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As it happened

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael top EU poll in Dublin as council results disappoint Sinn Féin

Fianna Fáil’s Barry Andrews and Regina Doherty of Fine Gael each won over 60,000 first preference votes in the Dublin EU constituency.
8.29am, 9 Jun 2024
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WE NEVER PROMISED you it would be quick, but we’ve made good progress – well over half of council seats have been filled and we finally had a first count result in one of the three EU constituencies last night.

Fianna Fáil’s Barry Andrews and Regina Doherty of Fine Gael each won over 60,000 first preference votes in the Dublin EU constituency, leaving five candidates fighting for the remaining two seats. Our deputy editor Christine Bohan has crunched the numbers.

The big story so far has been the Sinn Féin slide in recent opinion polls being borne out in election results, with votes for the party even lower than that decline suggested. 

Taoiseach Simon Harris deemed the local elections an “unmitigated disaster” for the opposition party during a visit to the RDS this afternoon (and ruled out an early general election, again). Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald acknowledged her party’s disappointing result earlier yesterday too. 

Meanwhile, it’s all kicking off in France, where French President Emmanuel Macron has dissolved the National Assembly and called elections after polls indicated his centrist alliance has suffered a huge defeat to the far right in the European elections. Our reporter David McRedmond has a full run-down of what exit polls are telling us about the picture across the EU.

Counting has wrapped for the night in Dublin, Castlebar and Cork in the European elections, with the majority of the local election count centres also calling it a night. We have election trackers for both the local and EU counts.

9 Jun 2024 8:40AM

Hello, hello. Cormac Fitzgerald with you for the next few hours bringing you the latest from Day 2 of the count. I’m on my second coffee already and raring to go.

About 200 seats have been filled so far on city and county council across the country. That leaves us with about 750 or so still to go.

The majority of these will be filled today, as counting resumes this morning at 9am.

Some places went late last night. A special shout out to the counters in Leitrim, who finished up at 5am this morning. They’ve earned their lie in.

For the rest of us, there is still an awful lot of counting to be done. As things stand, this is the state of the parties:

elec1 The Journal The Journal

9 Jun 2024 8:54AM

Counting will also kick off in the European elections this morning. Ballots were separated out last night and brought to the three dedicated count centres in Dublin, Castlebar and Cork City.

Counting will begin of the many tens of thousands of votes today. But the results of the first count (if it is completed) will not be announced until 10pm tonight at the earliest.

That’s because counting has to finish in all EU countries before any results can be announced. Most countries, including France and Germany, won’t vote until today. 

It will be a few days at least before all of Ireland’s 14 MEPs are elected. Back in 2019, the first MEP was not elected until Monday afternoon. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. 

9 Jun 2024 9:06AM

And they’re off!

Westmeath are first out the gate (with their tweet anyway), letting us know that the count has resumed in Moate.

Things kicking off again in Edenderry, Co, Offaly, too.

9 Jun 2024 9:28AM

While we wait for more results to come in, let’s take a look across the rest of Europe.

It’s no surprise that right wing and far-right parties have been signalled to make significant gains in this round of elections.

Italy voted yesterday, with far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hoping a strong showing from her party will strengthen her hand as a key EU powerbroker.

The Netherlands went to the polls on Thursday, and it’s predicted that right-wing PVV party will make the most gains, but a Green-Socialist coalition held strong, surprising many analysts.

Today is the big day, with 21 EU countries set to vote, including powerhouses Germany and France. 

The shape of the EU Parliament is sure to look different this time around, which could significantly influence European (and as a result, national) policy for years to come. 

9 Jun 2024 9:54AM

You get up early, have your two coffees, get the liveblog set up, have everything ready to go and then you… wait.

In the lull between the restart of the count and announcement of results, let’s take a quick look at the state of play.

We have a handy article that we’re updating which shows who is elected in each of the 31 local authorities across the country. 

As things stand, 197 out of 949 seats have been filled. The only county where the count has been completed is Leitrim, which kept going until 5am. Fair play to them. 

To paraphrase the late, great Roy Orbison: They drove all night to elect the few.

leitrim The Journal The Journal

The county had 18 seats to fill across three Local Electoral Areas. Fianna Fáil took the most seats (6), followed by Independents (5), Sinn Féin (4) and Fine Gael (3).

The huge showing for Independents has to be one of the main takeaways of this election so far. The trend towards unaligned councillors may indicate a general frustration with establishment parties, and will result in an interesting make up of councils.

For every other local authority there is still an awful lot more counting to be done. 

9 Jun 2024 9:58AM
Count 1 completed for Moate, Westmeath

And just like that we have our first result. 

Count 1 has been completed for the Moate LEA in Westmeath.

Thomas Farrell of Fine Gael has been deemed elected and now his surplus will be distributed. 

Westmeath County Council #LE2024

9 Jun 2024 10:12AM

Count 2 in the Monaghan LEA has been completed, with no one else elected.

Sinn Féin’s Cathy Bennett topped the poll already in this 7-seater LEA and got a seat. 

Raymond Aughey of Fianna Fáil ought to follow her, with a mix of Sinn Féin and Fine Gael candidates also in the mix. 

9 Jun 2024 10:21AM
Labour Party councillor elected in Fingal

The Labour Party’s Robert O’Donoghue has been elected after the first count in the Rush / Lusk LEA.

O’Donoghue returned a whopping 3,185 first preferences, surpassing the quota of 2,042 by a wide margin.

His surplus will now be distributed and may help his party mate Corina Johnston (who also had a strong showing) also get over the line in the next count. 

Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are also showing strongly in this 5-seater. As is Independent councillor Cathal Boland. 

9 Jun 2024 10:25AM

Keeping with Fingal, and Independent Tania Doyle has been elected in the Ongar LEA.

Doyle was by far the most popular candidate, surpassing the quota by over 600 votes. Angela Donnelly of Sinn Féin is the next most popular candidate. Full results of the count here:

9 Jun 2024 10:29AM

A bad day in Clontarf for Sinn Féin. 

My colleague Lauren Boland is down at the RDS count centre, reporting that Alyssa Ní Bhroin has been eliminated, with her 552 votes to be redistributed.

Running mate Paddy Moloney still in the race but not a frontrunner.

9 Jun 2024 10:35AM
First councillor elected for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council

Marie Baker of Fine Gael is the first councillor to be elected to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.

Baker was elected from the Blackrock LEA on the first count with 3,045 votes.

9 Jun 2024 10:42AM

They’re coming in fast now.

John Hearn of Sinn Féin has been elected on Count 2 of the Waterford City South LEA.

Sinn Féin are polling well enough in the south east, it seems.

9 Jun 2024 10:45AM
!Over 200 councillors elected!

At the start of writing this post, there were 210 councillors elected in local authorities across the country. By the time you read this, there will probably be more.

Here’s the state of the parties so far:

bits The Journal The Journal

For a more comprehensive look, take a look at this article.

9 Jun 2024 10:53AM

tania The Journal The Journal

Let’s jump back to Ongar for a moment. 

Tania Doyle was by far the most popular candidate, surpassing the quota by over 600 votes and getting elected on the first count.

This is especially notable as Doyle was the victim of an attack last night as she and her husband were putting up posters.

Doyle told The Journal at the time:

“I think I’m a strong, independent woman. I’ve worked very, very hard to get where I am. But when it affects your family, like my husband’s glasses were smashed into his face. He’s black and blue from head to toe. He’s a big gash, he’d blood all over his face. You say to yourself, is it worth it?”

Doyle continued to campaign, however, and has now topped the poll, showing the strong support for her locally.

9 Jun 2024 11:03AM

The count is underway in the European elections also in the RDS, but don’t expect any action until tonight. 

9 Jun 2024 11:09AM

A lot of talk about Sinn Féin having ran far too many candidates this time round. 

The same can’t be said for the Green Party, which seems to be maintaining its numbers (in Dublin, at least).

Councillor Clare Byrne has been re elected this morning for the South East Inner city LEA. Here she is with supporters and party leader Eamon Ryan.

While the Greens aren’t exactly soaring, it is far from the wipeout some people predicted. 

9 Jun 2024 11:21AM

Okay, few more people elected now. 

Popular Independent councillor Mary Farrell has topped the poll in the first count in the Kilmuckridge LEA and has been elected to Wexford County Council.

In Fingal, Luke Corkery of Fine Gael and Darragh Butler of Fianna Fáil has been elected to the Swords LEA on the first count.

9 Jun 2024 11:24AM

Sinn Féin’s Daithí Doolan may not be in the running for a European Parliament seat, but he has been re-elected in the Ballyfermot-Drimnagh LEA for Dublin City Council.

Lauren Boland has the celebrations from the RDS:

9 Jun 2024 11:35AM

Our man in Cork Niall O’Connor is monitoring things in Nemo Rangers GAA Club where counting is underway for the Ireland South constituency for the European elections.

Reporting from the count centre, Niall says that it’s very early days but things already not looking too great for the Green Party’s Grace O’Sullivan.

“Very noticeably people are not filling their ballots beyond three preferences,” Niall says.

Ballot papers are, for the most part, just two to three preferences. It will be very late tonight I suspect for a result.

9 Jun 2024 11:38AM

Lauren’s been chatting to Daithí Doolan who said that “strategic errors” were made during this campaign, which accounts for Sinn Féin’s poor showing.

9 Jun 2024 11:52AM

It’s Órla Ryan here, taking over the liveblog for the next while. Thanks for sticking with us so far this morning. 

9 Jun 2024 11:55AM

In case you’re just joining us, some 230 councillors have been elected so far (out of 949).

Results of the 2024 Local Elections (20)

9 Jun 2024 11:59AM

Sinéad Gibney, the Social Democrats’ candidate for the European election in Dublin, told our reporter Eimer McAuley she will run in the next general election. 

9 Jun 2024 12:21PM

Here’s an update from the count centre in Cherrywood via our reporter Emma Hickey: Five candidates have been re-elected to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. 

9 Jun 2024 12:25PM

Almost three in 10 voters (29%) only decided who they were voting for in the last week, according to a poll carried out by Ireland Thinks and The Journal. 

chart The Journal / Ireland Thinks The Journal / Ireland Thinks / Ireland Thinks

9 Jun 2024 12:29PM

It could be late tonight before there is a first count in Ireland South, according to our man on the ground in Cork. 

9 Jun 2024 12:30PM

Independent Niall Boylan, currently in a race for the fourth MEP seat in Dublin, said he will “embarrass the Irish government in Europe” if he is elected.

He said he is “nervous” and that waiting for the results is “like waiting for your Leaving Cert”. 

9 Jun 2024 12:34PM

Keith Connolly (FF) has been re-elected in Ballymun-Finglas.

He just spoke to our reporter Lauren Boland. 

9 Jun 2024 12:58PM

dob Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien (file photo) PA Images PA Images

Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien has said that Sinn Féin will not be satisfied with its electoral performance.

He told RTÉ Radio 1: “This was a party that was apparently just going to waltz into Government.

“It’s obviously clear that we’ve parts of the country where they’re in single digits, Dublin probably at 11, 12%. They can’t be satisfied with that performance.

“Of course, they’ll make gains because they’re coming from a very low base of about 9%. I don’t think the main opposition party can be satisfied with a gain like that.”

9 Jun 2024 1:01PM

O’Brien was asked if the”positive results” for Fine Gael and Fianna Fail in the elections mean that the general election should be held earlier than March next year, but he disagreed.

He told RTÉ: “We have been very clear. We’ve an important budget to do in the autumn, we’ve important legislation to pass like the Planning and Development Bill which is advancing through the Dail.

“I expect, as the three leaders have said, the Taoiseach, Tanaiste and Minister Ryan, that the Government will do its course.

“We have important work to do. Yes, of course, the results here today and for government parties are good because we want good councillors running our local authorities and representing our people.

“The European elections obviously we’ll know later on today as well. I expect the Government to see out its term.”

9 Jun 2024 1:06PM

Sinn Féin TD David Cullinane has acknowledged that his party is “not where we want to be” after indications that SF has won around 11% of first preference votes based on declarations so far in the local election.

The party won 24.5% in the 2020 general election and had been polling above 30% until recent polls indicated a slide in their support.

Also speaking on RTÉ Radio 1, Cullinane warned against underestimating the resilience of Sinn Féin and said some council seats would “come down to very complicated transfers”.

“Obviously we expected to do better, I’m not saying that it was a good result for Sinn Féin, of course I’m not.

Absolutely there was no complacency. When we don’t have a good day we accept it.

“We will have to ask the questions you asked me – why did we not get the votes that we expected to get?”

9 Jun 2024 1:13PM

Fine Gael Councillor Ray McAdam was re-elected in Dublin’s North Inner City. Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe was on hand to celebrate at the RDS. 

9 Jun 2024 1:21PM
Photos from the RDS

Sunday Count 16_90706879 Sinn Féin candidate Daithí Doolan celebrates being re-elected to Dublin City Council (some good news on a bad day for his party) © RollingNews.ie © RollingNews.ie

Claire Byrne 5_90706863 Green Party Councillor Claire Byrne retains her seat in Dublin's South East Inner City, pictured here celebrating with Green Party leader Minister Eamon Ryan © RollingNews.ie © RollingNews.ie

Sunday Count 5_90706869 Counting underway at the RDS in Dublin © RollingNews.ie © RollingNews.ie

Sunday Count 9_90706873 Counting underway at the RDS in Dublin © RollingNews.ie © RollingNews.ie

9 Jun 2024 1:24PM

Speaking to RTÉ News, Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy said that his party, in some areas, “clearly weren’t up to scratch”.

On whether it’s Sinn Féin’s leadership that’s to blame, Carthy said they worked hard, but they need to be “humble” going forward.

“I think there was a sense over the past number of weeks that there was a drop perhaps coming but, quite frankly, nobody saw the results as they’ve be presented,” he said.

On candidates for Europe, Carthy says he’s “gutted” for those who haven’t come through, but still “anything could happen”.

“Our job as an opposition party was to give [voters] hope and to give them a route. We have to see what that route now looks like in advance of the general election.”

9 Jun 2024 1:28PM
Recount in Midlands North West?

ming Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan speaking to the media as counting continues in the TF Royal Theatre in Castlebar Niall Carson / PA Images Niall Carson / PA Images / PA Images

The possibility of potential recounts in Midlands North West has already been raised by a leading candidate in the constituency, PA News reports.

The first results cannot be announced until after polling closes in each EU member state late on Sunday, but unofficial and incomplete tallies carried out by volunteers observing ballot boxes being opened provide some insight into the likely outcome.

In Midlands-North-West, there are 27 candidates fighting for five seats in the massive electoral region which spans 15 counties.

Because of a rising population in Ireland, the constituency’s boundaries have been expanded and its voters will elect one more MEP compared with 2019.

The current four MEPs are independent Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan, Fine Gael’s Colm Markey and Maria Walsh, and Sinn Fein’s Chris MacManus.

Speaking to reporters at the count centre in Castlebar today, Flanagan said he expects the count to last a number of days.

“There’s quite a lot of candidates here who are going to get a significant amount of votes and I think it’s nearly odds on that we’re going to have some sort of a recount – and potentially a recount at the end because I think it’s going to be close.

“So I predict – all I know is we booked a place to stay for the next week in Castlebar.”

9 Jun 2024 1:34PM
Mary Lou McDonald at the RDS

“We have made some gains,” Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald told reporters at the RDS this afternoon.

They are modest but they are there. It hasn’t been our day.

“Clearly frustrations, anger indeed, with government policy, on this occasion has translated into votes for independents and others.”

9 Jun 2024 1:37PM

Fine Gael Councillor Ray McAdam said he’s “over the moon” to retain his seat in Dublin’s North Inner City. 

Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe said Fine Gael’s outlook in Dublin Central is “very positive”.

9 Jun 2024 1:54PM

IMG_2418 Mary Lou McDonald was in high spirits at the RDS despite Sinn Féin's poor performance Eimer McAuley / The Journal Eimer McAuley / The Journal / The Journal

More comments from Mary Lou McDonald’s press conference at the RDS count centre.

The Sinn Féin leader told reporters “it hasn’t been our day” and she is “sorry that we didn’t do better” after a lacklustre performance for the party in the local elections.

Thanking Sinn Fein’s candidates, she said “obviously, we are disappointed that we didn’t manage to get more of them elected”.

“We have made some gains, they are modest, but they’re there. It hasn’t been our day. Clearly frustrations – anger indeed – with government policy on this occasion has translated into votes for independence and others.

We have to now prepare ourselves for the general election, whenever that will happen. We’ll take time to reflect.

“We’ve literally been on thousands, probably tens of thousands of doorsteps over the last number of weeks. We’ve listened very carefully to people.

“We now need to go and reflect on that, we need to learn from it. We will regroup. I am sorry that we didn’t do better.

“I know that we can do better and I am determined that we will do better.”

9 Jun 2024 2:00PM

9 Jun 2024 2:15PM

Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan told our reporter Diarmuid Pepper in Castlebar that he’s confident he’ll be re-elected as an MEP.

9 Jun 2024 2:23PM
What's in a name?

Of the 16 councillors elected to Clare County Council so far, we have three Pats, three Joes and two Toms (in the interests of full disclosure, technically one is a Tommy).

What a time to be alive.

9 Jun 2024 2:25PM

Readers are split on when they want a general election to be held. 

Have your say in our poll here.

poll The Journal The Journal

9 Jun 2024 2:26PM

Our assistant news editor Stephen McDermott is keeping track of how far-right and anti-immigrant candidates are performing around the country.

9 Jun 2024 2:28PM

Some more May Lou McDonald updates from our reporters at the RDS:

Read her full comments here.

9 Jun 2024 2:56PM

More than 300 councillors have been elected so far (out of 949). Follow the latest updates here. 

308 The Journal The Journal

9 Jun 2024 2:59PM

I’m going to hand the liveblog over to my colleague Mairead Maguire now. Thanks for sticking with us so far.

9 Jun 2024 3:08PM

Hello! Mairead Maguire here, with you for the next while as results continue to roll in. 

The Green Party’s Janet Horner has been re-elected in Dublin’s North Inner City.

Lauren Boland / X (Formerly Twitter)

9 Jun 2024 3:16PM

765Charlie Haughey_90690508 The late former Taoiseach Charles Haughey - his grandson looks set to be elected to Fingal County Council today. Eamonn Farrell Eamonn Farrell

Cathal Haughey, grandson of the former Taoiseach, is set to take a seat in Fingal County Council today.

He was within just over 300 votes of the quota on the second count in the Howth-Malahide LEA this afternoon.

This is his second attempt at a council seat.

Haughey, who is also a nephew of sitting TD Seán Haughey, ran unsuccessfully in Clontarf in Dublin City Council in 2019.

9 Jun 2024 3:17PM
'We never went away, but we’re back'

Fine Gael TD for Mayo Michael Ring told our reporter Diarmuid Pepper in Castlebar that it’s been a “great election” for Fine Gael.

“The battle is on for the next election now and Fine Gael are back. We never went away, but we’re back.”

He added that Simon Harris has done a “super job” and has “really lifted the campaign”.

Ring also said he is “hopeful” Fine Gael will win two European seats in the Midlands-North-West, and commented that he has “no doubt” Maria Walsh will be re-elected.

The party, he remarked, was “in a bad place a few months ago” but that’s not the case now and that while he would have voted for Paschal Donohoe in a leadership battle, he has been really impressed by Simon Harris.

“And the energy he has, he was running all over the place, and even the fox couldn’t catch him.”

Ring also compared the length of the ballot paper, with its 27 candidates, to “toilet roll” and said it was a “disgrace”.

9 Jun 2024 3:21PM

We’ve got some more sitting councillors celebrating re-election down in the RDS, where Lauren Boland is covering the excitement.

 

9 Jun 2024 3:27PM

Here’s a roundup from Emma Hickey, who is reporting from Cherrywood:

A quarter of seats available for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown have now been filled – all by current councillors.

Fine Gael has taken six of the ten seats, across LEAs Stillorgan, Dundrum, Dún Laoghaire, and Blackrock.

Two Labour candidates, Lettie McCarthy and Carrie Smyth, have held onto their seats, as well as two Independent candidates, Sean McLoughlin and Michael Fleming. Counting is proceeding quickly – with the fourth count of Blackrock announced only minutes ago (no candidates met the quota).

At the moment, it looks like the vast majority of current councillors will hold onto their seats, though a few newcomers are very much in the running.

As they say, it’s all in the transfers.

The award for most unenthusiastic election here at Cherrywood goes to Fine Gael councillor John Kennedy, who had the same reaction one might have to an ease in traffic.

Fine Gael are six votes from securing the election of councillor Pierce Dargan in the Glencullen-Sandyford ward, though current councillor Oisín O’Connor of the Green Party is not far behind.

It’s fair to say that if anything, the electorate of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown don’t seem to be ones for change.

9 Jun 2024 3:30PM

As of 3:20pm, 321 out of 949 seats have been filled. Check out our updated overview of the results so far:

Results of the 2024 Local Elections (9) The Journal The Journal

9 Jun 2024 3:37PM

Sinn Féin’s Kourtney Kenny and Mícheál MacDonncha have both been elected in Dublin’s South East Inner City, meaning all seats in the constituency have been filled!

9 Jun 2024 3:45PM

Muiris O’Cearbhaill has an update from Weston Airport, where South Dublin County Council has had a busy afternoon. 

Fine Gael candidates Vicki Casserly and Caroline Brady and fellow independent Liona O’Toole’s first-preference figures reflect that they they are likely to be elected to the five-seater some time later today.

The fourth count has just taken place and no one has reached the quota of 1,926.

Late last night, former Green Party TD and independent councillor Paul Nicholas Gogarty was elected to the Lucan LEA, topping the poll.

Tallaght South closed last night on a cliffhanger, with the Deputy Returning Officer informing hopefuls that the results of the first count would be announced early this morning.

Independent councillor and MMA coach Paddy Holohan topped the poll on the first count and was elected this morning. The second seat is likely to be awarded to incumbent Fine Gael councillor Baby Pereppandan later this afternoon.

Two councillors have been elected to Tallaght Central, independent candidate and incumbent Mick Duff topped polls with 1,938 first-preference votes. Fellow incumbent and Fianna Fáil candidate Teresa Costello was just behind Duff, and secured the second seat.

The fifth count for Tallaght Central was just announced, with no one reaching the quota of 1,870.

After securing the first Tallaght South seat this morning, Holohan could also be elected to Tallaght Central as transfers in the area have served the former Sinn Féin councillor well.

Nobody secured a seat from any of the counts in Palmerstown-Fonthill.

Independent incumbent Alan Hayes and Fianna Fáil incumbent Shane Moynihan are closest to the 1,616-vote quota, currently sitting on 1,408 and 1,390 votes, respectively, after the fourth count. Green Party candidate Karla Doran was eliminated.

In Clondalkin, the largest ward in this local authority, the popular independent incumbent Francis Timmons is the only candidate to be elected so far.

The quota in Clondalkin is 1,601 and it is a dog fight for the remaining six seats in Clondalkin.

People Before Profit Darragh Adelaide is likely to pick up the second seat, on 1,191 votes.

Fianna Fáil incumbent Trevor Gilligan is leading with 1,076 votes after the sixth count and fellow-party incumbent Shirley O’Hara is behind him on 1,016. Sinn Féin incumbent William Carey is neck-and-neck with Independent Ireland candidate Linda De Courcy, on 1,000 votes each.

Counters are currently transferring votes for the fourth count in Firhouse-Bohernabreena, where independent incumbent Alan Edge, Fine Gael incumbent Brian Lawlor and Fianna Fáil incumbent Emma Murphy have already been elected this morning.

Labour party incumbent Pamela Kearns was the first candidate to be elected to the Rathfarnham-Templeogue ward within the last hour.

IMG_3308 Muiris O'Cearbhaill Muiris O'Cearbhaill

9 Jun 2024 3:57PM

And that’s three seats filled in Dublin’s North Inner City!

9 Jun 2024 4:00PM

While things are speeding up locally, there’s still a wait for the EU election results, The Journal‘s David Mac Redmond reports.

While they won’t be published until all of the member states have voted, with Italy being the last to do so, there will be partial projections from the European Parliament beginning at 5:15pm today.

The partial projections will be based on aggregated exit polls and pre-election opinion polls,  and on the make-up of the last Parliament.

A projection for how the full Parliament might look will follow at 7:15 pm.

9 Jun 2024 4:04PM

Speaking to Lauren Boland, newly-re-elected Janet Horner says she’s ”delighted” to be back in.

On climate, she says she is “hopeful” that enough candidates will be elected who have “strong ideas about what climate action needs to look like” at local authority level.

9 Jun 2024 4:18PM
McDonald's message to voters

Mary Lou McDonald has posted a message to voters on X, expressing disappointment at her party’s performance. 

She says she “couldn’t have asked any more” of the candidates.

“Clearly we’re disappointed we didn’t get more candidates elected.

“We have made some modest gains but we haven’t had the day we would hope for.”

The Sinn Féin leader said it’s clear that people have favoured independent candidates and those from smaller parties over hers, but she left out the fact that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have scooped the most seats so far.

Between now and the general election, she says, Sinn Féin is going to reflect, learn and adapt, so the party can “come back stronger”.

9 Jun 2024 4:34PM
Keeping it in the family

A whopping 10 Fianna Fáil TDs have had a sibling elected to local government!

They are as follows:

  • Jackie Cahill
  • Micheál Martin
  • Michael McGrath
  • Aindrias Moynihan
  • Michael Moynihan
  • John McGuinness
  • Sean Fleming
  • Darragh O’Brien
  • Jennifer Murnane O’Connor
  • Thomas Byrne
9 Jun 2024 4:35PM

Martin Harvey Returning officer for Ireland South tells our reporter Niall O’Connor that it will take a “miracle” to get a result tonight and it will go into tomorrow at least.

Niall O’Connor / X (Formerly Twitter)

9 Jun 2024 4:38PM

I’m going to hand the liveblog over to my colleague Jane Moore now. It’s set to be a lively evening, and we’ll have all the updates!

9 Jun 2024 4:46PM

Hello hello – Jane Moore here! I’ll be with you for the next while as the latest results come in throughout the afternoon. 

As things stand, 385 of the 949 seats have been filled. 

Here’s the state of the parties so far: 

Screenshot (597) The Journal The Journal

9 Jun 2024 4:51PM

All seven of Dublin’s North Inner City seats have been filled!

Sinn Féin’s Janice Boylan has been re-elected after reaching the quota on the 12th count. 

Daniel Ennis (SD), Nial Ring (Ind) and Malachy Steenson (Ind) did not reach the quota, but have been deemed elected. 

9 Jun 2024 4:55PM

Still coming in handy 47 years later.

9 Jun 2024 5:00PM

Taoiseach Simon Harris has arrived in the RDS in the last while – and he’s poured cold water on the prospect of an early general election on the back of Fine Gael’s performance in the local elections. 

“My position in relation to that hasn’t changed,” he told reporters. 

9 Jun 2024 5:03PM

Harris has also hit out at Sinn Féin, after Daithí Doolan claimed yesterday that Fine Gael were “obsessed” with his party.

“Were not,” the Taoiseach says, adding: “Maybe if they became a little bit more obsessed with policy detail and playing a constructive role in solutions, maybe they’d be in a different position today.”

9 Jun 2024 5:06PM

Some photos here of Taoiseach Simon Harris greeting counters at the RDS, courtesy of our reporter Eimer McAuley.

IMG_2454 The Journal The Journal

IMG_2453 The Journal The Journal

IMG_2448 The Journal The Journal

9 Jun 2024 5:07PM

If you’d like to see some more snaps from count centres around the country, you can find some in our piece here.

9 Jun 2024 5:18PM

Meanwhile, in Cork, outgoing Green Party MEP Grace O’Sullivan has conceded that she is unlikely to retain her seat in Ireland South. 

“I’m getting a sense that the tide is going out,” she told reporters. 

While she said she has worked very hard over the last five years, she feels the voters “have other things on their mind” since the “green wave” in 2019. 

Counting is underway in the European elections, but the results of the first count (if it is completed) will not be announced until 10pm tonight at the earliest.

9 Jun 2024 5:23PM

Some nice words here from Labour’s Aodhán Ó Ríordáin about the party’s newly-elected councillor in Clontarf, Alison Field.

9 Jun 2024 5:25PM

Our reporter Niall O’Connor has been speaking to Martin Harvey, the returning officer in Ireland South, about how he thinks things are shaping up for his team of counting staff.

“We have 700,000 papers we are counting since early this morning since we started this morning. These are long, bulky papers with 23 candidates – we had hoped that we might have first count this evening but that is looking less likely now,” he said. 

“We have a large staff of more than 200 people and we hope to utilise that staff today and keep working until tonight at 10 or 11 o’clock.

Harvey said it’s likely there won’t be a first count result there this evening and it will probably be tomorrow morning instead.

“It is similar in terms of volume – 23 candidates the last time, paper was more or less the same size, the numbers were similar enough. The last time we had a result on the first day or counting but this time, for whatever the reason is, it looks like we won’t have it until tomorrow.

9 Jun 2024 5:34PM

Alessia Micalizzi has been taking a closer look at what’s been happening across Europe as these bumper EU elections continue – here’s the latest on Italy: 

On its second polling day, Italy’s turnout is still low with 25% being the latest figure recorded today at 12pm.

According to Sky Italia, the highest turnout was recorded in the North West constituency, reaching 28.90%, while the lowest was in Sicily and Sardinia, which make up the Islands constituency, with 18% of voters expressing their preference.

More encouraging data could be released within the end of the day as Italians have until 11pm today to elect the 76 MEPs who will represent the country.

There are six party leaders running for Brussels: far-right Brothers of Italy’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni, Democratic Party’s Elly Schlein, centre-right Forza Italia’s Antonio Tajani, left-leaning Emma Bonino and Matteo Renzi who joined to create “United States of Europe”, and centre-left Azione’s Carlo Calenda.

However, due to their role in the national Parliament, five of them already said that they will turn down the seat if elected.

Although this strategy might have appealed to their most loyal voters, it might also have impacted the general interest in these elections in the country.

This was not the case for 105-year-old Erminia Di Gianantonio, the oldest voter in the country from Pisa (Tuscany). As reported in the RaiNews.it liveblog, she sorted out with Pisa city council the possibility to vote in the nursery home where she lives.

“I have never skipped a vote since 1946 [when women were allowed to vote for the first time in the country],” she said to RaiNews.

“It’s a right, but a civil duty too. I can’t imagine not doing it.”

Giorgia Meloni, who has worked closely with president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen to bring forward tighter policies on migration, has given hope to all the established and emerging far-right movements in the EU, as she was able to gain influence and consensus in the European Parliament in spite of her extremist ideas.

The opposition Democratic Party, which stands in the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats with Ireland’s Labour, was Italians’ second choice in 2019 with 22.74% of votes. As their side of the Parliament increasingly lost consensus in the country, their success this time strongly relies on people actively wanting to fight the far-right rhetoric.

This could partly be achieved by a new law which for the first time allowed more than 23,000 Italian students living away from home to vote in the city where they are studying.

Long queues of students outside of polling stations were reported yesterday from the RaiNews.it liveblog in Bologna, a city typically known for its left-leaning student population.

an-elderly-woman-checks-her-voting-paper-before-entering-a-polling-station-in-milan-italy-sunday-june-9-2024-tens-of-millions-across-the-european-union-were-voting-in-eu-parliamentary-elections-o An elderly woman checks her voting paper before entering a polling station in Milan today. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

9 Jun 2024 5:36PM

As we mentioned earlier, Malachy Steenson was elected on the 12th count in Dublin’s North Inner City.

Sunday Count 1_90706864 Malachy Steenson at the RDS this afternoon. RollingNews.ie RollingNews.ie

Steenson is a former election candidate for the Worker’s Party who is now best known as an anti-immigrant campaigner. Steenson came to prominence during protests in East Wall, Dublin.

He signed a letter saying that access to the Port Tunnel would be blocked until the government gave into demands that a direct provision centre in the area would be closed.

Steenson campaigned saying that the asylum process in Ireland was flawed and that the system had been established so that landlords and charity controllers could generate wealth.

In May, Steenson said that an “assassination attempt” was made against him, after an incident outside his office in East Wall that led to one arrest. Steenson was not in his office at the time and arrived after the arrest had been made.

9 Jun 2024 5:42PM

The last of the three seats available in the Belmullet LEA in Mayo has been filled!

The three candidates to be elected there are:

  • Paul McNamara (FF) – elected on the fourth count
  • Gerry Coyle (FG) – elected on the fourth count
  • Sean Carey (FF) – elected on the fifth count 
9 Jun 2024 5:45PM

Three members of the Healy-Rae family have been elected to Kerry County Council – exactly what happened in 2019. 

Jackie Healy-Rae was elected in Castleisland, his cousin Maura Healy-Rae was elected in Killarney and her brother Johnny Healy-Rae was elected in Kenmare. The three are grandchildren of the late Dáil deputy Jackie Healy-Rae. 

My colleague Rónán Duffy has the full story here.

9 Jun 2024 5:52PM

Wondering how many Dublin LEAs have filled all of their available seats?

Fear not, my colleague Lauren Boland has got you covered:

9 Jun 2024 5:57PM

Fine Gael’s Britto Pereppadan has been elected on the ninth count in South Dublin County Council’s Tallaght Central. 

His father Baby Pereppadan was re-elected to the Tallaght South LEA this afternoon.

IMG_3367 Baby and Britto Pereppadan this afternoon. Muiris O'Cearbhaill / The Journal Muiris O'Cearbhaill / The Journal / The Journal

9 Jun 2024 6:08PM

Speaking of Donegal, the newly-formed 100% Redress Party has seen two of its six candidates elected so far today. 

Ali Farren topped the poll in the Carndonagh LEA with 2,253 votes, while Joy Beard won a seat in the Buncrana LEA with 1,587 votes. 

You can read the full story here.

9 Jun 2024 6:17PM

Labour councillor Fiona Connelly has said it “still doesn’t feel real” after being re-elected to the Dublin City Council Kimmage-Rathmines LEA.

She told our reporter Lauren Boland that the key issues that people were bringing up while campaigning included parking, bus routes, housing and Rathmines post office.

9 Jun 2024 6:21PM

Father-and-son candidates Baby and Britto Pereppadan, who have won a seat each on the South Dublin County Council for Fine Gael today, have been speaking to reporters in the last while. 

“We are very happy,” Baby Pereppadan said. “We have worked very hard these last couple of months, he’s working full time and I’m a full-time councillor for five years.”

Our reporter Muiris O’Cearbhaill has the full story here. 

9 Jun 2024 6:26PM

As we approach 6.30pm, almost half of the 949 council seats have been filled so far. 

We have a list of all of those filled seats that you can read here.

Here’s the state of the parties so far:

Screenshot (598)

9 Jun 2024 6:29PM

As we reported earlier, while counting kicked off in the European elections today, we won’t have the results of the first count – if it is completed – until 10pm at the earliest.

Looking across to the continent, though, exit polling data suggests that far-right parties are performing well in Germany and Austria, as had been expected. 

My colleague David MacRedmond has the latest here.

9 Jun 2024 6:31PM

Alessia Micalizzi has been taking a closer look at what’s been happening across Europe as these bumper EU elections continue – here’s the latest on Belgium: 

A big turnout at the elections can cause interesting complications, or so it seems in Belgium which usually has the highest turnout in the whole EU and where “numerous incidents” at the polling stations have been reported.

Maxime Prévot, president of Les Engagés (EPP), was almost pushed into a river, just after voting in his town Namur. Prévot told Belgian news publication L’Avenir:

“He was wearing a Palestinian flag on his back and yelling at me, saying I wasn’t doing anything for the Palestinian people.”

Everything ended for the best, but Prévot said he had “a bit of an adrenaline rush”.

According to Belgian media La Libre, voters across the country have then been turned back at polling stations due to technical issues.

In the latest update by Euronews, 15 stations still had issues 5 hours ago, and people waited up to two hours before being able to vote at a polling station in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, due to the high turnout and a computer system failure.

Unconfirmed reports in Belgian media have been suggesting that minors aged 16 and 17, who are legally allowed to have their say in the designation of MEPs, have been voting for the federal and regional elections too. As reported by Euronews, “this could lead to re-election in some polling stations”.

namur-belgium-09th-june-2024-les-engages-chairman-maxime-prevot-casts-his-vote-at-a-polling-station-in-namur-sunday-09-june-2024-belgium-holds-coinciding-elections-for-the-regional-federal-and Maxime Prévot - voting earlier, before almost being pushed into a river. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

9 Jun 2024 6:33PM

Here’s how the Ireland South count centre at Nemo Rangers GAA Club in Cork city is looking, courtesy of our man on the ground Niall O’Connor:

9 Jun 2024 6:42PM

Independent Vincent Jackson has been re-elected to Dublin City Council for Ballyfermot-Drimnagh on the ninth count. 

9 Jun 2024 6:50PM

Emma Hickey reports from the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown count in Cherrywood:

Things has slowed down here. Many wards are on the fourth or fifth count. 15 candidates have been elected today, seven of whom are Fine Gael.

Candidates have turned their attention to the RDS, where a flurry of elections have taken place for the Dublin City Council, as action lacks here.

One newcomer, Fine Gael’s Pierce Dargan was held aloft earlier today, all smiles, as it was announced that he had met the quota.

Green Party incumbents Oisín O’Connor and Tom Kivlehan have held onto their seats.

Greens deputy leader Catherine Martin told The Journal that it looked like the Greens were going to keep all six of their seats on the council.

TD Richard Boyd Barrett has been holding down the People Before Profit camp for several hours here at the count centre. A former member of the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, he is championing fellow party members Dave O’Keefe in Killiney-Shankill, Melisa Halpin in Dún Laoghaire, and Cian Mac Aonghusa in Blackrock.

Halpin has held onto her seat. This is sure to be a relief for Boyd Barrett, who could be seen intently examining tallies across the day.

Fianna Fáil have had their first candidate elected, with councillor Shay Brennan from LEA Dundrum meeting the quota.

9 Jun 2024 6:58PM

All six seats in Galway City East have now been filled.

Alan Cheevers (FF) and Independents Declan McDonnell and Terry O’Flaherty have been re-elected.

Former Independent Noel Larkin’s decision to run with Independent Ireland didn’t pay off, as he was not re-elected. Helen Ogbu, elected with Labour, arrived in Galway as a refugee in 2005 and is the first African woman ever elected in Galway City.

9 Jun 2024 7:01PM

My colleague Rónán Duffy has the latest from Dublin City Council’s Artane-Whitehall LEA, where Fianna Fáil’s Racheal Batten could be elected first.

9 Jun 2024 7:12PM

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A snapshot of the terrifying amount of junk food The Journal is being fuelled by as counting continues. Out of shot: a towering pile of empty pizza boxes.

We can only hope that counting concludes quickly for the sake of our health. (As you can see, the bananas are unopened and untouched, so we have only ourselves to blame.) 

9 Jun 2024 7:14PM

Muiris O’Cearbhaill reports from the South Dublin County Council count at Weston Airport:

We are approaching double-digit counts here in the (very cold) airplane hangar at Weston Airport for South Dublin County Council. The seven-seater constituency of Clondalkin, which has just finished its ninth count, is still a tight race.

People Before Profit’s Darragh Adelaide is still slowly approaching the 1,601-quota – currently on 1,293. Of the remaining five seats, two could go to Fine Gael and one to Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, Independent Ireland or Social Democrats.

Transfers are drying up too in Clondalkin, with the highest number of non-transferable so far votes being counted during the last count (97), meaning it could be the case that one, or more, of these candidates might not need to reach the quota.

There are still no candidates who have been elected to Palmerstown-Fonthill, where Fianna Fáil incumbent councillor Shane Moynihan and independent incumbent Alan Hayes are likely to take the first two seats.

No candidate has yet to hit the 1,616-vote quota as of the seventh count.

9 Jun 2024 7:26PM

Tánaiste Micheál Martin has arrived at the Ireland South count centre at Nemo Rangers GAA Club in Cork city.

Speaking to reporters there, he says the results thus far demonstrate that Fianna Fáil is “a very, very competitive force in Irish politics”. 

9 Jun 2024 7:36PM

Fine Gael’s Vicki Casserly has been re-elected to South Dublin County Council for Lucan on the eighth count. 

There are three seats still up for grabs in the five-seater LEA. Independent Paul Gogarty claimed the first one late last night.

9 Jun 2024 7:36PM
Lauren Boland reports from the RDS:

To use a well-worn cliché, the pace of election announcements at the RDS count centre today were like buses – few and far between, and then all at once.

It was a slow enough start at first this morning as votes were counted from across Dublin city. One of the first candidates elected was Claire Byrne of the Green Party in the South East Inner City.

Green Party Leader Eamon Ryan told me: “There’s no green wave for us this election”.

“It’s mixed feelings – it’s really important that we kick on from here and learn lessons and come back ready for the next election.”

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Also promising some lesson-learning is Sinn Féin, whose high hopes have been somewhat dampened in these locals. Councillor Daithí Doolan, speaking to me after he was re-elected, said the party will need to examine “strategic errors” that were made during the campaign period but that it still intends to “dislodge” Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael at the general election.

Despite a disappointing result overall, there was some joy for Sinn Féin, like the election of first-time candidate Kourtney Kenny.

Speaking to The Journal afterwards, the new councillor for South East Inner City said: “I’m from an area where I feel like we don’t get involved, we don’t use our voice… To me, it was really important that people are seen and heard and involved in the conversation.”

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By this point, announcements of election winners were happening fast and furious. 

Anti-immigration candidate Malachy Steenson was elected to North Inner City Dublin on the same count as the Social Democrats’ Daniel Ennis and Independent Nial Ring. Steenson made the most notable headway for the new hard right cohort of candidates in Dublin city today.

For Fine Gael, Taoiseach Simon Harris was over at the Simmonscourt wing of the RDS for the European count, where he was met with plenty of enthusiasm from members. 

Labour and the Social Democrats both seem content with their performance, with the latter hoping it may be able to double its number of Dublin City councillors from five to ten.

As we head now into the twilight hours, all the surprise and suspense has ended for several local areas where all the seats have been filled. Let’s see how the rest of the election for the country’s largest local authority plays out.

9 Jun 2024 7:41PM

We have some photos of Tánaiste Micheál Martin and his wife Mary visiting the count centre at Nemo Rangers GAA Club in Cork. 

IMG_8762 Niall O'Connor Niall O'Connor

IMG_8758 Niall O'Connor Niall O'Connor

IMG_8759 Niall O'Connor Niall O'Connor

9 Jun 2024 7:45PM

Diarmuid Pepper reports from the Midlands-North-West count in Castlebar:

2XAYCXM Lisa Chambers at the count centre in Castlebar. Diarmuid Pepper Diarmuid Pepper

At the Midlands-North-West count in Castlebar, Fianna Fáil Senator and European Election candidate Lisa Chambers says the party will take a seat, and that she is in the running for the fifth seat.

“Given that there appears to be a decline in the Sinn Féin support that we weren’t expecting – certainly on the level that’s there – that’s shaken things up,” said Chambers.

She added: “Maria Walsh, Luke Flanagan, Ciaran Mullooly, and Barry Cowen are doing well and that fifth seat will be between Nina Carberry, the Sinn Féin candidates and myself depending on how the transfers go.”

The constituency was previously a four seater but has gained a seat since the last election.

However, it will be a long time before the picture becomes clear, and a first count is nowhere near being available tonight.

Chambers also says Sinn Féin will be “scratching their heads” about their election so far and adds that Sinn Féin has got its messaging wrong in the past six months.

“It’s really interesting, because you’re looking at a party that were openly saying that their party leader was a Taoiseach in waiting and they couldn’t wait to have an election.

“I think they’ve made a couple of errors in the last six months in particular, on immigration, on housing, on key issues,” said Chambers.

“They’ve gotten their messaging wrong, they’ve tried to be all things to all people and speak out of both sides and we’ve a very informed and intelligent electorate and they saw that for what it was.”

Fianna Fáil are running three candidates in Midlands-North-West, and Chambers told reporters this evening she felt “two candidates would have been the right strategy”.

However, she said she “trusts” that the people who make these calls got their decision right.

“If you look at the geographic spread of our candidates, that was the rationale for running three, to have that geographic spread.

“We’ll know when the result is over if it was the right call, but we look to be having a good election.”

9 Jun 2024 7:53PM

We have the first projections from the European Parliament, based on estimates from 11 European countries and pre-electoral data for the remaining 16 countries.

Based on this, it looks like Ursula von der Leyen’s European People’s Party is on course to remain the largest party in the new European Parliament, with 181 seats. 

9 Jun 2024 7:54PM

The first exit polls and results from France will be available in the next hours with polling stations closed at 8pm local time, reports The Journal‘s Alessia Micalizzi.

About 45% of the electorate voted by 5pm, when the latest update on turnout was given by the French Interior Minister. The final figure is expected to equal or pass the 50.12% turnout rate of 2019.

Last week, a poll from Le Monde found that Jordan Bardella, a candidate with right-wing Marine Le Pen’s party National Rally, would be the French voters’ favourite, with 32% support.

“Sunday is also a referendum in favour, or against, Macron’s politics,” Bardella told France 2 on Friday, and claimed that its party is not an opposition party anymore. On his X page, he added that it is, in fact, the only group able to defeat French President Emmanuel Macron.

The same poll then found that 15% of the electorate would be choosing Valérie Haye, Macron’s Renaissance party, but that there is the narrowest gap ever recorded between them and candidates for The Socialist Party, which are polling third with 14.5% of voting intentions.

9 Jun 2024 8:04PM
!Over 500 councillors elected!

We’ve passed the half-way mark, with 500 seats filled as of 7.45pm. 

You can find a list of those elected councillors here. 

9 Jun 2024 8:11PM

Earlier today, Declan Meehan topped the poll in the Milford LEA in Donegal, receiving 1,739 first preference votes on the first count. 

Meehan is the manager of Milford and District Resource Centre and an LGBTQ+ campaigner. He is also the first openly gay man to be elected as a public representative in Donegal. 

Meehan campaigned on community development, social inclusion and rural regeneration. Speaking in the count centre in Letterkenny, he said he was proud to be elected “to represent the interests of all people in our local area”.

“At a time when we are seeing increasing divisions nationally, Friday’s vote is a ringing endorsement of what we in Donegal all know; our community is welcoming and progressive – we are unified and not divided,” he said.

“I am humbled to be a part of history today as the first openly gay man elected to public office in Donegal.

“I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to everyone who came out and voted, to those who worked tirelessly on my campaign and to all those who came before, paving the way for me to stand here today as a proud gay man and a proud member of our community.”

9 Jun 2024 8:14PM

Muiris O’Cearbhaill reports from the South Dublin County Council count at Weston Airport:

Philip Dwyer, far-right agitator and local and European candidate for Ireland First, was escorted out by gardaí at Weston Airport where votes are being counted for South Dublin County Council.

According to a statement from the spokesperson for the council: “Gardaí removed a candidate from Weston Airport count centre this evening following an altercation with another candidate at the centre.”

It’s understood the alleged altercation took place between Dwyer and a number of People Before Profit staff members, local candidates and elected TDs Paul Murphy and Gino Kenny, who were present at the centre.

It is further understood that Dwyer approached the party members and allegedly made a threatening remark towards a member of the group.

Videos circulating on social media of the incident appear to show Dwyer arguing with a number of People Before Profit members and later with Gardaí.

9 Jun 2024 8:16PM

Rónán Duffy reports from the Dublin City Council count at the RDS:

Plenty of seats to fill and storylines to follow at the Dublin City Council count centre in the RDS.

In the six-seater Artane-Whitehall LEA there are under 400 votes separating the top seven. No one has yet been elected, but with just eight candidates remaining, there is not long left.

Fianna Fáil’s sitting councillor Racheal Batten will benefit from transfers from her party colleague Aoibheann Mahon that should see her home, with the Social Democrats looking good to take two seats.

Veteran Sinn Féin councillor Larry O’Toole is 32 votes behind his party colleague Edel Moran and it seems likely that he’ll be the final elimination. Party activists could be heard joking with O’Toole about his retirement as they crunched the numbers.

There have been ten counts in the six-seat Ballymun-Finglas LEA and we should see the remaining five seats filled soon, with Fianna Fáil’s Keith Connolly already elected. It’s looking like a rare bright spot for Sinn Féin where they should see two councillors elected in the form of Anthony Connaghan and Leslie Kane.

Conor Reddy (PBP) and Mary Callaghan (SocDems) are each on course to take a seat each, with anti-immigration agitator Gavin Pepper also set to take a seat on the council.

Aside from the ongoing battles there have been the usual heart-warming scenes and candidates who put in the long hours are rewarded. There are few who have put in longer than Independent Vincent Jackson, elected in Ballyfermot-Drimnagh for a sixth term having served on Dublin City Council since 1991.

9 Jun 2024 8:23PM
Macron calls snap election in France

le-touquet-france-09th-june-2024-president-emmanuel-macron-casting-his-ballot-for-the-european-parliament-election-at-a-polling-station-in-le-touquet-northern-france-on-june-9-2024-voting-began French President Emmanuel Macron casting his ballot for the European Parliament election at a polling station in Le Touquet, northern France earlier today. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

French President Emmanuel Macron has dissolved the National Assembly and called new parliamentary elections after the far-right trounced his centrist alliance in EU poll projections. 

My colleague David MacRedmond has the latest here.

9 Jun 2024 8:33PM

Labour’s Darragh Moriarty said he is “chuffed to bits” after being re-elected in Dublin’s South West Inner City on the 11th count, with 1,441 votes.

There are three more seats up for grabs, with Jen Cummins (SD) and Ammar Ali (FF) being the closest to reach quota. May Kelsey Daly (PBP) will likely lose her seat as she only had 753 votes so far.

The future is uncertain for Sinn Féin incumbent candidate Máire Devine, as the party decided to run three candidates in the LEA and Devine is now behind Independent Damien Farrell.

9 Jun 2024 8:37PM

A full recount is underway in Limerick City West.

It was requested by Fine Gael candidate Michael MacCurtain.

9 Jun 2024 8:47PM

All five seats up for grabs in the Dublin City Council Ballyfermot-Drimnagh LEA have been filled!

The five candidates to be elected there are:

  • Daithí Doolan (SF) – elected on the second count
  • Vincent Jackson (Ind) – elected on the ninth count
  • Hazel De Nortúin – (PBP) – elected on tenth count
  • Ray Cunningham (GP) – elected on the tenth count
  • Philip Sutcliffe (II) – elected on the tenth count
9 Jun 2024 9:02PM

Sinn Féin incumbent councillor William Carey has been re-elected to SDCC for the Clondalkin LEA on the twelfth count. 

9 Jun 2024 9:12PM

We have our second recount of the night – this time, in Fingal County Council’s Castleknock LEA. 

According to Phoenix FM, the recount was requested by Fianna Fáil’s Howard Mahony.

9 Jun 2024 9:15PM

Cork City North West is the latest LEA to have filled all of its available seats. 

The six successful candidates are:

  • Tony Fitzgerald (FF) – elected on the first count
  • Damian Boylan (FG) – elected on the first count 
  • John Sheehan (FF) – elected on the fourth count
  • Kenneth Collins (SF) – elected on the tenth count
  • Michelle Gould (SF) – elected on the tenth count
  • Brian McCarthy (PBP) – elected on the tenth count
9 Jun 2024 9:20PM

Cathal Haughey – the grandson of, you guessed it, former Taoiseach Charles Haughey – has been elected in the Howth/Malahide LEA on the sixth count.

9 Jun 2024 9:24PM

Shane Moynihan (FF) has become the first elected councillor for Palmerstown Fonthill LEA on the tenth count.

9 Jun 2024 9:25PM

Our reporter Muiris O’Cearbhaill has the latest on SDCC’s Tallaght South LEA, where all five seats have been filled:

9 Jun 2024 9:31PM

Another recount – this time in the Swinford LEA. 

9 Jun 2024 9:42PM

Political Editor Christina Finn reporting from the RDS

It has been a long day of counting here at the Simmonscourt for the European elections. 

There has been bit of movement of late, with candidates such as Sinn Féin’s Lynn Boylan, Fianna Fáil’s Barry Andrews and Fine Gael’s Regina Doherty all arriving back at the count centre. 

Count staff are now leaving for the day, with Andrews telling The Journal that the first count is due to be announced at 10pm.

Don’t get too excited though, it is unlikely that anyone has reached the quota, so it will be back tomorrow for the remaining counts. 

9 Jun 2024 10:04PM

Minister Simon Coveney has been speaking to my colleague Niall O’Connor at the Ireland South count centre in Cork, and he had strong words about what he described as te failure of extremist parties and candidates to make a breakthrough. 

“The main message of this weekend, in my view, is that the centre ground of Irish politics has held through this round of elections,” said Coveney. 

“And the far right and the far left and the populists in the Dáil in particular, have failed to gain the trust of the electorate in a way that they were expecting to, and in a way that, let’s face it, most in the media, were expecting them to aswell.

He said that is both reassuring and gives “pause for thought for everybody.” “If you see how populism has spread in many other European countries, very rarely to the benefit of those countries or or the societies that rely on those political systems – we haven’t seen that happen in Ireland in this round of elections, and I think that’s a good thing.”

9 Jun 2024 10:06PM

Sean Kelly, who looks likely to top the poll in Ireland South whenever the results are announced (tomorrow? Tuesday? who knows!), has also been talking to Niall. 

Niall O’Connor / X (Formerly Twitter)

9 Jun 2024 10:13PM

Dublin City Council has been firing through the results this evening, and has now filled eight of the 11 Local Electoral Areas in the capital city. Here’s how it’s looking right now. 

DCC sunday evening

The Ballymun-Finglas count has also just been completed in the last few minutes too, according to my colleague Rónán Duffy who is in the RDS.  

Rónán Duffy / X (Formerly Twitter)

9 Jun 2024 10:14PM

How are things looking in Ireland South, I hear you ask? Well, counting is continuing but it’s looking likely that they’re going to adjourn soon and come back again at 9am tomorrow. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, etc. 

Niall O’Connor / X (Formerly Twitter)

9 Jun 2024 10:17PM

And here’s some more on Dublin City Council from Rónán Duffy. Artane-Whitehall has just announced another count which saw Sinn Féin’s Edel Moran get over the line, in one of the more emotional moments that we’ve seen today. 

Rónán Duffy / X (Formerly Twitter)

Kevin Coyle, a prominent Coolock Says No protester will be eliminated on the next round and his 1,692 votes will be distributed. 
https://x.com/ronanduffy_/status/1799911632635908171

9 Jun 2024 10:19PM

We’ve a count coming in for Dublin!! 

9 Jun 2024 10:36PM

We have a dogfight on our hands! The first count for the Dublin European constituency has Barry Andrews (FF) and Regina Doherty (FG) far out in front, but then there are just five thousand votes separating Lynn Boylan (SF), Ciaran Cuffe (GP), Aodhán Ó Riordáin (Lab) and Niall Boylan (II), with Clare Daly not too far behind.

It is, as always, all going to come down to the transfers. 

The count is now going to adjourn for the evening before resuming in the morning. Want to make any predictions? Let us know in the comments. 

dublin count 1

9 Jun 2024 10:39PM

Meanwhile, counting has adjourned at the Nemo Rangers GAA Club count centre.

Our reporter Niall O’Connor says things will get back up and running at 8.30am tomorrow, with the first count for Ireland South expected around 12pm. 

9 Jun 2024 10:44PM

With the European election counts adjourned for the night, we have a few more results to bring you on the local elections front. 

Paddy Holohan (Ind) won his second seat in the Tallaght Central ward of South Dublin county council on the 14th count.

Earlier this morning, he topped the poll and was the first candidate to be elected in Tallaght South.

Holohan will have to choose which seat he will take and nominate someone to take over (or Co-opt) his seat, at the approval of the chief executive.

After hearing the announcement, he quickly left the count centre to get back to his children at home in bed.

9 Jun 2024 10:52PM

It’s all wrapped up in the Lucan LEA, with the five available seats now filled!

The successful candidates there are:

  • Paul Nicholas Gogarty (Ind) – elected on the first count
  • Vicki Casserly (FG) – elected on the eighth count
  • Liona O’Toole (Ind) – elected on the twelfth count
  • Caroline Brady (FG) – elected on the twelfth count (didn’t reach quota)
  • Joanna Tuffy (Ind) – elected on the twelfth count (didn’t reach quota)
9 Jun 2024 10:56PM

We have more recount news to bring you.

There will be three recounts in Wexford – in Gorey, Rosslare and Enniscorthy. 

All three will begin at 10am tomorrow morning. 

9 Jun 2024 10:59PM

As we reported earlier, Barry Andrews topped the first count for Dublin in the European elections, with Regina Doherty hot on his heels – but no candidate has met the quota on the first count

You can see the full results from Dublin on our database here.

9 Jun 2024 11:03PM

One more LEA completed – this time it’s Cork City South East.

The six successful candidates there are:

  • Terry Shannon (FF) – elected on the eighth count
  • Kieran McCarthy (Ind) – elected on the ninth count
  • Mary Rose Desmond (FF) – elected on the twelfth count
  • Des Cahill (FG) – elected on the twelfth count
  • Peter Horgan (LAB) – elected on the twelfth count
  • Honore Kamegni (GP) – elected on the twelfth count

Cue the celebrations.

9 Jun 2024 11:08PM

Here’s how things are looking for the parties as of 10.51pm:

Screenshot (599)

If you want to catch up on all the seats that have been filled so far, we have a handy list here.

9 Jun 2024 11:19PM

My colleague David MacRedmond has been keeping an eye on what’s happening in Europe. He writes:

Slovakia‘s Prime Minister Robert Fico suffered a surprise loss in the EU elections to the opposition liberals, weeks after he was gravely wounded in an assassination attempt.

Fico’s left-wing nationalist Smer-SD party expressed “congratulations to the winner of the election, Progressive Slovakia” and its new European parliament members, on its Facebook page.

Progressive Slovakia (PS) won 27.81% of the votes the EU election, meaning six seats in the European Parliament, according to results widely reported in Slovak media ahead of their official publication.

Smer-SD won 24.76%, yielding it five seats in the 720-member EU assembly. Far-right party Republika came third with 12.53% and two seats, the results showed.

Spain‘s right-wing Popular Party has won, just beating Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s Socialists, official results showed.

With 99% of ballots counted, the opposition PP won with 22 seats ahead of the Socialists with 20 seats, while the far-right Vox came in third with six seats.

9 Jun 2024 11:23PM

We have some photos trickling in of some of the Dublin European Election candidates as the results of the first count were being read out:

fianna-fail-european-election-candidate-barry-andrews-listens-as-the-returning-officer-reads-the-results-at-the-royal-dublin-society-during-the-count-for-the-local-and-european-elections-picture-date Fianna Fáil European Election candidate Barry Andrews listens as the returning officer reads the results at the RDS. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

fine-gael-european-election-candidate-regina-doherty-listens-as-the-returning-officer-reads-the-results-at-the-royal-dublin-society-during-the-count-for-the-local-and-european-elections-picture-date Fine Gael European Election candidate Regina Doherty listens as the returning officer reads the results at the RDS. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

sinn-fein-european-election-candidate-lynn-boylan-listens-as-the-returning-officer-reads-the-results-at-the-royal-dublin-society-during-the-count-for-the-local-and-european-elections-picture-date-su Sinn Féin European Election candidate Lynn Boylan listens as the returning officer reads the results at the RDS. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

9 Jun 2024 11:30PM

All seven of the available seats in Limerick City East LEA have been filled!

The successful candidates in the area are:

  • Catherine Slattery (FF) – elected on the first count
  • Peter Coyle (FG) – elected on the first count
  • Joe Pond (FF) – elected on the second count
  • Elena Secas (Lab) – elected on the third count
  • Sarah Kiely (FG) – elected on the eighth count
  • Seán Hartigan (GP) – elected on the eleventh count
  • Ursula Gavan (SF) – elected on the eleventh count
9 Jun 2024 11:36PM

Tallaght Central LEA has also finished counting, with all six seats there now filled.

The successful candidates there are:

  • Mick Duff (Ind) – elected on the 1st count
  • Teresa Costello (FF) – elected on the 1st count
  • Britto Pereppadan (FG) – elected on the 9th count
  • Patrick Pearse Holohan (Ind) – elected on the 14th count
  • Jess Spear (PBP) – elected on the 16th count
  • Niamh Whelan (SF) – elected on the 16th count
9 Jun 2024 11:39PM

All 63 Dublin City Council seats have now been filled!

Here’s how things stand for the parties there:

You can find all newly-elected local councillors here.

9 Jun 2024 11:45PM

All wrapped up in Clare County Council too, with all 28 available seats filled there.

10 Jun 2024 12:01AM

Muiris O’Cearbhaill sums up the state of play in South Dublin

We’re nearing the end of the night here at Weston Airport, but there’s still a way to go.

All seats have been filled on five of the seven wards in South Dublin County Council: Lucan, Firhouse-Bohernabreena, Tallaght Central and Tallaght South and in the last couple of minutes Clondalkin.

In Clondalkin, first time candidate for People Before Profit Darragh Adelaide has just been elected. He spoke to The Journal last year about using Gaeilge to confront anti-immigrant agitators.

Also in Clondalkin, sitting councillors Eoin Ó Broin (Social Democrats), Trevor Gilligan (Fianna Fáil) and Shirley O’Hara (Fine Gael) have been re-elected, along with Linda de Courcy of the Independent Ireland party.

In Tallaght Central in the past while, People Before Profit’s Jess Spear and Sinn Féin’s Niamh Whelan also just been elected.

Over in Tallaght Central, Independent councillor and MMA coach Paddy Holohan won a seat on the 14th count, after topping polls this morning. Holohan was previously in Sinn Féin but was suspended over comments he made about former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s heritage and about mysoginistic comments.

More than 300 votes were transferred to Holohan from far-right Ireland First candidate Philip Dwyer following his elimination on the 13th count, while most of Holohan’s surplus on his election went to People Before Profit’s Kieran Mahon.

So far we only have two councillors elected in leafy seven-seater Rathfarnham-Templeogue, the county’s largest ward: one Labour and one Independent.

In Lucan, Independent councillor Liona O’Toole hit the quota on the 12th count, with Fine Gael’s Caroline Brady and the Labour Party’s Joanna Tuffy also deemed elected. Just one councillor has been elected so far in five-seater ward Palmerstown-Fonthill, Fianna Fáil’s Shane Moynihan, after the tenth count. 

10 Jun 2024 12:02AM

Our reporter Muiris O’Cearbhaill tells me it’s all done and dusted for the Clondalkin LEA too. 

Darragh Adelaide (PBP), Eoin Ó Broin (SD), Shirley O’Hara (FG), Linda De Courcy (IndIre) and Trevor Gilligan (FF) have all been elected on the 15th count. 

They join Independent Francis Timmons, who was elected on the first count, and Sinn Féin’s William Carey, who claimed a seat on the 12th count. 

10 Jun 2024 12:07AM

The 100% Redress Party have seen another of their candidates elected in Donegal.

Denis McGee won a seat in the Glenties LEA on the tenth count. 

You can read the full story here.

10 Jun 2024 12:11AM

Staying in Donegal, Carndonagh LEA has finished counting with all four seats filled there. 

The four elected councillors are:

  • Ali Farren (100%) – elected on the 1st count
  • Martin McDermott (FF) – elected on the 1st count
  • Albert Doherty (SF) – elected on the 6th count
  • Martin Farren (Lab) – elected on the 7th count
10 Jun 2024 12:13AM

Back in South Dublin County Council, newly-elected People Before Profit councillor Darragh Adelaide has been speaking to my colleague Muiris O’Cearbhaill after gaining a seat in the Clondalkin LEA.

“This is the start now,” he says.

10 Jun 2024 12:17AM

On that note, we’re going to wrap things up for the night. Thanks for staying with us throughout the day. 

We’ll be back with the latest updates in a few hours. Goodnight!

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