Over 40% of the 949 council seats are filled, and counting of votes in the European elections to fill the 14 vacant MEP seats has been under way since 9am.
As the overall picture of Election 2024 becomes clearer, here are five more takeaways…
1. Jackie’s Army: Three Healy-Raes top poll
Three members of the Healy-Rae family have topped their respective polls to get elected on the first count.
Shortly after 4pm, Maura Healy-Rae became the third member of one of the best-known political machines in the country to get elected this weekend. With 3,385 votes, she had a surplus of 1,600 votes, almost a full spare quota (the quote was 1,785).
Jackie Healy-Rae Jnr topped the poll to get elected in the first count in Castleisland last night.
Earlier on Sunday, Johnny Healy-Rae was elected in Kenmare. He also topped the poll to get elected on the first count with 3,441 votes, a surplus of 1,307 votes.
Well @EamonRyan, what do you think of that 😜 https://t.co/KFTSFRHxCw pic.twitter.com/hn9YPwyfja
— Michael Healy-Rae (@MHealyRae) June 9, 2024
2. Worrying times for Donegal dynasty
The Fine Gael party in Donegal is concerned that outgoing Councillor Johnny McGuinness may lose his seat today, after serving nearly three years in the council.
He was co-opted onto Donegal County Council in 2021 after his late father Bernard McGuinness passed away.
The McGuinness family has held a seat in Donegal since 1979 and reporters in the count centre at Carndonagh Community School say there is “nervous tension to be felt.”
The transfers of Independent candidate Paul McKinney are said to be “the ones to watch” there.
3. Three recounts ordered
Shortly after 2.30pm, Gary McMahon, the presiding officer in Galway City Council ordered a full recount. The recount has come about after a request from Fiann Fáil’s Michael John Crowe’s agent.
It’s understood the number of votes currently separating outgoing Councillor Crowe with Fine Gael’s Shane Forde in the Galway City East electoral area count is tight with just 71 votes separating them.
Also in Galway, a recount of Athenry-Oranmore electoral area has been granted by returning officer Michael Owens at the request of Fine Gael’s Eoghan Gallagher.
He missed out on a seat by just 19 votes when Sinn Féin candidate Louis O’Hara and Fianna Fáil’s Cillian Keane were deemed elected without reaching the quota after the tenth count.
We did it! Thank you so much to everyone who supported me, its a huge honour and I can’t wait to get to work as your Councillor! pic.twitter.com/OZZ9DEJjc7
— Louis O’Hara (@LouisOHaraSF) June 9, 2024
Elsewhere, in Cavan there will be a full recount of the votes received by the two candidates in the Bailieborough-Cootehill electoral area.
Independent Ireland’s Kristopher Shekelton and non-party Garry Cosgrove are both now on 727 votes. The recount of the two candidates will decide which of them is eliminated next.
Returning Officer Lynda McGavigan made the announcement after announcing the results of Count 4 and the division of Fine Gael Carmel Brady’s 12 surplus votes.
Cllr Brady became the sixth candidate elected to Cavan County Council, and the first on Day 2 of the count
4. ‘Fruitcakes’ and slaughtering animals
Eight years after his retirement from politics in 2016, former cabinet minister Pat Rabbitte still knows how to wield a caustic barb whilst wryly analysing Irish politics.
Speaking on Newstalk radio earlier, Mr Rabbitte said, “I never saw an election with so many fruitcakes. Nobody can argue that the Irish system is not democratic. There isn’t a brand of eccentricity known to man that is not represented on those long ballot papers.”
Outgoing Green MEP Ciarán Cuffe also came out with an eyebrow raising line on RTÉ earlier.
Speaking to Miriam O’Callaghan, about what we know about the Dublin count so far, he said, “There’s not too much that we know. Years ago, we’d slaughter an animal, look at the entrails and tell you which way it was going to go. These days we have tallies.”
5. Count paused for Munster final
Earlier this afternoon, Pat Dowling, the Returning Officer in Clare announced that the count would pause for the Munster senior hurling final in Thurles.
Clare are playing neighbours Limerick, who are chasing six-in-a-row Munster titles.
Several counting staff at the count centre in Treacy’s West County Hotel in Ennis were pictured wearing Clare jerseys as they counted votes earlier.
