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The Green Party candidate lost out to Independent Aubrey McCarthy. Alamy Stock Photo

Seanad election: Hazel Chu loses out on final Trinity seat, while Malcolm Noonan is elected for Greens

Independent candidate Aubrey McCarthy took the third and final seat in Trinity College’s constituency.

LAST UPDATE | 31 Jan

HAZEL CHU HAS lost out on a seat in the Seanad after a full recount of Trinity College’s constituency saw her pipped to the panel’s third and final seat by Independent candidate Aubrey McCarthy. 

The recount was requested by the Green Party candidate last night after just 31 votes separated her from McCarthy, who founded the homelessness and addiction charity Tiglin. 

Both candidates were briefed on the matter by officials this morning and it was decided that there would be a “simple recount”. 

After the recount this afternoon, McCarthy had 3,770 votes to Chu’s 3,706 and was deemed elected. He joins Independent senators Lynn Ruane and Tom Clonan, who retained their seats on the panel yesterday.

Ruane was re-elected on the 11th count, followed by Tom Clonan on the 13th count.

Earlier today, a sitting Fianna Fáil Senator lost her seat in the Seanad by just 0.676 of a vote.

Lorraine Clifford-Lee has been a member of the Seanad since 2016 and was contesting the Cultural and Educational panel, one of five vocational panels.

These five vocational panels are being counted consecutively in Leinster House, beginning with the Cultural and Educational panel, where five seats are up for grabs.

A recount of Count 18 was requested by Clifford-Lee last night after she came 0.676 of a vote behind Independent Waterford Councillor Joe Conway.

lorraine-clifford-lee-asking-northern-ireland-minister-steve-baker-a-question-during-the-62nd-plenary-of-the-british-irish-parliamentary-assembly-farnham-estate-spa-and-golf-course-in-county-cavan-i Lorraine Clifford-Lee lost her Seanad seat by a fraction of a vote (file image).

That recount began at 10am this morning and concluded around 45 minutes later, with the Returning Officer confirming that the result had been unchanged, meaning Clifford-Lee was eliminated by a fraction of a vote.

“I want to thank everyone who supported me in my campaign. All my constituents, family and friends,” Conway said after his election. 

Counting began in the Agriculture vocational panel this afternoon. After the first count, former Green Party TD Malcolm Noonan was elected.

Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman congratulated Noonan, calling his election “a testament to his unwavering dedication to fostering a greener and more sustainable Ireland”.

“His extensive experience and leadership will be pivotal in advancing Green initiatives to promote sustainable agricultural practices and environmental conservation.”

Sinn Féin’s Joanne Collins and Independent Senator Victor Boyhan were also elected this afternoon, while Fianna Fáil Senator Paul Daly retained his seat this evening, becoming the fourth candidate to be elected in the Agriculture panel. 

There are 11 seats in total to be filled on this panel.

Sinn Féin’s Pauline Tully, Fine Gael Senator Seán Kyne, Fine Gael Wexford councillor Cathal Byrne, Fianna Fáil Galway councillor Shane Curley, and Independent councillor Joe Conway have been elected to this Cultural and Educational panel.

Tully last night remarked that she will be “the strong Sinn Féin voice the people of Cavan need in the Oireachtas”.

Speaking after she topped the poll, she said “Cavan needs a strong Sinn Féin voice in the Oireachtas to represent them”.

“Following my election to the Seanad tonight, this constituency now has three Sinn Féin Oireachtas members who will go toe to toe with the government from day one,” added Tully.

Meanwhile, all three incumbent senators on the National University of Ireland (NUI) panel were re-elected. 

Michael McDowell became the first candidate to be elected to the new Seanad just before midnight on Wednesday, followed by Rónán Mullen and Alice Mary Higgins.

river (17) Incumbents Rónán Mullen, Alice Mary Higgins and Michael McDowell were re-elected at NUI. NUI on X NUI on X

All three are independents.

Seanad elections

Senators and would-be senators had been canvassing TDs, councillors and graduates from the NUI and Trinity College of Dublin since early December to earn one of the 49 seats up for grabs.

Senators are elected by graduates of some universities to two out of the seven panels in the Seanad, and there are three seats each for Trinity and for NUI.

However, this is the last time that Trinity and NUI will elect three Senators to the upper house of the Oireachtas.

From 2026, Trinity and NUI graduates, along with graduates of other higher education institutions who hold Irish citizenship, will elect six Senators to the Seanad’s Higher Education constituency.

The other five vocational panels are designed to give political representation to different groups and sectors within Irish society.

counting-in-the-seanad-elections-continues-at-leinster-house-in-dublin-picture-date-thursday-january-30-2025 Counting in the Seanad elections continues at Leinster House in Dublin yesterday Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Counting will continue through the weekend and the full results of the vocational panels are expected to be returned on Monday. 

Following the elections, Taoiseach Micheál Martin will get the opportunity to appoint 11 senators to the upper house.

This is done to ensure that the government has a majority in the Dáil and the Seanad.

Depending on the outcome of the election, Martin may choose to appoint someone outside of both coalition parties.

Previous Taoisigh have chosen to appoint people from groups not adequately represented in the Oireachtas.

With additional reporting from Diarmuid Pepper and Muiris O’Cearbhaill 

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