Cork counts resume with most seats yet to be filled

As the fifth count commences for Cork North Central on Sunday morning, the 1,403 votes of Fine Gael’s Imelda Daly, who was eliminated last night on the fourth count, are being distributed.

Outgoing Fianna Fáil TD Pádraig O’Sullivan remains closest to the quota of 9,846, currently on 7,856 first preference votes.

However, he may be overtaken by Sinn Féin’s incumbent TD Thomas Gould.

At the fourth count, Independent Ireland candidate and Cork city councillor Ken O’Flynn was in third place on 5,843.

Outgoing Fine Gael TD and minister of state Colm Burke, was on 5,859 votes. Fianna Fáil city councillor and former lord mayor of Cork Tony Fitzgerald was on 4,145, and People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Mick Barry, in the political fight of his life, was on 3,814.

In Cork South Central, with Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin, there is still a lot to play for with the other candidates fighting for the remaining four seats.

FF's Séamus McGrath, brother of former Minister for Finance Michael McGrath, is leading the chase, followed by Sinn Féin’s Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, while the Social Democrats are performing strongly with councillor Pádraig Rice. Coming in fifth at present is Fine Gael’s Jerry Buttimer, being trailed by his party colleague Shane O’Callaghan.

In Cork North West, all three seats in the constituency were filled overnight with Fianna Fáil's Aindrias Moynihan and Michael Moynihan retaining their seats and county councillor John Paul O'Shea taking a seat for Fine Gael on the sixth count.

In Cork East, the battle for the four seats remains tight, with Sinn Féin’s Pat Buckley in the lead after seven counts, ahead of FF’s James O’Connor and FG’s Mark Stanton.

Stanton is less than 100 votes ahead of Social Democrats Liam Quaide and just over 300 votes ahead of his party colleague Noel McCarthy.

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.