Down to the wire in the European election

Counting has been suspended in Dublin amid a legal dispute over procedure and the technical order of victory of the successful candidates following the elimination of Sinn Féin’s Lynn Boylan.

The outcome of the wrangle will have significance for the candidate elected in fourth place, who will have to wait for Brexit in order to take their seat in Brussels. However, it will have no effect on Ms Boylan, who has lost out on transfers to rival left-wing independent Clare Daly, although that has yet to be officially declared.

On social media, Ms Boylan said she was “hurting but not broken”. She said that she would be taking a few days off but would “be back in some shape or form”, leaving open the possibility of a Dáil run in a by-election or general election.

Counting has also been suspended in the Midlands/North/West constituency, where Sinn Féin’s Matt Carthy remains in third place after four counts. He is well placed to retain his seat alongside Independent Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan and two Fine Gael candidates.

“We’re in third place but have a big battle ahead,” he said in a tweet. “Thanks to all those who voted Sinn Féin on Friday. We have to ask ourselves really hard questions in the coming days and weeks.”

In Ireland South, Sinn Féin Liadh ní Riada is being tipped to hold onto fourth or fifth place, and is currently squeezed between Independent Mick Wallace in third, and Green party candidate Kathleen O’Sullivan in fifth. Just six thousand votes separating these three.

Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are in the top two spots and are ahead in the chasing pack, but despite this, the hope among the three progressives is that the two right-wing parties can manage only one seat each.

Despite seeing her first preference vote down from 125,309 in 2014 to 79,072 today, an upbeat Ms Ní Riada issued a short update to declare “we’re still here” and add: “we’re in strong contention for a seat”.

Counting in the European elections has concluded in Magherafelt, where Sinn Féin’s Martina Anderson has been victorious. She has been declared elected to represent the Six Counties in the European Parliament alongside Diane Dodds of the DUP and Naomi Long of Alliance.

Ms Anderson topped the poll in first preference votes, with 126,951, ahead of the DUP’s Diane Dodds with 124,991.

Sinn Féin said the result had sent a strong message to Europe.

“Absolutely delighted, our strategy has worked,” she said. “We wanted to send a message back to the EU by, in the first instance, topping the poll and, more importantly, sending two [anti-Brexit] Remainers back.

“Fifty seven per cent of the people who voted here voted to remain in the EU and they have sent a strong message back to Europe that they want to stay in the EU.”

Former Alliance leader David Ford said his party’s 18% vote share and its success at taking a seat from the Ulster Unionist Party meant it could now lay claim to be the third biggest in the area, having overtaken both the unionist UUP and nationalist SDLP.

Despite a sharp overall drop in the unionist vote and the loss of a second unionist seat, DUP leader Arlene Foster said she was not disappointed.

“Of course, we would have preferred to have had two unionist MEPs returned -- what we have instead is a nationalist MEP, a very strong unionist MEP and an MEP who identifies as neither,” she said.

“When I look at the votes, which I think is very important, I notice that unionism is still ahead by over 40,000 votes and of course I am very pleased about that.”

Sinn Féin deputy leader Michelle O’Neill said she was equally delighted for Alliance as her own party.

“We said clearly in this election this is a chance for people to come out and vote again against Brexit, that’s clearly what’s been borne out here in the election result,” she said.

“We think it’s a good day for Remain - a good message sent back to Europe that we don’t want to be dragged out of Europe against our wishes.”

LOCAL ELECTIONS CONCLUDE

Counting in the local elections is almost complete, with recounts due to take place tomorrow in only a handful of electoral areas.

Both of the two main right wing parties, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, saw small increases in their vote share, adding to speculation of a general election. However, the Green Party was the main winner, more than doubling its seat total, while Sinn Féin suffered the most losses, returning just over half of the seats it won in 2014.

In counting today, however, Sinn Féin saw some compensation, and was celebrating the surprise win of a third seats in Inishowen, County Donegal by veteran republican Terry Crossan.

Former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams thanked the party’s candidates for their efforts. He pointed to the significance of the polling day opinion poll which showed 77% of voters in the 26 Counties supporting a United Ireland.

“It is further evidence that there is a widespread desire to achieve Irish unity. That remains Sinn Féin’s political priority,” he said, adding: “thank you again to all of the Sinn Féin candidates, their families, our party activists and the electorate who supported us in this election.”

In other news, the new republican party Aontú won three seats overall in the 26 Counties by adding seats in County Meath and County Wexford, while independent republican Micheál Mac Giolla Easbuig has retained his seat in Glenties, Donegal, topping the poll there on the first count.

EUROPEAN ELECTIONS - RESULTS
Six Counties (3 seats - 0 after Brexit) (Final result)

Diane Dodds (DUP) 155,422 elected
Martina Anderson (SF) 152,436.5 elected
Naomi Long (Alliance) 170,370 elected
Colum Eastwood (SDLP) 82,101
Jim Allister (TUV) 79,540
Danny Kennedy (UUP) 54,736 eliminated
Claire Bailey (Green) 12,471 eliminated
Robert Hill (UKIP) 5,115 eliminated
Jane Morrice (Ind.) 1,719 eliminated
Neil McCann (Ind.) 948 eliminated
Amandeep Singh Bhogai (Cons.) 662 eliminated

Dublin (3 seats - 4 after Brexit) (After 14th count)

Cuffe, Ciaran (Green) 73,028 elected
Fitzgerald, Frances (FG) 78,580 elected
Andrews, Barry (FF) 59,619
Daly, Clare (Ind.) 55,752
Boylan, Lynn (SF) 46,704
Gannon, Gary (SocDem) 29,720 eliminated

Midlands/North/West (4 seats) (After 3rd count)

McGuinness, Mairéad (FG) 134,630 elected
Flanagan, Luke ‘Ming’ (Ind.) 87,008
Carthy, Matt (SF) 78,513
Walsh, Maria (FG) 70,619
Casey, Peter (Ind.) 57,892
McHugh, Saoirse (Green) 52,821
Smith, Brendan (FF) 44,059
Rabbitte, Anne (FF) 31,122
Healy Eames, Fidelma (Ind.) 16,515
Hannigan, Dominic (Lab) 13,065
Brennan, Cyril (S-PBP) 8,246
O’Dowd, Michael (Renua) 7,220
O’Connor, Olive (Ind.) 3,313
Mahapatra, Dilip (Ind.) 2,577
Greene, Patrick (Ind.) eliminated
Miller, James (Ind.) 0.22% eliminated
Mulcahy, Diarmaid (Ind.) 0.13% eliminated

Ireland South (4 seats - 5 after Brexit) (After 3rd count)

Kelly, Sean (FG) 118,675
Kelleher, Billy (FF) 84,164
Wallace, Mick (Ind.) 82,124
Ní Riada, Liadh (SF) 79,282
O’Sullivan, Grace (GP) 76,247
Byrne, Malcolm (FF) 69,272
Clune, Deirdre (FG) 64,692
Doyle, Andrew (FG) 38,788
Nunan, Sheila (Lab) 22,193
Wallace, Adrienne (S-PBP) 2.06% 15,009
Cahill, Dolores (Ind.) 1.47% 10,745
O’Flynn, Diarmuid Patrick (Ind.) 9,936
Minehan, Liam (Ind.) 1.31% 9,780
Gardner, Breda Patricia (Ind.) 9,401
Heaney, Theresa (Ind.) 7,596
Brennan, Allan (Ind.) 4,734
O’Loughlin, Peter (Ind.) 3,803
Worthington, Colleen (Ind.) 3,320
Fitzgerald, Paddy (Ind.) 3,257
Ryan-Purcell, Walter (Ind.) 2,919
Sexton, Joesph (Ind.) eliminated

LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS

The following is the final state of the parties across the state, with 949 out of 949 seats filled (change since 2014):

FF: 26.9% (+1.8) 279 seats (+12)
FG: 25.2% (+1.6) 255 seats (+20)
SF: 9.5% (-6.1) 81 seats (-78)
Lab: 5.7% (-1.6) 57 seats (+6)
Green: 5.6% (+4.0) 49 seats (+37)
SocDem: 2.3% (+2.3) 19 seats (+19)
S-PBP: 1.9% (-1.0) 11 seats (-17)
Ind/Others: 22.3% (-1.3) 198 seats (-)

These are the results by local council (seat change since before election):

Dublin City

FF: 18.1% (+3.7) 11 seats (+2)
Green: 15.1% (+10) 10 seats (+7)
FG: 13.7% (-0.3) 9 seats
SF: 12% (-12.2) 8 seats (-7)
Lab: 10.2% (-2.5) 8 seats
SocDem: 7.1% (+7.1) 5 seats (+4)
S-PBP: 5.4% (-3) 2 seats (-2)
Ind/Others: 18.4% (-2.8) 10 seats (-4)

Fingal

FF: 17.3% (-0.7) 8 seats (+2)
FG: 17% (+2.3) 7 seats (+3)
Green: 14.1% (+9) 5 seats (+3)
Lab: 13.2% (+1.9) 6 seats (+2)
SF: 9.1% (-5.5) 4 seats (-3)
SocDem: 5.9% (+5.9) 2 seats
S-PBP: 4% (-5.8) 1 seat (-3)
Ind/Others: 19.5% (-7.0) 7 seats (-4)

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown

FG: 27.3% (-0.9) 13 seats (+3)
Green: 19.7% (+12.7) 6 seats (+4)
FF: 17.6% (-1.1) 7 seats (+2)
Lab: 11.8% (-1.4) 6 seats (-1)
S-PBP: 6.6% (+3.2) 2 seats (-1)
SF: 3.4% (-4.3)
SocDem: 1.6% (+1.6) 1 seats (+1)
Ind/Others: 12.1% (-3.5) 5 seats (-1)

South Dublin

FF: 19.6% (+6.2) 8 seats
FG: 17.5% (-0.5) 7 seats (+2)
SF: 11.6% (-12.4) 6 seats (-3)
Green: 9.6% (+7.5) 4 seats (+3)
S-PBP: 8.7% (-0.6) 3 seats (-2)
Lab: 8.4% (-1.8) 2 seats
SocDem: 4.9% (+4.9) 1 seat
Ind/Others: 19.6% (-3.2) 9 seats (+2)

Cork City

FF: 24.5% (-1.1) 8 seats (-2)
FG: 20.6% (-2.4) 7 seats (+2)
SF: 12% (-9.3) 4 seats (-5)
Green: 10.3% (+7.5) 4 seats (+2)
Lab: 5.6% (-0.4) 1 seat (+1)
S-PBP: 3.2% (-0.9) 1 seat (-1)
SocDem: 2.8% (+2.8)
Ind/Others: 21% (+3.8) 6 seats

Cork County

ater

FF: 33.7% (+4.9) 18 seats (+2)
FG: 31.9% (+4.4) 20 seats (+2)
SF: 5.4% (-8.4) 2 seats (-7)
Lab: 3.3% (-4.2) 2 seats (+1)
Green: 2.2% (+2.1) 2 seats (+2)
SocDem: 2.2% (+2.2) 1 seats (+1)
Ind/Others: 20.1% (-0.1) 10 seats

Galway City

FF: 20.5% (+1.0) 5 seats
FG: 15.8% (+0.1) 3 seat
Green: 9.4% (+7.2) 2 seat
Lab: 7% (-3.9) 1 seat
SocDem: 6% (+6) 1 seat
SF: 5.4% (-4.1)
S-PBP: 2.4% (-2.6)
Ind/Others: 33.5% (-3.6) 6 seats

Galway County

FF: 32.8% (+5.4) 15 seats (+2)
FG: 30.9% (+3.2) 11 seats (-1)
SF: 4.8% (-2.7) 1 seat (-1)
Green: 1.9% (+1.9) 1 seat (+1)
Ind/Others: 29.7% (-7.8%) 11 (+1)

Waterford City and County

FG: 25.0% (-) 7 seats (-1)
FF: 18.7% (-0.8) 7 seats (-2)
SF: 14.1% (-1.9) 6 seats (-1)
Green: 6.0% (+6) 2 seats (+2)
Lab: 8.3% (+0.3) 4 seats (+3)
S-PBP: 2.4% (+0.3)
Ind/Others: 33.5% (-3.9) 6 seats (-2)

Meath

FG: 29.6% (+6.8) 12 seats (-1)
FF: 25.3% (-2.4) 12 seats (+2)
SF: 9.9% (-8.3) 3 seats (-5)
Lab: 2.5% (-2.7) 1 seat (+1)
SocDem: 2.2% (-0.3) 1 seat (+1)
Aontú: 5.7% (+5.7) 1 seat (+1)
Ind/Others: 23.8% (0.8) 10 seats (+1)

Roscommon

FF: 33.1% (-2.2) 6 seats
FG: 16.2% (-5.9) 2 seats (-1)
SF: 7.4% (-0.6) 1 seat
Ind/Others: 43.2(+10.2) 9 seats (+1)

Westmeath

FF: 36.3% (+3.5) 9 seats (+1)
FG: 23.3% (0.6) 5 seats
SF: 5.8% (-5.3)
Green: 3.5% (+3.5) 2 seats (+2)
Lab: 10.3% (3.4) 2 seats
Ind/Others: 20.2% (+1.8) 2 seats (-2)

Wexford

FF: 30% (+2.6) 9 seats
FG: 25.1% (+0.5) 12 seats (+1)
Lab: 8.9% (+0.5) 2 seats
SF: 7.5% (-4.5) 2 seats (-3)
S-PBP: 1.8% (-)
Aontú: 1.3% (+1.3%) 1 seat (+1)
Ind/Others: 24.1% (-1.0) 8 seats (+2)

Laois

FF: 32% (+0.5) 6 seats (-1)
FG: 29.6% (+0.8) 7 seats (+1)
SF: 11.2% (-1.6) 2 seats
Labour: 5.6% (+0.9) 1 seat
Ind/Others: 21.6% (-2.8) 3 seats

Offaly

FF: 40% (+5.8) 8 seats
FG: 21.6% (+4.3) 4 seats
Renua: 11.4% (+11.4) 1 seat
SF: 4.6% (-12.7)
SocDem: 2.1% (+2.1) 1 seat (+1)
Green: 1.9% (+1.7) 1 seat (+1)
Ind/Others: 20.0% (-9.6) 4 seats (+1)

Sligo

FG: 30.3% (+5.3) 6 seats (+2)
FF: 28.6% (-1.0) 5 seats (-2)
SF: 8.2% (-2.1) 2 seats
S-PBP: 4% (+1.3) 1 seat
Lab: 1.4% (-2.7)
Renua: 0.9% (+0.9)
Green: 0.5% (+0.5)
Ind/Others: 26.0% (-2.4) 4 seats (-1)

Kilkenny

FF: 41.1% (+3.8) 11 seats (+4)
FG: 32.1% (+2.1) 9 seats
Lab: 7.5% (-3.7) 2 seats
SF: 6.4% (-3.5)
Green: 3.8% (+0.3) 1 seat
S-PBP: 0.6% (-0.4)
Ind/Others: 8.5% (+1.5) 1 seat (-2)

Kerry

FF: 25.8% (+3.6) 10 seats
FG: 21.9% (-) 7 seats (-2)
SF: 13.4% (-0.8) 4 seats (-1)
Lab: 4.5% (-2.1) 2 seats
Green: 3.1% (+3.1)
SocDem: 1.7% (+1.7)
Ind/Others: 31.1% (-3.4) 10 seats (+3)

Clare

FF: 38.6% (+2.9) 13 seats (+1)
FG: 31.7% (+0.2) 8 seats
SF: 4.9% (+0.6) 1 seat
Lab: 1.0% (-2.2)
Green: 4.0% (+3.0) 1 seat (+1)
SocDem: 1.7% (+1.7)
Ind/Others: 18.2% (-4.8) 5 seats (-2)

Wicklow

FG: 26.2% (+6.4) 9 seats (+1)
FF: 22.1% (+2.2) 7 seats
SF: 7.8% (-8.7) 2 seats
SocDem: 5.3% (+5.3) 1 seat
Green: 5% (+2.6) 2 seats (+1)
Lab: 4.6% (+1.5) 2 seats (+1)
S-PBP: 1.5% (-0.6)
Ind/Others: 27.5% (-8.8) 9 seats (-2)

Cavan

FF: 38.9% (-1.7) 8 seats (+3)
FG: 33.4% (-3.5) 7 seats
SF: 12.4% (-5.9) 1 seat (-2)
Aontú: 7.7% (+7.7) 1 seat (+1)
Lab: 2.2% (+1.6)
S-PBP: 1.6% (+1.6)
Ind/Others: 3.9% (+0.1) 1 seat (-1)

Louth

SF: 24.1% (-7.3) 7 seats
FF: 19.5% (+0.5) 7 seats (+2)
FG: 20.1% (-0.6) 5 seats (-1)
Lab: 7.9% (+3.0) 3 seats (+1)
Green: 6.4% (+2.5) 1 seat (-1)
Ind/Others: 21.7% (+3.3) 6 seats (+2)

Carlow

FF: 33.5% (-) 6 seats (+1)
FG: 31.3% (+4.3) 6 seats
Lab: 8.8% (-4.3) 2 seats
SF: 8.4% (-4.3) 1 seat (-2)
S-PBP: 2.1% (-1.3) 1 seat (+1)
Ind/Others: 15.8% (+1) 2 seats

Donegal

FF: 29.4% (-0.2) 12 seats (+1)
FG: 18.5% (+2.8) 6 seats (-1)
SF: 19.4% (-0.3) 10 seats (+1)
Lab: 2.7% (-1.1) 1 seat
Ind/Others: 19.7% 8 seats (-2)

Mayo

FG: 37.2% (+2.8) 12 seats (+2)
FF: 29.9% (+0.6) 11 seats (+1)
SF: 7.4% (-3.0) 1 seat (-2)
Ind/Others: 25.4% (0.4) 6 seats (-1)

Leitrim

FF: 34.4% (+0.7) 6 seats
FG: 24.7% (-2.6) 6 seats (+2)
SF: 17.2% (-2.0) 2 seats (-2)
Green: 2.2% (+2.2)
Ind/Others: 21.6% (+1.7) 4 seats

Limerick

FG: 34.2% (+1.5) 14 seats (+2)
FF: 26.6% (+0.8) 12 seats (-1)
SF: 6.0% (-7.0) 2 seats (-3)
Green: 4.9% (+4.9) 2 seats (+2)
Lab: 4.0% (-2.6) 3 seats
SocDem: 2.8% (+2.8) 1 seat (+1)
S-PBP: 1.6% (-2.8)
Ind/Others: 19.9% (+4.0) 6 seats (+1)

Monaghan

SF: 34.4% (-) 6 seats (-1)
FG: 24.4% (-5.2) 5 seats (+1)
FF: 24.6% (+0.9) 4 seats
Green: 2.5% (+2.1)
Ind/Others: 14.0% (+3.0) 3 seats

Tipperary

FG: 27.1% (+1.0) 12 seats (+2)
FF: 26.2% (+2.5) 9 seats (-2)
SF: 6.3% (+3.7) 2 seats (-1)
Lab: 5.1% (2.8) 1 seat
Ind/Others: 35.4% (+3.2) 15 seats (+2)

Kildare

FF: 25.7% (-1.1) 12 seats (+1)
FG: 24.7% (+2.6) 11 seats (+2)
Lab: 12.8% (-0.7) 5 seats
SocDem: 6.7% (+6.7) 4 seats (+4)
Green: 7.2% (+6.1) 3 seats (+3)
SF: 4.5% (-7.7) 1 seat (-2)
Ind/Others: 18.0% (-5.4) 4 seat (-8)

Longford

FG: 39.3% (-2.8) 9 seats (+1)
FF: 32.5% (+0.5) 6 seats (-1)
SF: 4.6% (-2.0)
Ind/Others: 23.7% (+4.3) 3 seats

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