Steven Fox Reporting from Mallow

CORK NORTH-WEST has filled its final seat in the 2024 General Election.

Fianna Fáil’s Andrias Moynihan and Michael Moynihan, and Fine Gael’s John Paul O’Shea were all elected on the sixth count.

Both Moynihans retained their seats, while O’Shea took the seat of his outgoing party colleague Michael Creed, beating his running mate, the latters cousin – helpfully also named Michael Creed.

Counting at Mallow GAA was the last to finish this morning, continuing until nearly 5am, with Cork South West also having all of its seats filled. Counters returned at 9am to fill the final constituency, Cork East.

In Cork South West Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins took the first spot on the eighth count, followed by Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns on the tenth, and Fianna Fáil’s Christopher O’Sullivan on the eleventh.

Cork North West will have been a source of nerves for Fine Gael, as their party leader Simon Harris drew criticism for some quarters for his canvassing in the area.

While on the campaign trail in the town of Kanturk, Harris was challenged by Charlotte Fallon, a carer from the town. Fallon accused the Taoiseach of “doing nothing” for carers, saying that they had been “ignored” in the latest budget.

Harris disagreed with Fallon, saying that carers were of particular importance to him, before shaking her hand and leaving.

Fallon said that the encounter had left her “in tears”.

Harris drew criticism from a number of directions for his handling of the situation, and Fallon has confirmed that he later phoned her to apologise.

Fine Gael also drew criticism over the nature of their contact with RTÉ regarding video footage of the meeting.

The incident, along with a number of other gaffes by Harris and his party, left members of Fine Gael privately admitting that they will find it difficult to return Harris as Taoiseach.

Harris was reelected on the first count in the Wicklow constituency yesterday evening.

Keep with all the updates at The Journal’s Election Centre.