All eyes will be on Tuam results
AFTER a long day and night, which ran well into the early hours of this morning (Sunday), seats on two of the five municipal districts in Co Galway have been filled.
The results have shown huge support for independent candidates and the anger of voters at government was especially evident in the six seat in the Ballinasloe area where Independent Tim Broderick reached almost two quotas in his first preference votes.
The other star performer on the day was barrister and Independent candidate from Corrandulla James Charity. He secured a hugely impressive 1,424 first preference votes and was elected on the seventh count. Turloughmore's David Collins, who also contested as an independent, was delighted with his votes and managed to hold on until the ninth and final count.
Independent candidates are also set to shine later today when the first official results of the count of the Tuam district start coming in.
Six independents contested the nine seat district and once again there has been a massive vote for Belclare's Sean Canney who is set to top the poll.
Turf cutting campaign and community activist Michael Fitzmaurice swept up votes across the district and is likely to have more than 2,500 first preference votes.
Former Labour councillor, now independent, Shaun Cunniffe is also likely to retain his seat and the district's youngest candidate Independent Karey McHugh is in strong contention for becoming a County Councillor over the next 24 hours.
Questions will be asked in Fianna Fáil regarding the poor performance of former Town Councillor Eamonn Kitt while his party colleague Nora Fahy in Glenamaddy couldn't match the support of nearby Fitzmaurice.
However, FF could take a seat with Donagh Killilea, and FF Mary Hoade is considered safe in the Headford area.
From yesterday's Tuam tallies it appears that FG may win three, FF two and we could seen four independents take seats.
Tuam Tally
Sean Canney (Ind) 3,120
Peter Roche (FG) 2668
Michael Fitzmaurice (Ind) 2,608
Mary Hoade (FF) 1855
Tom McHugh (FG) 1538
Donagh Killilea (FF) 922
Karey McHugh (ind) 890
Shaun Cunniffe (Ind) 833
Peter Keaveney (FG) 748
Eamonn Kitt (FF) 615
Maeve O’Brien (SF) 585
Nora Fahy (FF) 560
Larry Bane (FG) 409
Teresa Killeen Kelly (Ind) 358
TP Niland (Ind) 309
Looking back at the Ballinasloe count, now elected are
Tim Broderick IND, Dermot Connolly SF, Michael Connolly FF, Donal Burke FF, Michael Finnerty FG and Aidan Donohue FG.
Broderick received an overwhelming 3,275 votes and was elected on the first count, along with Sinn Fein's Dermot Connolly on 2,059. Fianna Fail's Michael Connolly easily took the third seat on the second count and after that it was really a fight between the three Fine Gael candidates, with Moylough's Kevin Ryan losing out to Aidan Donohue and Michael Finnerty. FF Donal Burke took the second FF seat.
The last seats for the Athenry Oranmore district were filled just after 3 am today and the seats went to Peter Feeney FG, Jim Cuddy IND, Malachy Noone FF, James Charity IND, Frank Kearney FG, Martina Kinnane FF and Gabe Cronnelly SF.
Feeney was surprised but delighted to top the poll but his party colleague and outgoing county Mayor Liam Carroll was disappointed to lose his seat when he was eliminated on the 8th count.
Labour failed to make any impact in this seven seat district and both candidates, Athenry's Madge Dean and Claregalway's Clement Shevlin only managed 665 first preference votes between them.