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Live BlogWE HAVE A full house.
After three days of counting, the final make-up of the 34th Dáil is now clear after the final two seats were filled in the Cavan-Monaghan constituency.
Fianna Fáil is now the largest party with 48 TDs, followed by Sinn Féin with 39 seats and Fine Gael with 38 seats.
Labour and the Social Democrats both took 11 seats; People Before Profit-Solidarity took three; Aontu took two; and the Green Party retained only one of its 12 seats. Independents and others took 21 seats.
Earlier, Labour’s Eoghan Kenny came out on top over Mick Barry after the outgoing People Before Profit TD withdrew his recount request.
- Updates were from Jane Moore, Daragh Brophy, Diarmuid Pepper, Lauren Boland and Niall O’Connor.
Well, after three weeks of campaigning and three full days of counting, we finally have a new Dáil and it’s time for us to sign off for the evening.
But of course, that’s not the end of it. With likely weeks of government formation talks to come, we’ll still be bringing you all the latest developments on The Journal throughout the rest of the year and beyond.
Thank you for sticking with our coverage over the course of the day and a busy three-and-a-half weeks.
We’ll leave you with a final look at the 174 Dáil seats now filled and a link to our General Election results centre, where you’ll find how each party fared and who got elected in every constituency.
Goodnight!
With a new Dáil now elected, you might be wondering which politicians lost out on a seat this time around.
We’ve got you covered – you can find a list of outgoing TDs in alphabetical order here.
The last two TDs to be elected – Niamh Smyth and Brendan Smith, both of Fianna Fáil - congratulate each other in the Cavan-Monaghan count centre.
Fianna Fáil’s Jack Chambers gives nothing away when asked by Katie Hannon if he is surprised by Marie Sherlock’s comments.
“We have to have a broader discussion and obviously I think the Labour party has to meet as a parliamentary party, like Fianna Fáil and others,” he says, adding that his party will be interested in speaking to other parties who they share a “common platform” with “to deliver the change that people expect”.
However, Sinéad Gibney, the newly-elected Social Democrats TD, admits she does find Sherlock’s remarks surprising “in terms of what we’ve been hearing”.
“Certainly our approach is that we will talk to everyone,” she says.
Asked if her party would go into government without Labour, Gibney says: “We will talk to everyone. As I said earlier, we have been very clear about what our priorities are, what our red lines are for government.
“If any big block of government is willing to implement those and then talk about the rest of how our manifestos can be compatible, absolutely. We have been very clear about that all along.”
Sinn Féin’s Mairéad Farrell says her party has 39 TDs and “we want to be a voice for positive change”.
“I think that’s what people need and I’ve been very clear from the outset of this programme that the last thing that I honestly want to see is Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael go back in together,” the Galway West TD says.
“I’m 34 years of age. People my age can’t move out of their parent’s home or they’re abroad and they can’t come back, and I want to create a kind of society where young people can stay in, they can raise their families in, they can come home to. That’s what I wanna see.”
Asked if her party will build a left alliance from the opposition benches, Farrell says: “We’ve literally just finished the last count. We’ve reached out to the two progressive parties – SocDems and Labour. Let’s see what comes out of those discussions.”
Labour’s Marie Sherlock has appeared to rule out her party going into government with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Upfront with Katie Hannon, she says: “We’ve been crystal clear that were not going in just to make up the numbers.”
She says Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are “within touching distance” of forming a government.
When pressed on whether Labour will enter a coalition without the other smaller parties, Sherlock says:
There is no circumstance where I can envisage that the Labour party will be going into government with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. We can only form a basis for negotiation if we’re with other small parties.
“We’ve been very clear since before this election that we believe that in order to effect the change that is so desperately needed in this country, we have to do so on the basis of strength in numbers,” she says, adding that they need to have the other smaller parties “working as a common block”.
Extended clip of @Labour's @marie_sherlock ruling out going into government with FF and FG@rtenews | #RTÉUpfront pic.twitter.com/940qAiF5Tq
— Upfront with Katie Hannon (@RTEUpfront) December 2, 2024
With all the results in, a number of newly-elected TDs are appearing on RTÉ’s Upfront with Katie Hannon this evening.
One of them is new Dublin Central TD, Labour’s Marie Sherlock, who took the last seat in the constituency ahead of Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch on Sunday.
“I wasn’t surprised at the vote I got, but nor was I entirely shocked at the vote that Gerard Hutch got either because there’s enormous frustration in our city and our country at the moment,” Sherlock says.
Asked what Hutch said to her in the count centre, she says: “I think the first thing to say is that he got 3,000 votes and that has to be respected. I very clearly made a decision that I would shake the hand of anybody who commanded that vote in the Dublin Central constituency.”
She says Hutch wished her well and made it clear “that he felt he got a vote because of people’s frustration”.
“I made very clear that I will be a TD for every single person in Dublin Central and that I am frustrated about our constituency, the failures over many years. People feel left behind, and ultimately, I will work for everybody across the constituency.”
"A lot of the commentary about Dublin Central was very focused on what I might call the 'celebrity candidates', did not reflect the hard work on the ground"@marie_sherlock on #GeneralElection24@rtenews | #RTÉUpfront pic.twitter.com/gg3WjbPEUN
— Upfront with Katie Hannon (@RTEUpfront) December 2, 2024
Sherlock said her gaining a seat is the result of “the product of four years hard slog on the streets, on our roads in Dublin Central. It wasn’t just about hard work, it was also about setting out a vision about how we could better our communities and better our city.”
In case you missed it, this was the moment that the final two TDs – Fianna Fáil’s Brendan Smith and Niamh Smyth – were elected in the Cavan-Monaghan constituency.
Brendan Smith of Fianna Fáil elected on Count 14 in Cavan/Monaghan #GeneralElection24 pic.twitter.com/QunKpZ0wfx
— RTÉ Cavan-Monaghan (@RTEcavanmonagh) December 2, 2024
FF’s Niamh Smyth celebrates with her team as she’s confirmed elected on Count 14 alongside party colleague Brian Smith bringing #GE2024 to a close pic.twitter.com/6d2fBo3iJL
— RTÉ Cavan-Monaghan (@RTEcavanmonagh) December 2, 2024
So who were the winners and losers of the election?
Well, as they are now the biggest party in the Dáil, it’s clear that Micheál Martin and Fianna Fáil are the victors, with the Cork South-Central TD now looking likely to become Taoiseach for a second time.
The biggest losers are undoubtedly the Green Party, who lost all but one of their seats.
Our political reporter Jane Matthews has more here.
Here’s what the full house looks like.
You can see exactly who was elected in every constituency across the country with our General Election results centre.
And that’s all 174 of them!
The final two seats up for grabs in the Dáil have been filled.
Fianna Fáil’s Niamh Smyth and Brendan Smith have been elected in the Cavan-Monaghan constituency.
Following the distribution of Cathy Bennett’s surplus, Niamh Smyth finished on 11,058 votes while Brendan Smith had 10,886 votes. Aontú’s Sarah O’Reilly missed out on a seat, with 10,067 votes.
Former Labour leader Alan Kelly retained his seat today, and sounds pretty keen on the prospect of entering government again.
Kelly served as both a junior and senior minister in the Fine Gael-Labour government of 2011 to 2016.
Perhaps power still suits him?
‘There’s no point in standing on the sidelines. You’ve got to consider going on the pitch and playing,’ says Labour’s Alan Kelly on government formation talks | Read more: https://t.co/R3aR6uLqy9 pic.twitter.com/IfkjJBCRyo
— RTÉ Tipperary North (@RTETippNorth) December 2, 2024
And some more pics from the Cavan-Monaghan count.
This just in from photographer Rory Geary in the Cavan-Monaghan count centre – the moment Cathy Bennett of Sinn Féin took her seat on the 13th count earlier this evening.
Bennett joins her party colleague Matt Carthy in the Dáil.
Outgoing TD for SF Pauline Tully is out of the running.
Our Political Editor Christina Finn has some analysis on why the ministers for health and disabilities lost their respective seats in this election.
Stephen Donnelly has become one of the biggest casualties in the country’s election after he was eliminated in Wicklow in the early hours of this morning, while Anne Rabbitte lost her seat in Galway East yesterday.
According to Christina, it comes down to what a politician needs to remember when they are in high office.
The potholes matter, the local sports clubs matter, the traffic in and out of the county matters. Like it or loathe it but parish pump politics are embedded in the Irish political system.
But when Donnelly was in high office, he closed two constituency offices in the county, rarely held clinics with the public and is understood to have neglected the local Fianna Fáil cummann in the area.
His absence on the ground would be openly discussed by those within Fianna Fáil, as well as other local representatives.
This all came to the fore when the tallies were being counted in the Wicklow count centre on Saturday afternoon. Broken down into local areas, the votes gave the clearest indication that Donnelly was not going to get over the line. Why?
You can read her full analysis piece here.
It could be a long night in Drumalee.
CAVAN-MONAGHAN: Rumour doing rounds that we're 2 hours away from next (14th) count. Just over 1,800 surplus votes to be counted. Predicted last 2 seats will be filled by FF. No sense of urgency here at Cavan Leisure Centre. Some reporters booking hotels #ge24 @IrishTimes
— Seanín Graham (@SeaninGraham22) December 2, 2024
One of the three remaining seats in Cavan-Monaghan has been filled.
Sinn Féin’s Cathy Bennett has taken a second seat for the party in the five-seater constituency on the 13th count.
There are two seats left to fill and three candidates remaining: Fianna Fáil’s Brendan Smith and Niamh Smyth, and Aontú’s Sarah O’Reilly.
As we reported earlier, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has been in contact with the leaders of Social Democrats and Labour.
Speaking this afternoon, Labour’s Ged Nash said this afternoon he was somewhat taken aback by the “hard neck” of McDonald contacting his party leader, stating that the party didn’t see fit to ask Sinn Féin voters to transfer left before the election.
He said it is “some stretch” to describe Sinn Féin as a left party.
Despite speaking to other party leaders, the path to power for Sinn Féin seems to have come to a dead end.
Sinn Féin, as is stands (with Cavan-Monaghan still to declare), will have at least 38 seats in the new Dáil, one more than it won in 2020. However, there has been an increase in the number of seats since the 33rd Dáil.
And as we await the final three seats in Cavan-Monaghan, a recap of how things look so far.
Fianna Fáil are out in front on 46 seats, while Sinn Féin and Fine Gael are tied on 38.
But with Sinn Féin councillor Cathy Bennett in a good chance in Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Féin will be hoping to edge out Fine Gael.
There are three seats to fill in Cavan-Monaghan and four candidates remaining.
Sinn Féin’s Matt Carthy and Fine Gael’s David Maxwell have been elected.
That leave Sinn Féin councillor Cathy Bennett, and outgoing Fianna Fáil TDs Brendan Smith and Niamh Smyth, as well as Aontú’s Sarah O’Reilly.
O’Reilly is around a thousand votes off Bennett, while Bennett is a few hundred votes behind Niamh Smyth and Brendan Smith.
The end is near on the 2024 general election (though of course the hard work of forming a government will start in earnest soon).
Outgoing Fianna Fáil TDs Brendan Smith and Niamh Smyth are at the count centre for the Cavan-Monaghan constituency, the only place still counting.
A final count should come in the next two or three hours.
It was dramatic in Cork North-Central and here’s Niall O’Connor’s report following the conclusion of the count, as Ireland’s youngest TD Eoghan Kenny is elected after Mick Barry concedes.
And then there were three, with Cavan-Monaghan the only constituency to still be counting.
In the past few minutes, Sinn Féin’s Matt Carthy made it over the line and now counting continues to fill the remaining three seats in the constituency.
Labour’s Eoghan Kenny has been speaking to Niall O’Connor and he said he is “honoured” to have been elected in Cork North-Central.
He added that it’s a “real privilege” to be elected as the youngest member of the next Dáil.
New TD Eoghan Kenny speaking in Cork North Central after his election. @thejournal_ie #GE24 pic.twitter.com/vmYaQ4FZgo
— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) December 2, 2024
And Mick Barry has been speaking to our reporter Niall O’Connor following the conclusion of the Cork North-Central recount.
Rather than gaining ground on Eoghan Kenny, Barry was marginally losing ground with 63% of the votes counted.
“We’re not going to stay here ’til midnight just for the sake of it,” said Barry.
“It’s clear the direction in which things were going and on that basis we called for the recount to end.”
Mick Barry speaks about the conclusion of the Cork North Central count. #GE24 @thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/HlmcAgyVrG
— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) December 2, 2024
And amid the excitement in Cork North-Central, everything has been officially ironed out in Tipperary North, where a full recount was also called.
abour’s Alan Kelly and Fianna Fáil’s Ryan O’Meara have been elected, meaning all three seats are now filled in Tipperary North.
And it’s all over in Cork North-Central, where Mick Barry has conceded, making Labour’s Eoghan kenny the youngest TD in the next Dáil
It’s over in Cork. Mick Barry has told returning officer Martin Harvey that he is withdrawing his recount request. #GE24 @thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/TauU5d63zp
— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) December 2, 2024
at the age of 24.
And while there’s still some TDs to elect, it’s been revealed in the past few minutes that Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has been in contact with leaders of Social Democrats and Labour.
Sinn Féin’s Eoin Ó Broin meanwhile said the “outcome of the election is now clear”.
“The numbers are there for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to form a government together,” he said.
“This would be the worst possible outcome for the people of the country.”
Ó Broin said McDonald has made contact with the leaders of the Social Democrats and Labour Party and “will be contacting the other progressive TDs and groupings this week”.
“Our new increased parliamentary team will meet on Wednesday in Leinster House with Mary Lou McDonald and we will assess where we take things at that stage,” added Ó Broin.
And over in Louth, we’ve got a complete count.
Paula Butterly of Fine Gael, Erin McGreehan of Fianna Fáil and Ger Nash of Labour have all been elected – Nash is an incumbent TD.
And it’s looking like Eoghan Kenny will become the youngest TD in the next Dáil, if this update by Niall O’Connor is anything to go by.
He reports that as of 4.30pm, 63% of votes have been recounted and the gap has now widened to 39, as the discrepancies found in the papers are benefitting Kenny rather than Mick Barry.
And another update from Niall O’Connor in Cork.
He says things are moving quicker than might have otherwise been expected.
A discussion is now ongoing to decide what happens next.
It’s understood that there has been nothing substantial found so far that could change the result, with over 40,000 votes checked.
That would mean Labour’s Eoghan Kenny will become the youngest TD in the next Dáil.
Things are moving a lot more rapid than we thought in the recount in Cork.
— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) December 2, 2024
Now a discussion going on here to decide what happens next.
I believe there is nothing substantial being found that can change the result so far - they have checked 40,000 votes. #GE24 @thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/ku1cdkHT6h
Niall O’Connor has been camped out in Nemo Rangers since Saturday and he caught up with Labour’s Eoghan Kenny as the recount continues.
He said there was a “full entitlement” for Mick Barry to request a recount after only 35 votes were in the difference.
At only 24, he will be the yougest person in the Dáil should he be elected.
Eoghan Kenny of Labour has arrived at Nemo Rangers as the recount continues. He gave his view on how it is going. @thejournal_ie #GE24 pic.twitter.com/F2xzqekBaL
— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) December 2, 2024
There are four constituencies where work is ongoing to decide who will be making up the next Dáil.
It’s a long slog in Cavan-Monaghan, where only one TD has been returned – Fine Gael’s David Maxwell, who is taking up the seat left by Heather Humphreys.
Work is also ongoing in Cork North-Central to separate Mick Barry from Eoghan Kenny, after Kenny came out on top by a mere 35 votes last night.
Counting is also continuing in Co Louth, where two Sinn Féin TDs have been elected but there are still three seats left to fill.
And in Tipperary North, Labour’s Alan Kelly and Fianna Fáil’s Ryan O’Meara are certain to be elected later, though there are some formalities to go through yet.
That’s it from me, Lauren. Handing you over now to my colleague Diarmuid Pepper – let’s see how many more seats can be filled today.
Niall expects we won’t see much news from the Cork North Central recount until around 6pm.
Counting well under way here in Cork North Central - next moment in the timeline will be 6pm. #GE24 @thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/FJj0xNnvkF
— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) December 2, 2024
We have our first elections of the day (in daylight hours, that is).
Sinn Féin’s Réada Cronin, Fine Gael’s Joe Neville and Fianna Fáil’s Naoise Ó Cearúil have been elected on the twelfth and final count in Kildare North.
That means Fine Gael’s Bernard Durkan, a veteran TD since 1981, has lost his seat.
No luck for independent candidate Kevin Callan in his hope for a different result after calling that re-check in Louth.
The check found no discrepancies and Callan remains eliminated, allowing the next count to proceed.
Cavan-Monaghan has announced the results of its eleventh count and it’s bad news for outgoing Sinn Féin TD Pauline Tully, who only received six transfers from the surplus of elected Fine Gael candidate David Maxwell and has now been knocked out.
Transfers from Tully’s 7,868 votes will now be distributed. Her two Sinn Féin colleagues Matt Carthy and Cathy Bennett, currently on 10,981 and 8,220 votes should do well from those.
The Journal understands that members of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party are due to meet in Leinster House on Wednesday at Leinster House to discuss the outcome of the election.
Fianna Fáil is expected to emerge from the election with the largest share of seats, giving it a big advantage going into government formation talks.
Fianna Fáil’s deputy leader Jack Chambers, who was re-elected in Dublin West, has said he does not expect a coalition to be formed before Christmas.
“I don’t expect a government to be formed in mid-December. When the Dail is due to meet on the 18th of December, probably a Ceann Comhairle (speaker) can be elected, and there’ll have to be time and space taken to make sure we can form a coherent, stable government,” Chambers told RTÉ.
“I don’t think it should take five months like it did the last time – Covid obviously complicated that – but I think all political parties need to take the time to see what’s possible and try and form a stable government for the Irish people.”
More rechecking happening, this time in Louth.
Independent candidate Kevin Callan was deemed eliminated on the nineteenth count but he was only four votes below the candidate above him, Alison Comyn of Fianna Fáil, and so has requested those votes be checked again.
This is what happens in election end games – every vote really does count.
In a sample of 25% of ballot papers, there were 29 discrepancies found, according to People Before Profit-Solidarity’s Mick Barry.
A full recount is getting underway, which could take several days unless the candidate withdraws the request early.
Full recount called in Cork North Central. 29 discrepancies in a sample of 25% of papers. Mick Barry said one vote extra but believes it is indicative possibly of broader errors. It could take three days. @thejournal_ie #GE24 pic.twitter.com/n5F412eyU5
— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) December 2, 2024
However, it’s a different story in Cork North Central.
After a recount this morning of the latest count, a full recount has been requested, our News Correspondent Niall O’Connor tells us.
The recount put Jim Ryan three votes ahead of Michael Smith in Tipperary North. Michael Smith has now conceded and subsequent counts can proceed.
In Tipperary North, the recount has actually now been withdrawn, RTÉ is reporting.
Recounting is also ongoing in Tipperary North.
After its ninth count, the two lowest candidates – Fianna Fáil’s Michael Smith and independent Jim Ryan – where apart by only seven votes, with the edge going to Smith.
There’s been two rechecks done, which put Smith one and two votes ahead respectively, after which Ryan requested a recount.
Lunchtime at the Nemo Rangers GAA club. Niall reckons the number of errors found has been small.
Cork North Central counters have broken for sandwiches in the Nemo canteen.
— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) December 2, 2024
Here are the bundles gathered - keep an eye for yellow and pink post-its marking the errors. A cursory scan from me doesn’t look like there are a lot. #GE24 @thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/6AEPgxuPwj
Louth is one of the few constituencies still counting.
It has just finished its nineteenth count and eliminated independent Kevin Callan, who leaves behind 5,682 votes.
Any transfers will now be redistributed between the remaining candidates: Labour’s Ged Nash, Fine Gael’s Paula Butterly, Fianna Fáil’s Erin McGreehan and Fianna Fáil’s Alison Comyn.
Nash is only a measly 50 votes away from the quota so will likely be elected on the next count or the one after to take the constituency’s third seat. He’d be joining Sinn Féin’s Ruarí Ó Murchú and Joanna Byrne, both already elected here.
Let’s check in on how the recount is going in Cork North Central.
Here’s what Niall O’Connor has written about it from the ground:
In the early hours of this morning as Eoghan Kenny of Labour was declared as taking the last seat by just 35 votes Barry, of People Before Profit Solidarity (PBPS), requested the move.
Martin Harvey, the returning officer for Cork City, met with both Labour and PBPS representatives. It was decided after that meeting that the recount would begin with an examination of bundles of 50 votes at a time.
Tally keepers have said that it is understood that 15 individual errors have been identified in the bundles.
Harvey has told The Journal this morning that if there is a discrepancy in those bundles then a full recount will get underway – we are likely to get a result from that initial examination around lunchtime.
Thanks for the liveblogging Muiris. No thanks for the on-the-spot lunch question, which was a rather unsophisticated assortment of snacks.
I’m heading off to work in the background of Journal towers.
I’ll let Lauren Boland fill you in on the rest, including on what she had for her lunch.
Independent Councillor Barry Heneghan, elected late last night on the 16th count in Dublin Bay North, will be one of the youngest members of the new Dáil at 26 years of age.
He’s a protégé of Finian McGrath, former Independent TD for the same constituency and junior minister for disability in the 2016-2020 government of Fine Gael and the Independent Alliance.
Barry Heneghan (IND) told @rtenews that he was elected in Dublin Bay North because constituents wanted an "independent young voice to represent them in Dáil Eireann" #GE24 #Election24 pic.twitter.com/P4Sxjk89Ed
— RTÉ Dublin Bay North (@RTEDublinBayNth) December 2, 2024
The Journal spoke to McGrath yesterday evening, before Heneghan’s election to the fourth of five seats in this closely contested constituency, about the advice he’d give any potential junior coalition partner about entering government formation talks.
McGrath said it’s important to have six or seven clear priorities ready before getting round the table with the big parties – and added that he and Heneghan “have our six items already in our head”.
“No talks about talks,” McGrath said.
His prediction? The next government will comprise Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and a handful of Independents, rather than Labour or the Social Democrats.
That’s what former Progressive Democrats leader Michael McDowell and former Labour leader Pat Rabbitte told us too.
You can read the full article here:
Women for Elections have said the gender balance in the Dáil is heading in the right direction, but slowly.
CEO of the advocacy organisation, Brian Sheehan, said it was a “historic” election for women, with female candidates representing 32% of first-preference votes – the equivalent of 70 quotes.
A total of 39 women candidate were elected, as of this morning, and the group expects 44 female TDs to be elected to the Dáil – representing a quarter of all politicians in the Irish parliament.
“We are going in the right direction, but far too slowly,” Sheehan said.
“With a record number of women running, we could have expected to see more women to be elected. If we are serious about achieving equal representation for women in political life, further work is necessary,” he added.
Emma Hickey has detailed the election of the 100% Redress candidate Charles Ward in Donegal yesterday.
Ward ran for the party in the local elections earlier this year and failed to be elected, but now he’s headed for Dáil Eireann, where he plans to represent homes in the area that have been affected by defective building blocks.
Speaking to Ocean FM prior to his election yesterday, Ward said that the government would be forced to listen to his party’s demands for 100% redress.
“They’ve got one choice now. They have to listen to us, because I’m going to be on the floor of the Dáil.”
You can read Emma’s full write up here:
Fianna Fáil Dublin West TD Jack Chambers has told Newstalk Breakfast this morning that his party will be waiting to discuss government formation until after all the votes have been counted.
He said Fianna Fáil are hopeful that it will return 48 seats to the Dáil, as is projected, and will then internally debate the next move.
Meanwhile, parties on the left are calling for their colleagues to stall talks with the major political groups in order to gain power over those seeking for form a coalition (or, maybe, bragging rights).
Sinn Féin are making the point that, with so many left and centre-left TDs elected on a “mandate of change”, it is necessary for smaller parties of shared values, and who may be seen as a potential coalition partner to make their case on behalf of those groups.
As is the topic of the day – recounts.
And no better man to tell us about the latest re-tallying of votes than Cork Returning Officer Martin Harvey.
He managed the longest-ever recount in Irish history when Sinn Féin’s Liadh Ní Riada was up against the Green Party’s Grace O’Sullivan during the 2019 Euro elections.
Harvey is now overseeing the recount in Cork North Central, where People Before Profit’s Mick Barry requested a recount to double check the votes between himself and Labour’s Eoghan Kenny.
Harvey spoke with our news correspondent Niall O’Connor outside Nemo Rangers in Cork, telling us about the latest deal that was reached between staff and the candidates.
Martin Harvey, returning officer, managed the longest recount in the history of the State when Líadh Ní Riada was up against the Green Party’s Grace O’Sullivan during the 2019 Euro elections.
— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) December 2, 2024
He is now in charge of the Cork North Central recount today. @thejournal_ie #GE24 pic.twitter.com/nNgIDj9IBE
Good afternoon.
Muiris Ó Cearbhaill here after escaping from the RDS last night. Who knew more than 10 hours under fluorescent lighting would have no impact on your state of mind?
As was said, I’m covering for Lauren for the hour as she heads to get a break.
As the dust is settling on the campaign – though some madness is still ongoing – ‘coalitionogy’ is in full swing.
You’ll hear a lot of chatter around this party going into government with that party and other parties calling for that party to stay out of government with this party.
Votes are still left to be counted however.
While some discussions might take place today, it will be a little while longer before we get the full, real picture as to how this election played out.
Stick with us anyways as we bring you everything and anything you need to know.
I’m jumping out for a quick lunch and leaving you in the hands of my colleague Muiris Ó Cearbhaill (who managed to make it from the RDS yesterday after reporting on the results there, unlike our Niall still down at counting in Cork).
Labour’s candidate Eoghan Kenny, who was considered to have won the seat last night but is now subject to the recount, is also waiting for the result, though he’s not at the centre yet.
Labour Councillor Peter Horgan spoke to Niall at the centre about the recount process.
Cllr Peter Horgan of Labour is working with Eoghan Kenny on his campaign - Eoghan isn’t here yet so I asked Peter about the team’s view on the recount. @thejournal_ie #GE24 pic.twitter.com/yFuw0RodJt
— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) December 2, 2024
People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Mick Barry is awaiting the results of the recount.
Mick Barry of People Before Profit Solidarity has requested the recount in Cork North Central. 35 votes separate him and his opponent Eoghan Kenny of Labour.
— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) December 2, 2024
He gives his view on what happens today and why he has requested it. @thejournal_ie #EP24 pic.twitter.com/7k3JGH1SNJ
On government formation talks, Kerry Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae has said this morning that his “phone is always on”.
The party leaders have my number and my phone is always on. I’ll talk to anybody but I won’t sell my soul and I have three items to discuss before going into government with anyone and that’s KERRY, KERRY and KERRY. https://t.co/0Q6TZWC3aH
— Michael Healy-Rae (@MHealyRae) December 2, 2024
Not too many count centres still active today but our News Correspondent Niall O’Connor has arrived at the at the Nemo Rangers GAA club, where a recount called last night has now commenced.
Good morning from Nemo Rangers GAA club in Cork city where a recount is underway in Cork North Central as People Before Profit’s Mick Barry fights to retain his Dáil seat against Eoghan Kenny of Labour. @thejournal_ie #GE24 pic.twitter.com/fmW7oj4TeW
— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) December 2, 2024
Writing an opinion piece in The Journal this morning, Dr Brendan Flynn of University of Galway says that overall, this election has given us “more of the same”.
“It arguably was an election where reality took a sneaky pre-Christmas holiday. Manifestos tripped over each to promise lavish spending plans combined with a medley of tax cuts in various fetching ideological hues,” Dry Flynn writes.
“The strong whiff of ‘promising cake, and eating it as well’ sat oddly with the rest of the planet careering towards climate melt-down, casual threats of nuclear war on Europe’s periphery, or an impending dismantling of the free trade system, so vital to our economic success over the last decades.”
Of the seats filled at this stage, Fianna Fáil is leading with 43 TDs. Sinn Féin and Fine Gael follow with 36 each.
15 independent candidates have been elected so far.
The Social Democrats have enjoyed a boost to numbers this election, with 11 TDs over the line.
The Labour Party has won eight seats so far while Independent Ireland has won four.
People Before Profit/Solidarity will have at least three TDs in the next Dáil and Aontú will have at least two.
It’s been a challenging election for the Greens, with only one seat won, which was by party leader Roderic O’Gorman.
The 100% Redress party and Workers and Unemployed Action party have each won one seat.
If you were following along with the results over the weekend and you’re looking to catch up on what you missed while you were asleep, we have you covered. Here are all the late-night elections that have happened since around midnight in the early hours of this morning:
The majority of the seats in the 34th Dáil have now been filled across the first two days of counting.
Here’s a full list of all the TDs elected so far on Saturday and Sunday:
And here’s our Results Centre, where you can explore exactly how the votes were distributed in each count in every constituency:
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Thoughts and prayers with that young girl that was fatally assaulted in Welford last night/ horrific story
@Frank Mc Carthy
the Irish times that it was a woman.
Either way, terrible news.
@Frank Mc Carthy: you where so excited to post you got the age and place wronh
@Niall Lappin: that’s a pretty disgusting comment even for the Journal. RTÉ report an 8 year old girl had died.
@Niall Lappin: even a modecum of respect??? An 8 Yr old girl in Welford has tragically & violently lost her life
@Frank Mc Carthy: WEXFORD…..apologies….R.I.P
@Niall Lappin: wow, that’s fairly sick & vile
@Niall Lappin: hope you’re proud of yourself…knobrot
@Frank Mc Carthy: new Ross,a truly terrible thing to happen
@Niall Lappin: R.I.P. Malikika , her young life extinguished protecting her mother. Rest easy now child
I posted this elsewhere but maybe more relevant here (or not LOL)!
As a good deal of people seemed disappointed by the last government as constructed, could there be a government of national unity?
Or, fall into the same format as last time and ruin the chances of the minority party in subsequent future elections?
Alternatively, a government excluding FFG, comprised of the elected smaller party and individuals? Obviously the latter ‘could’ be unstable due to differences but it could also change the tide of politics in Ireland. Especially, if they managed to look after the homeless and build houses through direct labour and not being ripped off by building companies (who are famous for building bicycle sheds).
@Con Cussed: arithmetic not your strongest subject?
@Lesidees: LOL, there’s 174 seats, FFG combined not expected to have 88 seats. So assuming they get 80+ (or slights over but don’t make the magical 88, then there are at least 88 seats available to the opposition. Do the maths ;0)
@Con Cussed: Doesn’t matter, we’re incapable of building anything functional.
@Con Cussed: the left can not agree on anything and u would need all right leaning independents so never going to happen.
The left are smart u couldn’t go in with SF as they plan this far has Ben to cannibalise the left parties such as labour and doc dems
@Thesaltyurchin: @john purcell: Can’t disagree with anything you’re saying. However, if these guys want to see something different there will have to be give and take, otherwise FFG will be back in power with some minnow. FF & FG have never fixed the big issues of homelessness and housing, so maybe a group thrown together might have a better chance, can they do worse?
@Con Cussed: you laughed at someone to do the math, now I’m asking you to do the logic… as you’ve alluded to within your original post, the formation would likely be unstable, almost definitely too unstable. FFG look likely to get within 2 seats if 88, all they need is 2 indos. An opposition would have to get every single independent on board. Even if possible the structure would likely collapse within weeks if not days of being formed. I’m not against them trying it, but seems destined to end in failure.
@TheGood Feign: The odds are completely stacked against such an outcome as you rightly state. It would take all of the opposition to FFG to conclude an agreement. Some of those elected know they’ll never get in with FFG, so they might be open to it. Then the question would be how long might it last?
@Con Cussed: I suggested this a week ago, we have a National crisis in Homeless & Housing & now Public Services. It won’t be solved by Parties left, right or centre as they all try to fit in their ideologies, what’s needed is consensus on a National scale to solve a National crisis. I felt after the crash last time out, we should have had a National Govt as at that stage we lost our Sovereignty. I believe the onus & pressure on this next Govt is huge, failure to deliver on bread & butter issues from Cost of Living, Insurance, Housing, Health, Homelessness & Immigration, will see the people turn on all political classes as people see no hope. In mentioning Immigration, I am not anti Immigration, but we need to apply the rules, we cannot realistically help all those coming.
@Con Cussed: to get to 88 would mean all the independents, aontú, II, PBP, Labour, SD, Green, and SF agreeing on something….
@Con Cussed: labour will go in with fffg,they say no now but trust me that will change once they get a few ministers
@sean weir: the issue is SF are not a left wing party. Labour and SD are very left of center and their climate and immigration views are completely diff.
While most on here don’t want to see a FF/FG gov the reason is that the left should have formed a block prior to the election so that ppl could vote for them.
SF are looking for the left vote and are trying to destroy labour and the sock dems. They can’t go after the middle class FF/FG vote as it will destroy their base.
@Con Cussed: Dream on most outdoors and opposition wouldn’t agree to split €5
@TheGood Feign: Hell would freeze over before Social Democrats or Labour would ever dream forming a government with Independent Ireland or Aontú & vice versa. FFG have it unfortunately.
@SV3tN8M4: Indeed it would mean the parties putting the people first. It would be stronger than any other type of coalition as it would be bigger and as such could manage the minor entities pulling the plug, who might be the eventual loser in a subsequent election. The issue will always be the breakdown of government ministerial posts and sub-functions of government. It would take balls by those elected to form. All of the points raised need addressing but those who have been in power in the past haven’t addressed them, will they in the future?
The coalition with just need around five independents, Bacik and Holly can do on.
@Dan Murphy: woke utd! To replace woke greens
@Basildon Joe: WOKE WOKE WOKE. Jesus change the boring mantra Adolf. The world has changed, live with it
it was fine to mention immigration topic before elections?
Open the comments at wexford news
@sakk sa: comments are always closed on crime stories
Can we get a demographic break down on those who didn’t vote? Working/not working would be a start
@Ben dover: It will be responsibly obvious from returns based on towns/neighbourhoods. I would also suggest that those in lower social demographic groups voted far less.
@Ben dover: exactly
If there was a party proposing a 50 % reduction in Job Seekers benefit then you can bet the electorate would be huge .
All out to vote against that “” Draconian “” proposal
@james rowan: No representation without taxation!
11 seats to be filled then it’s as you were lads,same rules apply.
The two Healy Raes, Michael Lowry and Verona Murphy. There’s 4 guaranteed to prop up a coalition. We’ll know fairly soon how many FF and FG need.
After the Green wipeout, SD and Labour don’t need to be told twice to steer clear of Government.
@Ronan Mc: anyone but the Healy Raes please.
@Ronan Mc: Think of them what you may, but Kerry is their priority – that’s why they keep being elected. The rest of them just look after their doners and cronies.
@Dermot Blaine:
The Healy Raes are certain to be in.
They are a cheap deal.
SDs or lab will want major changes in policy but all the likes of the Healy Raes etc want are a few new roadworks and people to stop applying planning and building regulations too rigorously.
@P. J.: The Healy Raes won’t be selected, guaranteed.
@P. J.: Healy Rae’s won’t be in ,they can squeeze more out of the government from outside the circle,plus it means they are not held accountable for anything fffg do
@P. J.: and a relaxation of the drink driving laws
Losing Stephen Donnelly is beyond devastating, a smile that could light up Wicklow
Must say the journal have done an excellent job reporting. Found the interactive map better than RTÉ. Fair play
The show is over but the obese lady is not singing.
I hope The Monk finds out who didn’t vote for him
@Fintan Pox:
Brendan and he also called him a bolli,,
The Smoked Salmon so called Socialist Labour party and the Social Democrats debating society will talk and talk to convince us why they can’t enter Government but bottom line they are political cowards who will put their own cushy jobs and income before the interest of the Irish people.
No surprise they are both talkers not doers.
@Tim Brennan: Why would they prop up a neo-liberal government? Labour would be nuts to prop up FFG. Political suicide. Soc Dems are no fools either. They both saw how FFG used the Greens as their patsy. Let them talk to Michael Lowry. He’s more their ilk.
Test
Stop the steal !!!
Not that I know anything about nothing …
I didn’t even read the article. Have seen nothing on French news. Hopefuly it will be over soon !
And then life can go on, whatever way it’s going …
Don’t need a bunker. I have an army bivouac and a mountain sleeping bag etc, 3 camping gas bottles, a burner etc. A couple of weeks of food and a crossbow.
And if that’s not enough : so be it
have your say