Former Tuam TD out of Seanad race
FORMER Galway East Fianna Fail TD Colm Keaveney's hopes of securing a Seanad seat have ended following his elimination from the count late last night.
He had hoped to make a return to the Oireachtas having lost his Dail seat in February's General Election.
However, Mr Keaveney was eliminated after the 12th count for the Labour panel.
There is a slim chance that should Fianna Fail make the Taoiseach's nominees to the Seanad part of their bargaining package to support a minority Fine Gael government that Keaveney might secure a Seanad nomination through FF leader Micheal Martin.
Counting in the Seanad elections is continuing today and Ahascragh native, outgoing Senator Ronan Mullen will retain his seat having topped the poll in the NUI panel with 7,362 votes.
Ballygar GP Martin Daly also contested a seat on this panel as an Independent and polled 1,523 votes in the first count. However, he doesn't have enough to be in contention of one of the other two seats.
Yesterday Sinn Fein's Trevor O Clochartaigh from Carraroe was elected to the Agricultural panel.