Independent Ireland look set to gain additional seats in the Dáil as the counting of early first preference is set to finish, with transfers to be counted this afternoon.
Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins has secured 23% of the vote in Cork North West, with 72% of boxes open there. Creed of Fine Gael is in second place, at 18% whole O’Shea of Fine Gael could take the third seat, with 17% of seats presently, followed by Moynihan of Fianna Fail, who is on 14%.
In Limerick, co-leader of the party, Richard O’Donoghue, looks like he could also top the poll, at 25% and in first place.
He is followed by N Collins of Fianna Fail (22%), O’Donovan of Fine Gael (21%) and O’Donovan of Fine Gael (13%). B Collins of Fianna Fail, meanwhile, has secured 4% of the vote.
Cllr Ken O’Flynn has surged in the Cork North Central tallies, with 11% of the vote for Independent Ireland there, putting him in third place and likely to get a seat.
In Galway West, Mairead Farrell is topping the poll, followed by John Connolly of Fianna Fail at 12% and left-wing Independent Catherine Connolly is presently at 11.5%. Noel Thomas of Independent Ireland is in fourth place in the five-seater constituency, with a strong showing for the fledgling party, with 11 per cent of the vote. Former Fianna Fail councillor Thomas came to prominence on the basis of anti-immigration protests in Connemara. Sitting Independent Noel Grealish, meanwhile, is on 10%.
Not featuring at present is Fianna Fail’s celebrity candidate Gráinne Seoige.
In Roscommon-Galway, Independent Ireland’s Michael Fitzmaurice has gained 29.2% of the vote, topping the poll there at present. He is followed by Claire Kerrane of Sinn Fein (19.5%), Martin Daly (FF at 17.9%) and Aisling Dolan of Fine Gael at 11.9%. Independent candidate, Eugene Murphy is next, at 10.4%.
Meanwhile, in Donegal, the 100% Redress party looks very likely to take a seat in the Dáil at the expense of Thomas Pringle. Pearse Doherty of Sinn Fein is topping to poll there, followed by Pat ‘The Cope’ Gallagher of Fianna Fail, who is on 13.2%. Padraig MacLochlainn of Sinn Fein is next at 12.7%, while Charlie McConalogue (FF) is on 10.4% Charles Ward of 100% Redress is on 8.8% followed by Thomas Pringle at 8.8% and Nikki Bradley of Fine Gael, who is on 4.7%.