Out for the count as full tally figures are in

Scrum at the screen: Election team members keeping an eye on the figures at the county centre in Killarney,
Picture: John Reidy

The final tally figures from the general election count centre in Killarney has Independent Michael Healy-Rae romping to the top of the poll with an estimated 18,489 first preference votes.

His has increased his showing by over 1,500 since the 2020 election and he will again be one of the top vote winners in the country.

Coming in in second place is Sinn Fein’s Pa Daly with a tally of 11,544 and although his vote is significantly down on 2020 – he has dropped close on 4,000 first preferences – he has still done enough to get his past the post

Time for tea: Ellen Lynch and Danny Healy Rae during a break in the tallying process at the general election count centre in Killarney. Picture: John Reidy

Fianna Fáil’s Norma Foley is on an estimated 10,270 – a 3,000 vote improvement on her last general election performance – and Independent Danny Healy-Rae is reported to be on 8,5766, just close on 1,000 lower than February 2020.

The big talking point at the count centre at the Killarney Sports and Leisure Centre is the battle between Fianna Fáil’s Michael Cahill and Fine Gael’s Billy O’Shea with the former estimated to be less than 300 votes ahead although he is expected to pick up a significant transfer from Michael Healy-Rae’s big surplus.

At this early stage, seasoned election campaigners are predicting that Cahill will win the seat vacated by former FG TD Brenda Griffin.

The only other candidate to surpass the 2,000-vote mark, according to the tally personnel, is Fianna Fáil’s Linda Gordon Kelleher who was contesting her first ever election.

All 261 boxes are now open and the estimated voter turnout is 62.9 per cent.

The first count is expected to commence shortly but it will be later tonight before the official count result is revealed.

Fianna Fáil campaigners Christy O’Connell, Cllr Anne O’Sullivan and Senator Mark Daly at the count centre in Killarney.
Picture: John Reidy

TALLY FIGURES

Michael Healy-Rae (Ind): 18,489
Pa Daly (SF): 11,544
Norma Foley (FF): 10,270
Danny Healy-Rae (Ind) 8,576
Michael Cahill (FF): 8,168
Billy O’Shea (FG): 7,886
Linda Gordon Kelleher (FF): 2,024
Cleo Murphy (GP): 1,929
Mike Kennedy (Lab): 1,784
Michelle Keane (Ind): 1,497
Catherina O’Sullivan (Aon): 1,417
Stephanie O’Shea (SF): 1,115
Thomas McEllistrim (II): 986
Cian Prendiville (PBP): 984
Brandon Begley (Ind): 686
Mary Fitzgibbon (Ind): 431
John O’Leary (Ind): 38

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