Cork South West: Three TDs retain their seats in overnight counts
Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins, Cork South West gets a kiss from his partner Val Ward after his election at the count centre in Mallow GAA. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
The status quo remains in Cork South West as all three incumbent TDs retained their seats comfortably.
Fianna Fáil's Christopher O'Sullivan, Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns and Independent Michael Collins were all elected in the early hours of this morning at the Mallow count centre
Mr Collins was elected on the eighth count, while Ms Cairns was confirmed on the tenth.
Mr O'Sullivan was elected on the eleventh count, bringing proceedings to a close.
Following the seventh count in the Cork South West election, the front-runners have edged closer to election but there’s no sign of white smoke as yet.
The next step in the process is the elimination of Clare O’Callaghan (SF) and the distribution of her 2,152 votes.
Mairéad Ruane of Aontú, has been eliminated after the sixth count.
The next step is the elimination of Donnchadh Ó Séaghdha (SF) and the distribution of his 925 votes.
The counting is continuing in Cork South West with further progress being made by the three front-runners, Michael Collins of Independent Ireland, Holly Cairns of the Social Democrats and Christopher O’Sullivan, to the retention of their seats.
The state of play after the fifth count, which saw the redistribution of the votes of eliminated Labour Party candidate Evie Nevin, is a
The next step is the elimination of Máiréad Ruane (Aontú) and the distribution of her 821 votes.
Independent Ireland leader and co-founder Michael Collins is on course to top the poll in this constituency as he did in 2020 with 23.5% of the votes and 97% of the boxes tallied. The remaining boxes are from island polling stations and count for a small number of votes which won’t be included in the tally.
The Social Democrats leader, Holly Cairns looks to have secured 20% of the vote.
In third place at present is the Fianna Fáil incumbent, Christopher O’Sullivan, with 19.2%.
Fine Gael Senator Tim Lombard is on 9.8% of the tallied vote, and councillors Noel O’Donovan, his party colleague, is slightly ahead on 13.1%.
Given that the Fine Gael candidates are so far behind the third placed O’Sullivan, it looks like the party will be shut out of the constituency once again.
Alan Coleman, an independent councillor, is sitting on 5.1%.
Clare O’Callaghan and Donnchadh Ó Séagdha of Sinn Féin sit on 2.8% and 1.8% respectively.
Aontú’s Mairéad Ruane (1.6%), Evie Nevin of Labour (1%) and Zoe Laplaud of People Before Profit/Solidarity on 0.7% are further back.
Deborah O’Driscoll of The Irish People is also on 0.7% alongside The Green Party’s Mary Ryder. Independent John O’Leary is on 0.1%.
Incumbency appears to be an advantage for candidates striving to win a seat in Cork South West according to the early tallies from that constituency.
Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins is on course to top the poll in this constituency as he did in 2020 with 23.2% of the votes with 74% of the boxes tallied.
The Social Democrats leader, Holly Cairns, who gave birth to her first child on polling day, looks like she will be spared the count drama of four years ago as she looks to have secured 20% of the first preference vote.
In third place at present is the Fianna Fáil incumbent, Christopher O’Sullivan, with 19.1%. O’Sullivan is that party’s sole candidate in Cork South West while Fine Gael has run two hopefuls, Senator Tim Lombard, who’s on 10.5% of the tallied vote, and Noel O’Donovan, a councillor, who’s slightly ahead on 11.9%.
Best of the rest is Alan Coleman, an Independent councillor, who’s sitting on 5.8%.
The chasing pack a long way back include Clare O’Callaghan and Donnchadh Ó Séagdha of Sinn Féin with 2.9% and 1.7% respectively, Aontú’s Mairéad Ruane (1.7%), Evie Nevin of Labour (1%) and Zoe Laplaud of People Before Profit/Solidarity on 0.7%.
Deborah O’Driscoll of The Irish People is also on 0.7% alongside The Green Party’s Mary Ryder. Bottom of the list in Cork South West, matching his performance in Cork North West, is John O’Leary with 0.1%.
App?
