Battle continues in Cork North Central as Sinn Féin soar

The count has resumed this morning with candidates competing for the remaining Dáil seats in Cork North Central, the county’s most tightly contested constituency. All TDs have now been elected in the other four Cork constituencies with Sinn Féin topping the poll in every Cork constituency in which they ran a candidate bar Cork South West. 

Sinn Féin’s Thomas Gould is the only candidate to be elected so far, and he achieved a huge surplus. Seven candidates remain in the running for the remaining three seats. Outgoing TD Fianna Fáil’s Pádraig O'Sullivan is likely to take the second seat. Fine Gael’s Colm Burke is currently polling in third place, and looking likely to get elected. The final seat may be between Independent Ken O'Flynn and Solidarity-People Before Profit outgoing TD Mick Barry.

Cork South Central saw all four sitting TDs re-elected, with Sinn Féin’s Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire topping the poll, and elected on the first count with nearly 25 per cent of the vote. Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin was elected on the sixth count. The eighth and final count saw Fine Gael’s Simon Coveney and Fianna Fáil’s Micheal McGrath elected to the remaining seats.

Cork South West saw a couple elected to the Dáil, with Social Democrat’s Holly Cairns and her partner, Fianna Fáil’s Christopher O'Sullivan - the current Mayor of the County of Cork, both elected last night in the Clonakilty count centre. The dramatic result saw Cairns receive over 3,000 transfers following the elimination of Sinn Féin’s Paul Hayes. The transfers produced a shock result, with Fine Gael’s Senator Tim Lombard, leading by 2,000 votes before the final count, left without a seat. Independent outgoing TD Michael Collins had been re-elected yesterday in the first count.

Cork East saw Sine Fein’s Pat Buckley elected in the first count having topped the poll. The eighth and final count delivered a shock result for Fianna Fáil with outgoing TD Kevin O’Keefe losing his seat, and being replaced by running mate James O'Connor. At 22 years old, O’Connor is one of the youngest TDs in the country. Labour’s Sean Sherlock and Fine Gael’s David Stanton were elected in the final count.

Cork North West saw all three seats filled on the fifth count, with all three sitting TDs retaining their seats. Fine Gael’s Michael Creed was elected on the first count surpassing the quota. The count saw Fianna Fáil candidates Michael Moynihan and Aindrias Moynihan re-elected despite failing to reach the quota.

Cork will only have one female TD in Holly Cairns, the Social Democrat.