Just as the tiredness was setting in, the Bailey Allen Hall at NUI Galway was filled with the sound of cheering as Independent councilor Thomas Welby was the first candidate to be elected for the Conamara electoral area.
Oughterard based Cllr Welby, who served as Mayor of Galway County Council for 2012/2013, received an impressive 2,291 votes in the first count, the results of which were announced in the early hours of Sunday, May 25. That number of first preference votes put Cllr Welby 606 votes over the quota of 1,685 and firmly secured the first seat in the nine-seater constituency.
The results of the second count were announced around noon this morning with no candidate elected.
