Jane Matthews reports from the RDS

THE WAIT IS on in the RDS in Dublin this afternoon as hopeful candidates, supporters, and reporters bide their time ahead of the first official count announcement. 

It’s a flurry of activity down here where all of the newly elected TDs from five of Dublin’s constituencies will be revealed between today and tomorrow. 

Count centre staff are busy sorting ballots for the constituencies of Dublin Bay North, Dublin Bay South, Dublin Central, Dublin South Central and Dublin North West. 

A short while ago Eamon Ryan, the former leader of the Green Party arrived and was quickly surrounded by a swarm of national media. 

His mood was not as despondent as one might have expected considering the poor showing his party look set to have with three quarters of their seats in the firing line. 

“We’ll listen to see what we can do to come back stronger. We’ve done that before and that gives me great confidence that we will come back,” Ryan said.

Ryan, who topped the poll in Dublin Bay South in 2020 would have been hoping that his replacement, councillor Hazel Chu,  would be able to carry the Green mantle in the constituency. This is looking highly unlikely, based on the final tally. 

Ryan, who is not running again, acknowledged that the poor performance from the Greens increases the risk that Ireland will swerve to the wrong direction on climate change. 

“That would not be the correct direction for the country,” he warned. 

Elsewhere in the RDS, another media huddle was forming. This one was for the arrival of Oscar-nominated director Jim Sheridan.

In recent weeks Sheridan has been spotted out and about filming notorious gangland figure and Dublin Central candidate Gerry “the Monk” Hutch for an upcoming project. 

One of perhaps the most surprising pieces of news to emerge out of the RDS so far today is the success of Hutch’s election bid. 

Director Jim Sheridan on what he thinks Gerry “the monk” Hutch’s appeal is.

Sheridan said he is “thinking” of doing a documentary on this election and that at the beginning, he didn’t think Hutch had a chance.

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— Jane Matthews (@janeematthews) November 30, 2024

The final tally for the constituency, where political heavyweights Mary Lou McDonald and Paschal Donohoe are based, places Hutch in contention for the fourth and final seat. 

Sinn Féin’s McDonald looks set to top the poll, followed by Fine Gael’s Donohoe and Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon. 

The final tally puts outgoing Green Party TD Neasa Hourigan at 6% of the vote share – below Hutch at 9%, Fianna Fáil senator Mary Fitzpatrick at 7% and Labour Senator Marie Sherlock also at 7%.

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Stopping to speak to reporters, Sheridan said he initially thought Hutch didn’t have a chance, but now feels that he might.

He said if this happens it will have to lead to some society-wide soul searching.

“It will have repercussions in lots of ways about the way we think about elections and stuff like that. In the sense of where are the limits? And I don’t know the answer to that,” the director and documentary maker said. 

Sheridan’s arrival at the RDS set off a chain of rumours that Hutch was also about to arrive, but it is now not expected he’ll appear until later this evening … if at all. 

That was quickly followed by word that McDonald was also on her way – and then another update to say she may be slightly delayed… 

For now, the waiting continues.