha Madigan was just grilled about a leaflet she circulated on Traveller accommodation.
She told Claire Byrne on RTÉ that she did not want to discuss the 2014 leaflet, as she has already discussed it previously - but Byrne told her it wasn’t something she could not discuss.
Madigan said that the issue hadn’t come up on the doorsteps, and that locals “know I work hard”.
Looks like Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams will be returning to his seat:
Speaking of Sinn Féin, Mary Lou McDonald and Martin McGuinness are in the Dublin Final count centre.
News from Cork – and it’s bad news for Labour.
Ciarán Lynch, who was head of the banking inquiry, has been eliminated in Cork South Central on Count Nine.
Gerry Adams has been elected in Louth – and topped the poll.
Here’s how Louth looks now that Gerry Adams has been elected to the five-seat constituency:
Here’s how the Dublin Bay South constituency looks right now:
Eoghan Murphy of Fine Gael and Eamon Ryan of the Green Party have been elected in Dublin Bay South.
This means that the Green Party now has two representatives in the Dáil.
Must watch: These are the seats you need to be watching today (you’ll spot Eamon Ryan in there):
Don’t forget about our Election Centre – you can find out who’s in your constituency by clicking here.
We’re updating it constantly.
Here’s what the state of play is – Fianna Fáil have one more seat than Fine Gael:
Kevin Humphreys won’t be taking back his Dáil seat – but he has been hanging out with the cutest dog we’ve ever seen:
Meanwhile, Eoghan Murphy, who has just been elected, has been hanging out with some young fans:
Some sad news: Actor Frank Kelly, best known for playing Fr Jack, has died at the age of 77.
Hugh O’Connell has another update for us from the RDS count centre, where Fine Gael’s Eoghan Murphy just won a seat:
Fine Gael TD Eoghan Murphy, who’s just been re-elected in Dublin Bay South has said that his party should consider forming a minority government as it appears it will have more seats than Fianna Fáil.
He told reporters: “I wouldn’t rule out a minority Fine Gael government. I think there’s every possibility of that given the seats that we have. If you look at how we did versus Fianna Fáil, I think there are similar percentages, but we had a lot more seats , we had a lot more second preferences going to Fine Gael.
“People in the exit polls said they wanted Fine Gael returned to government, so I think we should try and do that and maybe the first thing we should try is a minority government. I don’t know, we’ll have to see.”
We caught Mary Lou McDonald having a bit of fun with Dublin Fingal likely TD Louise O’Reilly earlier on:
Good afternoon one and all, Cianan Brennan taking over on the Liveblog for a wee bit.
There’s a slight lull at present from the various counts proceeding about the place. Here’s the latest seat-standings:
It’s tight at the top folks.
Meanwhile, here’s a video from a little earlier of former Fianna Fáil TD Conor Lenihan channeling his inner Schwarzenegger:
Terrifying.
The Anti Austerity Alliance / People Before Profit’s Bríd Smith has spoken to Newstalk of the pending recount in Dublin South Central.
After Count 11 just 35 votes separate Smith from Fianna Fáil’s Catherine Ardagh in the battle for the last seat.
Smith said she doesn’t perceive there is going to be a sufficient margin of error to dramatically change the 35 votes that are in it. It’s going to be a full recount.
“We could be here all day,” she said.
In Dublin North West Fianna Fáil’s Paul McAuliffe has conceded defeat to Fine Gael’s Noel Rock on the ninth count.
In taking the last of three seats Rock becomes the first Fine Gael TD elected to the constituency in 25 years.
Meanwhile, former Fine Gael TD Seán Conlan has been eliminated in Cavan-Monaghan on the sixth count. There’s still three seats to play for in that constituency with Heather Humphreys the only candidate past the post. Sinn Féin’s Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin and Fianna Fáil’s Brendan Smith look in a strong position to take two of those, with Fine Gael’s Joe O’Reilly looking good for the last seat.
There’s still three seats to be decided in Mayo with Taoiseach Enda Kenny the only TD elected so far, although it seems his party mate Michael Ring is closing in on the second seat.
Our own Órla Ryan has come up with this video to give you a greater idea of the lie of the land out west:
Just as we say it, Michael Ring has been elected for Fine Gael in Mayo on the ninth count. The party still has Michelle Mulherin scrapping for the final seat with Fianna Fáil’s Lisa Chambers, with Fianna Fáil’s Dara Calleary set to take the third.
Meanwhile, Dublin Bay South has been settled, with Fianna Fáil’s Jim O’Callaghan and Fine Gael’s Kate O’Connell taking the last two seats. Labour’s Kevin Humphreys is eliminated, as he had expected he would be. Councillor and pharmacist O’Connell ascends to Dáil Éireann for the first time.
Sinn Féin leader and newly re-elected Louth TD Gerry Adams has been speaking to RTÉ, repeating the campaign message that his party won’t be going into government with “these conservative parties”.
“We were given a mandate to do things differently. I have no confidence at all that Fianna Fáil has learnt the lessons. I have no confidence that Fine Gael have learnt the lessons,” he says.
Adams also takes a pop at the media and his opponents, saying they are more negative than the DUP in the North.
“You can’t throw that much muck at a party and not expect some of it to to stick. You go back through the campaign and try to find me a day where there wasn’t a negative story about Sinn Féin.”
Kate O’Connell and Jim O’Callaghan pictured after taking the last two seats in Dublin Bay South. The first picture of a new era of Fine Gael / Fianna Fáil detente maybe?
Labour’s Alan Kelly is now “confident” of keeping his own seat. Despite this he’s described the election as a “terrible result for the Labour party”.
When asked whether or not leadership is an issue for the party he replies:
Of course everything is part of the discussion. I’m deputy leader, so certainly everything is part of the discussion. We have to look at everything but today isn’t the day for going into detail of that.
A second interview on Newstalk sees Kelly, the outgoing environment minister, describe today as a “bittersweet victory” for him.
Count day is a rough experience for the losers, but take a look at the exhilaration on display here for the winners in Dublin Bay South and Dublin North West:
Oh dear, it’s looking like we’re heading for a full recount in Dublin South West where independent Katherine Zappone took the fifth and final seat by the slimmest of margins from Fine Gael’s Anne-Marie Dermody this morning.
Meanwhile in Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael’s John Perry, who famously took legal action against his own party to get on the ticket, has been eliminated on the ninth count. Still no TDs elected to that four-seat constituency, though Fianna Fáil senator Marc MacSharry is looking good to take the first – he’s 2,500 votes ahead of nearest challenger Fine Gael’s Tony McLoughlin.
More from Alan Kelly who has been talking to RTÉ – he’s said he’s “relieved” to retain his seat:
“I have no wish to even start thinking about issues like leadership and things like that. We’ll talk about every issue in relation to our performance and everything else in the coming weeks but today is certainly not the day to be talking about things like that.”
He said that the Labour Party had to make “tough decisions” while in government, which he doesn’t regret.
Kelly also spoke about creating a plan for Labour going forward.
I am going to dedicate every moment I have to ensuring that the Labour Party will be back in its proper position and that my colleagues… will be back and [we will] bring forward new people
On to count nine in Longford-Westmeath with Fianna Fáil’s Robert Troy still the only one of four seats to be elected.
Meanwhile, the AAA/PBP’s Mick Barry has been elected in Cork North Central on the seventh count. That’s a big seat for the emerging hard-left in Irish politics.
Barry has run in all four general elections since 2002, and has waited 14 years for his first win, along with Sinn Féin’s David Cullinane, elected yesterday in Waterford.
For the final seat in Cork North Central, it could be trouble for sitting Labour TD Kathleen Lynch with Sinn Féin’s Jonathan O’Brien likely to benefit from the transfers of his eliminated party-mate Thomas Gould. That’ll be another heavy blow for Labour.
Meanwhile Fine Gael TD Alan Farrell has arrived at the count centre for Dublin Fingal. He looks likely to keep his seat. But the same can’t be said for constituency-mate James Reilly. Carnage.
The Greens’ Manchán Magan is taking his elimination in Longford-Westmeath well:
Ó Laoghaire’s victory sees him take Sinn Féin’s first ever seat in Cork South-Central.
At just 26 years of age he joins Fianna Fáil’s Jack Chambers (25) as one of the two youngest members of the new Dáil. Baby-faced Simon Harris will be feeling old…
Cork South Central has just had its 11th count, and it’s bad news for Fine Gael and very good news for Sinn Féin’s Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire.
Fine Gael’s Simon Coveney is in, but Jerry Buttimer from the same party is eliminated. So Coveney and Ó Laoghaire join Micheál Martin and Michael McGrath who were elected yesterday.
Ó Laoghaire’s supporters are overjoyed, and bars of “We’re On The One Road” are being belted out around the counting centre.
Fine Gael is in mourning at the elimination of Jerry Buttimer:
Gerry Adams has an… interesting riposte for Sinn Féin’s naysayers:
It’s the moment of truth for James Reilly in Dublin Fingal… and he’s gone.
On the 10th count Fine Gael’s deputy leader Reilly is eliminated at the expense of Sinn Féin’s Louise O’Reilly. As mentioned before Alan Farrell has made it in as has Labour’s Brendan Ryan.
It was widely expected but that’s still a massive blow for Fine Gael.
Off to Tipperary now, and Alan Kelly has survived. He’s made it in with Seamus Healy of the Workers and Unemployed Action group on the seventh count.
Fine Gael’s Tom Hayes loses out.
Kelly and Healy join Fianna Fáil’s Jackie Cahill and independents Michael Lowry and Mattie McGrath in the 32nd Dáil.
James Reilly has reacted to his loss on RTÉ:
“I suppose now the Taoiseach has a job to do, to be focused on. He’s not going to be thinking about my loss or Alan’s [Shatter] loss. He has to get this country back on track,” he said.
We saw what is happening in Spain. I saw an article today that said Spain’s lot is to be our lot. I really hope that isn’t the case.
Think it’s safe to say Alan Kelly is pretty happy with his result.
Meanwhile, in Cork South Central, it appears that elected TDs Fine Gael’s Simon Coveney and Sinn Féin’s Donnchadh Ó’Laoghaire have quite the disparity in height.
They’ll have to be separated in group photos.
When it’s over, it’s really over. James Reilly was eliminated not 15 minutes ago. The count centre is now like a ghost town.
Labour’s chief whip Emmett Stagg has lost his seat in Kildare North. He’s been eliminated on the eighth count.
There’s still three seats to play for there. Fianna Fáil’s James Lawless and Frank O’Rourke seem poised to clinch the first two, with the final spot being a face-off between Fine Gael’s Bernard Durkan and Anthony Lawlor.
Over to Mayo where the 10th count appears to be imminent.
It looks like a straight shootout between Fianna Fáil’s Lisa Chambers and Fine Gael incumbent Michelle Mulherin.
Chambers and supporters are ready for the count. They look confident.
The Mayo count is on.
And Dara Calleary and Lisa Chambers make it a double-triumph for Fianna Fáil.
Michelle Mulherin is gone.
Dara and Lisa look happy:
Fianna Fáil’s Limerick TD Willie O’Dea just told RTÉ that the abolition of water charges is a “red line issue” for Fianna Fáil.
Yikes. That could be crucial in any potential negotiations with Fine Gael.
He has now clarified slightly: Fianna Fáil want the abolition of Irish Water and the “suspension” of water charges.
The AAA’s Ruth Coppinger isn’t buying it.
Sinn Féin’s Jonathan O’Brien has as expected taken the third seat in Cork North Central on the eighth count.
There’s recount-shenanigans afoot in Donegal.
Sinn Féin are looking for a full recount of the votes of eliminated candidates Dessie Shiels and Sinn Féin’s own Gary Doherty.
Sinn Féin want Gary Doherty eliminated a round earlier than he was so his votes will go to Pearse Doherty whose surplus will then be more to go to Pádraig Mac Lochlainn.
The party is obviously in danger of only returning one TD in what should be a stronghold for them due to the dubious electoral strategy of running three candidates.
The recount is ongoing. We’ll see how it pans out.
You would imagine there’s still quite a few to be added to that number.
We’re six and a half hours into the second day of counting, here’s how things stand:
Fine Gael have landed a couple of extra seats over Fianna Fáil. They’ve got 36 and 34 respectively. Sinn Féin are on 17, independents are 13, and Labour have secured six seats.
120, 76%, of the available 158 seats have now been allocated (assuming that Dublin South West’s results stay the way they are – there’s a recount on the way).
We’re approaching the end-game.
Heres our political editor Hugh O’Connell reporting from the count centres at the RDS:
“Tense times in Dublin Bay North where the marathon count continues.”
“Fine Gael’s Richard Bruton and Fianna Fáil’s Seán Haughey are assured of seats but it’s a dogfight for the last three with Labour’s Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Sinn Féin’s Denise Mitchell and independents Tommy Broughan, Averil Power and Finian McGrath all in the mix.”
“Rumour is that Ó Ríordáin will have enough support to hold a seat for his beleaguered party, while Power is proving transfer friendly.”
Here’s a little reminder of all the outgoing TDs who have lost their seat so far:
Interesting developments in Dublin Bay North. We’ve still no TDs elected of course (although Richard Bruton and Seán Haughey should be ok), but the AAA-PBP’s John Lyons has just received a hefty dose of transfers from his eliminated stable mate Michael O’Brien.
Could Lyons benefit from Sinn Féin transfers? There’s still a huge amount to play for in this most inscrutable of constituencies.
In Galway West independent Noel Grealish has just secured the second seat of five at the 13th count.
Incumbent Fine Gael TD John O’Mahony is eliminated.
Independent Catherine Connolly should get the third seat, then it’s a case of three into two seats between Fine Gael’s Sean Kyne, Sinn Féin’s Trevor Ó Clochartaigh and Fine Gael’s Hildegarde Naughton.
Reaction from Mayo where Fianna Fáil have managed to secure two seats.
Surviving incumbent Dara Calleary says he’s “absolutely thrilled” to have secured Lisa Chambers as a party-mate in the four-seater.
“She stood up when many ran away from Fianna Fáil,” he says.
“Up Fianna Fáil, we’re back!” a supporter shouts.
Chambers for her part is chuffed with her party’s “remarkable achievement” in electing two TDs. Her supporters sang the Fields of Athenry for her when their victory was assured.
Michael Ring has been elected for Fine Gael. He says “democracy is democracy and the people have spoken”.
Defeated Michelle Mulherin says she’s had the “time of my life” over the last five years.
Here’s Órla Ryan from the Mayo count centre with reaction from Fine Gael’s Michelle Mulherin, who has just been eliminated:
“It’s been a real thrill to be part of our democracy in this country, they don’t have it in every part of the world.”
At times like this we get to take stock … I’ve had the time of my life the past five years.
Many had predicted it would go down to the wire between Mulherin and Chambers, and a recount looked likely at one stage.
But, in the end, Chambers easily won out – with over 2,000 votes between the two women (11,686 to 9,593).
Speaking after the result, Chambers said that, after the 2011 election, it is “a remarkable achievement” to return two Fianna Fáil TDs to Mayo.
Gerry Adams has arrived to inspect the tallies at the RDS.
Meanwhile, a certain Michael McDowell has arrived to support Katherine Zappone, who while elected is facing a full recount in Dublin South West.
Earlier Gerry Adams said Sinn Féin wouldn’t be propping up Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil in government.
Now he’s saying this:
Green leader Eamon Ryan has told RTÉ: “It’s been a really big voluntary effort for five years with nothing, with no resources, but with people.”
Meanwhile, there’s a lot of Twitter talk that Fine Gael are bringing their financial might to bear on the legal mire that is the recount in Dublin South West, where Katherine Zappone may yet have her seat snatched from her grasp.
Sinn Féin and Kildare North’s Réada Cronin isn’t too impressed with how things have turned out in her native county.
Michelle Hennessy here, taking the reigns of the liveblog for a while. It’s a little quiet at the moment, we’re eagerly awaiting the next count.
The final count in Kildare North has seen three TDs elected and all four seats are now filled.
That’s Fianna Fáil’s James Lawless, Fine Gael’s Bernard Durkan and Fianna Fáil’s Frank O’Rourke, joining Catherine Murphy who nabbed the first seat.
A recheck of counts requested by Sinn Féin in Donegal has been completed and the eighth count is now underway. The party is hoping transfers from its candidate Gary Doherty, who has been eliminated, will boost Padraig Mac Lochlainn and push him ahead of independent TD Thomas Pringle.
Dan Mac Guill is telling us a source from Dublin South-West confirmed Fine Gael are “bringing in the big guns” for the recount.
Katherine Zappone has brought in former Attorney General, Tánaiste and senior counsel Michael McDowell, himself a veteran of one of the longest recounts in history, when he lost out to John Gormley in 1997, after a week of waiting.
There’s Independent Averil Power checking in at the RDS:
She’s one of 12 candidates left in Dublin Bay North, narrowed down from the 20 who ran in that constituency. We’re now into the eighth count there and still no one has reached the quota.
It’s looking good for Fine Gael’s Richard Bruton to take the first seat.
It’s probably the last thing on the candidates’ minds right now but you guys will probably be glad to see the back of those election posters…
Gerry Adams channelled Albert Reynolds as he paid tribute to Louise O’Reilly in Dublin Fingal this afternoon…
The Sinn Féin candidate clinched the fifth seat in the sprawling north Dublin constituency, pushing Fine Gael deputy leader James Reilly into sixth place and out of the Dáil.
Having travelled across to the RDS to check on Sinn Féin’s Dublin Bay North hopeful Denise Mitchell, Adams told the media that Sinn Féin will try to go into government, but also spoke about how the party is on alert for a second election very soon.
Results coming in now from the eighth count in Dublin Bay North and Minister Richard Bruton has been re-elected.
Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty has been elected in Donegal:
In Wicklow, Independent Joe Behan has been eliminated in Count 9. His 5,218 transfers will now be key in deciding whether Renua’s Billy Timmins will keep his seat.
Richard Bruton seems delighted. He has now won ten out of ten Dáil elections, stretching back to 1982. He has been a TD for 34 years, one of only six members of the new Dáil to serve continuously for three decades.
Posters are already coming down in Dublin 3….
If you were only dying to see what we were getting up to in TheJournal.ie HQ during the election count weekend…..
Susan Daly here with this breaking observation from City Hall in Cork.
Well, it *has* been a l0000000ng count.
The Dublin South-West constituency is causing a real headache for count centre staff out in Citywest.
It looks like Fine Gael is requesting a full recount over the seat filled by independent Katherine Zappone.
The final result is in for Galway West after a marathon 14 counts.
Fine Gael have managed to score an interesting seat with Hildegarde Naughton, beating Sinn Féin’s Trevor O Clochartaigh to the final seat. She joins Fine Gael’s Sean Kyne and independent Catherine Connolly. Neither of the three reached the quota of 10,712.
Independent Noel Grealish and Fianna Fáil’s Éamon Ó Cuiv had taken the first two seats.
While FG have ended up with two of the five seats, it reflects something of their struggle to appeal to hitherto stalwart supporters around the country that they didn’t manage to get John O’Mahony through. He was first elected as TD for them in 2007, riding high on a much-respected GAA managerial background.
The final line-up looks like this – but at least FG can say that they have now hit the milestone of 40 TDs elected.
Meanwhile, our reporter Órla Ryan is saying sayonara to the Convention Centre in Castlebar.
And just when you think no count is coming, three come at once.
Next news we have for you is from Cavan-Monaghan where Sinn Féin’s Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin has been elected on the ninth count. He got in on 17,182 votes with a massive surplus.
Oh, Longford-Westmeath with your 12 counts (and counting) and only one elected TD in Robert Troy of Fianna Fáil.
They have now eliminated independent James Morgan but there is still no candidate with enough transfers to reach the quota of 11,056.
No second Troy, if you will.
Yes, I went there.
No seats for Renua Ireland for sure now that Billy Timmins has been eliminated from Wicklow.
Timmins lost the seat first won by his dad in 1969 and held consistently since except for one two-year break between 1987 and 1989. Timmins himself took over in 1997.
That means that Wicklow is now done and dusted with Fine Gael’s Andrew Doyle and Fianna Fáil’s Pat Casey taking the last two seats there behind FG’s Simon Harris, Soc Dem Stephen Donnelly and Sinn Féin’s John Brady.
Daragh Brophy, reporting from the DSW count in Citywest, pictured noted legal eagle and former minister Michael McDowell advising independent Katherine Zappone.
The seat she took there is being challenged by Fine Gael over the elimination of their candidate Anne-Marie Dermody, for want of fewer than 200 votes between her and Zappone’s final figure.
Dublin South-West: That headache has become a fully-blown migraine (sorry) with news from our reporter Daragh Brophy there in Citywest that a full recount has been ordered to begin again tomorrow.
Note: That is not our reporter Daragh.
Another blow for Labour and the outgoing government with Kathleen Lynch, junior minister for Primary Care, Mental Health and Disability, losing her seat in Cork North Central.
That elects Fine Gael’s Daragh Murphy, and fills the four-seater as follows:
In Louth, Sinn Féin’s Imelda Munster has been elected to join her leader Gerry Adams in the five-seater. It was the 10th count there and Munster did very well from the transfers from AAA/PBP’s Garrett Weldon to leave the result as follows:
Munster’s transfers will decide who takes the final two seats there – will Labour’s Ged Nash make a comeback from his current precarious position behind FG duo Fergus O’Dowd and Peter Fitzpatrick?
That is a question bound to be answered before the evening is out, as Munster had a sizeable 1,700 surplus to be shared out among the three.
Worth noting too that she is the first-ever female TD in Louth.
Fianna Fáil’s Marc MacSharry is the first elected for Sligo-Leitrim on the 12th count.
It’s been a long and static weekend for that constituency so it will come as a relief that he has made the quota – and that there are several runners coming up not far behind.
Take a look here:
It looks like Martin Kenny will get elected for Sinn Féin in the next round, with his running mate Chris MacManus in danger of being eliminated.
While the elimination of Billy Timmins seems to have put a final nail in Renua Ireland’s coffin (Terence Flanagan is still around in Dublin Bay North but he’s not likely to get in), Lucinda Creighton is looking at a silver lining:
And speak of the… Terence Flanagan.
News just in from our reporter Rónán Duffy in the RDS:
In the Dublin Bay North constituency where Flanagan has just been dropped, an extraordinary proportion of Richard Bruton’s transfers – just over half – went to Labour’s Aodhán Ó Riordáin in ninth count.
So the state of play now in early evening:
- There are eight constituencies still actively counting into tonight. They are: Cavan-Monaghan, Donegal, Dublin Bay North, Kerry, Longford-Westmeath, Louth, Sligo-Leitrim and there is a recount ongoing in Dublin South-Central.
- Dublin South-West and Wexford are the other two constituencies to be decided: both of those have been adjourned to tomorrow morning for a recount.
We’re going to sign off here and hand you over to Cianán Brennan who is keeping an eye on those Lateful Eight constituencies. Find him here.
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