Update 23:22
First count: Mairead Farrell has topped the poll with 8,164 votes
Update 23:22
Valid poll: 60,277.
QUOTA: 10,047
Update 23:13
There is another page. Two senior staff are scribbling on it.
Update 23:10
There is no page.
Update 23:04
Returning Officer has a page in her hand.
Update 23:01
Returning Officer has warned the broadcast media that she may have a first count in 5 minutes. Stand by.
Update 22:43
Apparently 27 votes are missing in Galway West. Count staff have found 10 of them, and are searching for the rest. There are no sofas here. Just a few chairs.
Update 22:32
Staff are re-checking 50-strong bundles of ballots from the top six candidates, apparently to check everything adds up. Respect for the meticulousness, is tempered by disquiet that the local Asian fusion restuarant has ceased deliveries to hangry journalists.
Update 22:23
A sample of independent candidate, Galway city councillor Mike Cubbard's ballots show around a third of his Number 2 preferences will go to Noel Grealish (Ind ). Almost another third will go to Catherine Connolly (Ind ). In descending order, the remaining third is expected mostly to go to Mairead Farrell (SF ), Noel Thomas (II ), and John Connolly (FF ), with a few going to fellow city councillor Helen Ogbu (Lab ) and outgoing TD Hildegarde Naughton (FG ).
Update 22:00
Still no news. Considering a career change. Red roses on Labour Party's desk have wilted, and have been sent for compost. At this stage, fresh flowers expected to bloom before first count announced.
Update 21:57
Not much happening. Rumours of bringing out the weighing scales. Lots of senior count staff huddled in conversation. Returning Officer appears to be getting a shoulder massage from a colleague. We all need one at this stage.
Update 21:30
Still no sign of first count. A re-cap on tallies, alphabetical:
IND Connolly, C - 5604
FF Connolly J - 6223
IND Cubbard - 1703
SF Farrell - 6713
IND Feeney - 68
IND Grealish - 5989
FG Kyne - 4677
AON Lenihan - 1009
IFP McMahon - 372
PBP-S McMaster - 725
FG Naughton - 5112
LAB Ogbu - 1550
GP O'Reilly - 1589
SD Seoighthe - 1780
II Thomas - 5184
We're still missing some info, so expect official count to be a wee bit different. It's taking an age. Send snacks.
Update 21:25
Candidae Helen Ogbu (Lab ) has arrived looking fresh. Some other candidates who have been here for hours and are looking knackered. Rumours of betting on spider races on a wall in the courtyard. Count staff still checking bundles. An observer from the Electoral Commission has arrived fresh from a count in the RDS and is having a good look around.
Update 21:08
Returning Officer is "re-verifying" all bundles of votes. This means counting the exact number of ballots wrapped up in each bundle sealed with an elastic band. She hopes this will speed matters up tomorrow in that everything adds up. Count staff spectators are praying she doesn't decide to use weighing machines to weigh the bundles too.
Update 20:51
Returning officer had nothinhg much to say, except to say: "Bear with us". This is to benefit broadcast media to be ready with live feeds. Nobody seems to know what the delay is. All ballots have been verified.
Update 20:49
Returning officer on stage
Update 20:04
Candidates' election agents have finished a (very civilised ) discussion on spoiled votes, and we are expecting some official count figures very soon.
Update 18:57
Duly appointed agents invited to inspect spoiled votes at 19:10. We should get a count soon after that, please God.
Update 18:35
Reports from Catherine Connolly's camp suggest 20% of her Number 2s are for Helen Ogbu (Lab ), and 20% are going to the Social Democrats' Eibhlín Seoighthe.
Candidates are starting to trickle in as we await the first count - here are Catherine Connolly and Noel Grealish looking very happy.
Update 18:31
Likely poll topper Mairead Farrell is en route to Count Centre. Sinn Féin team making sure they have enough passes for her entourage.
Update 18:28
Second preferences being tallied for Irish Freedom Party's Doran McMahon's c370 votes. Majority going to Noel Thomas (II ), remainder to Padraig Lenihan (Aon )
Update 18:25
Volume levels have increased at count centre. Noel Grealish has arrived. Unclear if these two events are related.
Update 18:21
Two very confident-looking Connollys are chatting in the corner: outgoing TD Catherine Connolly (Ind ) and city councillor John Connolly (FF ); both looking confortable on first preference votes.
Update 18:06
A sample of Eibhlín Seoighthe (SD ) of Number 2 preferences show most going to Helen Ogbu (Lab ), followed by Catherine Connolly (Ind ), Mairead Farrell (SF ), and Maisie McMaster (PBP )
Update 17:56
Grainne Seoige's Number 2s look interesting. Fianna Fáil tally:
1. Connolly, J - 1239
2. Kyne - 258
3. Naughton - 249
4. Thomas 231
5. Connolly, C - 185
6. Farrell - 151
7. Grealish - 148
8. Ogbu - 34
Update 16:57
Candidates ranked by tallies of first preference votes with nearly all boxes opened:
1. Farrell - 13%
2. Connolly, J - 12%
3. Grealish - 12%
4. Connolly, C - 11%
5. Naughton - 10%
6. Thomas - 10%
7. Kyne - 9%
8. Seoighthe - 4%
9. Cubbard - 3%
10. O'Reilly - 3%
11. Ogbu - 3%
12. Lenihan - 2%
Update 16:56
Sinn Fein's Mairead Farrell is in poll position, a good 500+ votes ahead of her closest rival, John Connolly (FF )
Update 16:47
All but a handful of boxes are now tallied.
96% for first preference votes are tallied, with the ommission of a few Galway city east boxes that flew under the radar. Some Connemara boxes not yet tallied, all showing strong votes for Noel Thomas (II ).
Cahill - 335
Connolly C - 5398
Comnnolly J - 5905
Cubbard - 1671
Farrell - 6478
Feeney - 65
Grealish - 5689
Kyne - 4488
Lenihan - 971
McMahon - 362
McMaster - 708
Naughton - 4999
Ogbu - 1512
O'Reilly - 1539
Seoige - 2531
Seoighthe - 1728
Thomas - 4883
Update 16:29
Fierce interest in the Number 2 preferences on Grainne Seoige (FF ) votes. Vast majority going to running mate John Connolly (FF ), but large tranches going to Fine Gael's Connemara candidate Sean Kyne. A smaller number going to Catherine Connolly (Ind ).
Update 15:45
Lots of grumbling amongst candidates' teams about Galway West count staff beginning early in the morning before the public allowed into Salthill Count Centre. It appears tallymen did not get a chance to look at almost half the boxes from the east side of Galway city which were counted very early on.
Update 15:36
Money talks. Lots of chat about how many votes necessary to be able to recoup election expenses. Looks like 4.1% of valid poll is the magic number if candidates are hoping to submit receipts to the Electoral Commission.
Update 15:07
First preference ballots being checked. Official results expected well within the hour. At a glance, second preference votes on ballots belonging to John Connolly (FF ), Noel Grealish (Ind ) and Catherine Connolly (Ind ) show a wide spread. Noel Thomas (II ) getting number 2s from surprising sources. Mike Cubbard (Ind ) and Grainne Seoige (FF ) also picking up Number 2s. #NotScientific
Update 14:32
Almost three quarters of boxes open Tallies show Sinn Fein leading.
Mairead Farrell - 4948
John Connolly - 4379
#Catherine Connolly - 4261
#Noel Thomas - 4196
Noel Grealish - 3706Sean Kyne - 3692
Hildegarde Naughton - 3336
Grainne Seoige - 1935
Update 14:31
Lunch break over. Counting continues.
Update 12:59
A black spaniel has entered the Count Centre, and everyone is swooning over it. #BlackDogDay
Update 12:57
Irish Freedom Party supporter having loud conversation with Count Centre Garda on duty about someone inside allegedly callling her a "Nazi".
Update 12:30
Almost half the boxes open. 96 of 196. Mairead Farrell (SF ) way ahead with 81% of first preference votes tallied. John Connolly (FF ) on 76%. Catherine Connolly (Ind ) 72%. Noel Thomas (II ) 69%.
Update 11:58
Noel Grealish (Ind ) killing it in Carnmore. Polling very strong in Claregalway too. This should havre a substantial impact on overall constituency tallies.
Update 11:52
Carnmore boxes being opened. Unsurprsingly, 'King of Carnmore' Noel Grealish (Ind ) doing very well. A lot of transfers to fellow non-party candidates Mike Cubbard and Catherine Connolly #GeneralElection24 @galwayad
Update 11:43
Noel Grealish (Ind ) and Grainne Seoige (FF ) so far both on around 5%. Mike Cubbard (Ind ), Pauline O'Reilly (GP ) and Eibhlin Seoighthe (SD ) on 4%. Labour's Helen Ogbu on 3%.
Update 11:39
FG tallies after one third of 196 boxes opened. Four-way race for poll position between John Connolly (FF ), Noel Thomas (II ), Mairead Farrell (SF ) and Catherine Connolly (Ind ) all touching on 13%. Sean Kyne (FG ) on 11% with Hildegarde Naughton (FG ) on 8%. #GeneralElection24 @galwayad
Update 11:35
Rossaveal boxes showing big vote for Noel Thomas (II ). #GeneralElection24 @galwayad
Update 11:21
Sinn Fein's Mairead Farrell looking very good across a number of Connemara boxes #GeneralElection24 @galwayad
Update 11:03
Early Galway West Fianna Fail tallies putting their city councillor John Connolly far ahead of newcomer Grainne Seoige #GeneralElection24 @galwayad
Update 11:01
Much talk of Gerry Hutch doing well in Dublin. Would a Galway independent sit next to him in Leinster House? #GeneralElection24 @galwayad
Update 10:55
Some boxes from Moycullen being tallied. Looks very good for Sean Kyne (FG ). No discernable bounce for fellow local candidate Noel Thomas (II ) yet. #GeneralElection24 @galwayad
Update 10:45
Early city boxes put Noel Grealish at 9%. That will change when boxes east of the constituency are opened. Mike Cubbard looks strong in city at over 6%. Helen Ogbu (Lab ) looks around 5%. SocDems' Eibhlin Seoighthe almost 5%. Grainne Seoige (FF ) at almost 4%. The rest all under 3% #GeneralElection24 @galwayad
Update 10:43
Journalists at Count Centre grumbling about lack of WiFi. Tallymen wandering around with clipboards looking impotrtant #oldschool #GeneralElection24 #GeneralElection24 @galwayad
Update 10:39
Tally men have Hildegarde Naughton (FG ) at 10%. Runnig mate Sean Kyne at 5%. #GeneralElection24 @galwayad
Update 10:37
38 boxes open. Catherrine Connolly (Ind ) and John Connolly (FF ) both on around 13% first preferences
Update 10:36
38 boxes of 196 open. Mairead Farrell polling well with tallies putting her at almost 17% of first preferences. #GeneralElection24 @galwayad
Update 10:34
Connemara boxes beginning to be opened.
Update 10.25
Galway city boxes nearly finished counting. Solid tally details coming in. Looks like Catherine Connolly, Noel Grealish and Mairead Farrell have done well. #GeneralElection24 @galwayad
Update 08.39
Good morning and welcome to the Galway Advertiser’s coverage of the counts in General Election 2024. We will have up to the minute coverage from the three count centres for Galway West (Galway Lawn Tennis Club; Galway East, (PCH Headford ); and Galway Roscommon (Hyde Park ). Follow our live blog on www.advertiser.ie and on our social media platforms Facebook, x, instagram and BlueSky. #GeneralElection24 @galwayad
