Update 7.50pm
Ciaran Cannon has taken the last of the three seats in Galway East in the seventh count.
Dep Cannon said he was very happy, and that there was no greater honour than to be elected. He paid tribute to his party colleague Paul Connaughton, who has lost his seat, adding that there was an argument to be made for running a third candidate in the constituency.
He thanked the people of Carrabane in particular for their support, along with everyone who had voted for him.
Update 7.15pm
Galway East has two new TDs this evening, with the election of both Sean Canney and Anne Rabbitte in the sixth count. The final seat has yet to be decided, with Canney's surplus now being distributed between Ciaran Cannon (FG ) and Paul Connaughton (FG ).
Canney said the win was "all the sweeter" because he had just missed out on a seat in 2011. He paid tribute to his wife and family for their support.
Anne Rabbitte, the first female TD to represent Fianna Fail in Galway East and only second woman TD ever in the constituency, said she was "blown away" by her election. She said she would work to deliver a solution to the flooding which has plagued sougth Galway, and paid tribute to Colm Keaveney, adding that it had been the intention of the party to secure two seats, but this was impossible in a three seat constituency.
Update 6.45pm
Colm Keaveney has said he has "no regrets" after losing his seat in Galway East.
The Fianna Fail TD, who was elected as a Labour representative in 2011 before leaving the party to join Fianna Fail in 2013, said he was "humbled" to have represented the people of the constituency in the Oireachtas.
"There has not been a moment I've walked into Dail Eireann that I haven't pinched myself with gratitude," he added.
Keaveney, who paid tribute to Paul Connaughton, who is on the brink of losing his seat, said he would spend some time with his family before making a decision on his future.
Update 6pm
It's all over bar the formalities in New Inn - Colm Keaveney (FF ) has lost his seat in the fifth count. His transfers will ultimately see Sean Canney (Ind ), Ciaran Cannon (FG ), and Anne Rabbitte (FF ) elected in what will be the sixth and final count. Just these three remain in the running, along with Paul Connaughton, who has already conceded that he will lose his seat.
A few words from Sean Canney, who has thanked his team and supporters earlier.
Poll topper Sean Canney said he was very pleased and he thanked his team and supporters when he arrived at the count centre earlier
Posted by The Galway Advertiser on Saturday, February 27, 2016
Update 5.10pm
Lorraine Higgins (Lab ) has been eliminated in the fourth count, and her votes are now being distributed among the remaining five candidates.
Sean Canney is now just 1,114 votes short of the quota and will likely be elected in the next count.
Paul Connaughton (FG ) has conceded that he will not retain his seat.
Update 4.20pm
AnneMarie Roche (SF ) has been eliminated after the third count and her votes are being distributed. While everyone is still significantly short of the quota of 11,310 it's looking like the seats will go to Canney, Cannon, and Rabbitte.
Update 3.20pm
The second count has seen Cllr Michael Fahy (Ind ) eliminated. His votes are now being distributed in count 3.
Update 2.45pm
The results of the first count are in and, as predicted, Independent county councillor Sean Canney has topped the poll, securing a total of 8,447 first preference votes. Aengus Melia (DDI ) and Mairead Ni Chroinin (GP ) have been eliminated and their votes are now being distributed.
Update 2.15pm
The results of the first count in New Inn are expected at around 3pm, give or take. Canney is expected to poll close to 8,500 votes, topping the poll but still short of the quota, which is expected to be in the region of 11,360.
With all of the boxes now open at the Galway East count centre in New Inn, it looks like Sean Canney (Ind ) will comfortably top the poll and be the first elected in the constituency.
Early indications are that Anne Rabbitte (FF ) is polling ahead of her party colleague and outgoing TD Colm Keaveney, and she is likely to take a seat. Meanwhile just a few hundred votes separate Fine Gael candidates Ciaran Cannon and Paul Connaughton jr, both outgoing TDs, who are likely to be battling it out for the last of the three seats.
In terms of party share of first preference votes, Fianna Fail are on 27 per cent, Fine Gael on 30 per cent (down some 10 per cent on their 2011 performance ), Labour 10 per cent, Independents are on 24 per cent, Sinn Fein have 6 per cent, with the remaining 3 per cent between the Green Party and Direct Democracy Ireland candidates.
Here's another breakdown of what the share of first preferences looks like:
This is how #GalwayEast looks #finaltally pic.twitter.com/xUp35ZJ5R1
— Tom Felle (@tomfelle ) February 27, 2016
We'll be keeping you updated during the day on all that's happening in New Inn at at the Galway West count in NUI Galway, both here and on Facebook and Twitter.
