Reddington likely to top poll in Tuam

Counting of votes to start

FINE Gael has secured over 40 per cent of the vote in Tuam’s seven-seater with the party’s Andrew Reddington a strong possibility to top the poll.

Reddington from Claran, Headford has pipped his party colleague Abbeyknockmoy’s Pete Roche by about 250 votes with both sitting councillors assured of a seat.

Fianna Fail took four seats in the 2019 election but will certainly lose out on at least one of those with tallies showing the party taking 28 per cent of the vote. Their strongest performer is Donagh Killilea with nine per cent, Mary Hoade secured just 50 fewer votes on 1,326 and Joe Sheridan 1,192. Tom Quirke in Abbeyknockmoy failed to make an impact, picking up less than three per cent of first preference votes in the tallies.

Independent Ireland candidate and former councillor Shaun Cunniffe will remain optimistic of making a return to County Hall, securing nine per cent in the tallies. Independent Cllr Karey McHugh Farag stand at just under 7 per cent but previous elections have shown that she is a very transfer-friendly candidate, and her seat cannot be ruled out.

Sinn Féin didn’t make any significant impact in this LEA, securing just over four per cent in the first preference tallies.

The Tuam ballot papers are now being transferred to the County Council count centre in Galway Lawn Tennis Club. The counting of votes in Connemara North and Gort-Kinvara is already underway there with Independent Tom Welby just being declared the first councillor elected.