Live roscommonsouth leitrim byelection count

9.16pm - The cheers for Roscommon's new TD are deafening as Michael Fitzmaurice steps up to make his victory speech.

9.10pm - Candidates have been stepping up to the microphone in the last few minutes to make concluding speeches. Martin Kenny SF has told the crowd that the people of the West of Ireland are sick of being left behind, paying tribute to people who stand up and go forward for election. 

'I've been here three times and I'll be back again,' Mr Kenny concludes.

8.56pm - Done and dusted here! Amid jubilant scenes, Michael Fitzmaurice has been deemed elected without reaching the quota after garnering 3,159 of Maura Hopkin's 8,476 votes.

The results of the 7th count are as follows:

Connaughton +1964 - 12,050

Fitzmaurice +3159 - 14, 881

Non transferable votes - 3,350

Michael Fitzmaurice is deemed elected without reaching the quota!

 

8.48pm  Count imminent as hall packs with supporters of Michael Fitzmaurice, some of whom unfurl a tricolour which reads: 'Say no to EU and bog evictions'. A huge cheer erupts as the man himself joins his supporters.

On his arrival, Independent candidate Michael Fitzmaurice describes himself as a man of the soil and a proud west of Ireland man, who intends to represent all of the people. He also confirms he spent the day moving cattle.

8.05pm

Gracious in defeat, Fianna Fail's Ivan Connaughton embraces Michael Fitzmaurice and congratulates him on his imminent victory. Although disappointed Connaughton vows to contest the party convention with the hope of standing in the general election in 18 months time.

7.50pm

Right on cue the independent candidate Michael Fitzmaurice, who is poised to be elected to Dail Eireann, enters the count centre to huge cheers. He is embraced by Luke Ming Flanagan, whose election to the European Parliament precipitated this by-election. Flanagan had endorsed Fitzmaurice's campaign.

7.45pm

With his election expected following the next count, some of Michael Fitzmaurice's campaign team have indicated that he will arrive in the count centre in the next few minutes.

7.35pm

Sixth count announcement has been made.

The distribution of Martin Kenny's 7,022 votes went as follows:

Connaughton (+ 1,220)  10,083

Fitzmaurice (+2,511)  11,722

Hopkins (+ 1,164)  8,476

Non-transferable 2,127

The count continues with the elimination of Maura Hopkins and the distribution of her votes.

 

 

7.17pm - Count staff are taking staggered tea breaks as the attendance await the 6th count and the distribution of Martin Kenny's 7,022 votes.

No sign of Michael Fitzmaurice in the Hyde yet, but he can't be faraway methinks!

7.02pm - Fitzmaurice has taken the lead for the first time following the fifth count and the chatter is that he is is unlikely to be caught. The general consensus is that the transfers of Martin Kenny (SF) will benefit Fitzmaurice more than the others.

6.52PM - A bullish Micheal Martin has told a local media scrum that he will lead the party into the next general election, despite that fact they look set to lose their fourth by-election in a row. He refused to concede defeat, praising Ivan Connaughton for topping the poll and increasing the party vote from 15% to 22%. However, he conceded that they are working in a changed and fragmented political landscape and they need to work hard into the future to take cognisance of that. He insisted that the perception of the by-election being theirs to lose was purely coming from commentators and not on the door steps.

 

6.40pm - Michael Fitzmaurice's supporters will be breathing a little easier after the 5th count. He's picked up a whopping 2136 from the distribution of John Kelly's 2144 and John McDermott's 3,468. Sinn Féin's Martin Kenny has been excluded.

The results are as follows: 

Connaughton +1017 - 8863

Fitzmaurice +2136 - 9211

Hopkins + 1237 - 7312

Kenny +575 - 7,022

Non transferable papers this time around - 647

No candidate has reached the quota this time out, Martin Kenny (SF) has now been excluded and his 7,022 are now being distributed.

 

6.25pm - 5th count is imminent. This will tell a tale!

18.06 - Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin has landed in Roscommon. He is expected to speak to the media following an appearance on RTE. He is flanked by Mayo's Dara Calleary, Ivan Connaughton and other local party representatives.

5.39pm - Reports that Fianna Fáil leader Michéal Martin will be arriving in the count centre after 6pm. All the talk is about where McDermott and Kelly's transfers will go and early speculation is that Martin Kenny is getting a fair whack so far. Interesting night in prospect...

5.25 - 4th count is in - the big winner this time around is Michael Fitzmaurice, who has increased his lead on Martin Kenny (SF).

4th count - Distribution of Emmet Corcoran's 1,483 votes

Connaughton +194 - 7846

Fitzmaurice +450 - 7075

Hopkins +211 - 6075

Kelly  +54 - 2144

Kenny  +164 - 6447

McDermott + 281 - 3468

Non transferable votes on this count were 129.

No candidate has reached the quota on this round, John Kelly and John McDermott, the two lowest candidates have now been excluded and their votes are currently being distributed.

5.19 - Minister Michael Ring has hailed Maura Hopkin's performance in the by-election, bolding predicting that she will be in next Dáil! The affable Westport native, Director of Elections for the party, described it as a bad day for FF and Sinn fei

5.09pm - Ten minutes to count four, reliable sources tell us.

4.49pm - The results of the third count are in at the Hyde Centre in Roscommon, with Fitzmaurice picking up the most of the transfers this time out. The big talking point now is the fact that Martin Kenny is proving to be more transfer-friendly than people expected and the fact that the gap between him and Fitzmaurice is fairly small.

Connaughton, Ivan (FF): + 150 – 7,652
Corcoran, Emmet (Ind): + 178 – 1,483
Fitzmaurice, Michael (Ind): + 254 – 6,625
Hopkins, Maura (FG): + 122 – 5,864
Kelly, John (Lab): + 30 – 2,090
Kenny, Martin (SF): + 99 – 6,283
McDermott, John (Ind):  + 169 – 3,187

Non-transferrable papers – 61

* No candidates reached the quota on this count and Independent candidate Emmet Corcoran has been eliminated. The fourth count will see his transfers distributed to the remaining candidates.

 

4.34 - Returning Officer Fintan Murphy has indicated that the third count will happen in around ten minutes time.

4.30pm

It looks like the third count could be announced shortly in Roscommon as the distribution of Tom Crosby's transfers has been completed

4.14pm

Fianna Fáil's Ivan Connaughton has arrived at the Hyde Centre, Roscommon.

4.08pm

The results of the second count in Roscommon/South Leitrim are in, with Sinn Féin’s Martin Kenny being the big winner, picking up an additional 278 votes. The second count saw the distribution of the votes of Gerry O’Boyle and Des Guckian after they were eliminated in the first count.

Connaughton, Ivan (FF): + 168 – 7,502
Corcoran, Emmet (Ind: + 43 – 1,305
Crosby, Tom (Ind): + 33 – 1,063
Fitzmaurice, Michael (Ind): + 151 – 6,371
Hopkins, Maura (FG): + 149 – 5,742
Kelly, John (Lab): + 23 – 2,060
Kenny, Martin (SF): + 278 – 6,184
McDermott, John (Ind): + 74 – 3,018

Non-transferrable papers - 65

* No candidates reached quota on this count and Tom Crosby has been eliminated and his 1,063 votes will now be distributed.

 

3.57pm

Independent TD Denis Naughten has arrived in the media centre in Roscommon on crutches - after injuring tendons in his leg running

3.46pm

The results of the second count in Roscommon are due in ten minutes

3.20pm

The results of the first count have just been announced in Roscommon. The total poll is 33,572, with spoiled votes standing at 262, making the valid poll 33,310 and a quota of 16,656

Connaughton, Ivan (FF) - 7,334
Corcoran, Emmet (Ind) - 1,262
Crosby, Tom (Ind) - 1,030
Fitzmaurice, Michael (Ind) - 6,220
Guckian, Des (Ind) - 902
Hopkins, Maura (FG) - 5,593
Kelly, John (Lab) - 2,037
Kenny, Martin (SF) - 5,906
McDermott, John (Ind) - 2,944
OBoyle, Gerry (Ind) - 82

* No candidates reached quota and Gerry O'Boyle and Des Guckian have been eliminated and their votes will now be distributed among the remaining candidates.

 

3.16pm

We're told we'll have the results of the first count in ten minutes

3.06pm

Still awaiting the first count from Roscommon but we're told it shouldn't be too much longer. Will keep you posted

2.38pm

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has hailed the doubling of the party's vote in Roscommon/South Leitrim, saying Fine Gael and Labour have got a walloping!

2.20pm

Speculation we could have a first count in Roscommon in less than 15 mins.

 

2.17pm

Count staff here in Roscommon are taking staggered lunch breaks and the hall has emptied out considerably over the last while. SF leader Gerry Adams is reported to be outside chatting MEPs Pearse Doherty and Matt Carthy. Surely, the party's impressive showing today will ensure he is in buoyant form.

 

2.10pm

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams is expected in the Hyde Centre, Roscommon in the next few minutes.

 

2.03pm

Michael Fitzmaurice's team have professed themselves very, very happy with his performance. We are told the man himself is out herding cattle! Meanwhile, count staff are rechecking counted vote bundles. Talk of a first count sometime after 3pm, however, count staff have yet to take lunch.

 

1.58pm

Those compiling the tallies have told us that the figures available for 133 boxes is as close to a final tally as we will get. That's minus the three boxes where the tally sheets have gone missing, one in Knockcroghery, one in Castelrea an another in Leitrim.

Connaughton - 7077
Corcoran - 1257
Crosby - 1016
Fitzmaurice - 6073
Guckian - 896
Hopkins - 5516
Kelly - 2011
Kenny - 5677
McDermott - 2964
OBoyle - 81

 

10.30am

Tallies are coming thick and fast

Latest figures to hand, with 38% of the boxes open, indicate a narrow lead for Connaughton over Fitzmaurice.

Connaughton 26%

Fitzmaurice 23%

Kenny 17%

Hopkins 14%

McDermott 10%

Kelly 5%

Corcoran 2%

Guckian 2%

Crosby and O'Boyle 1%

 

10.10am

Early tallies show that Fianna Fail candidate Ivan Connaughton and Independent Michael Fitzmaurice are running neck and neck.

With 28% of the boxes tallied, the voting percentages, for the leading candidates, are as follows:

Connaughton 26%

Fitzmaurice 25%

Kenny (SF) 16%

Hopkins (FG) 14%

McDermott (Ind0 9%

Kelly (Lab) 5%

If the trend continues, this willl be an interesting count, with pre-election favourite Ivan Connaughton under pressure from transfer-friendly Michael Fitzmaurice, who has the support of the former TD Luke 'Ming' Flanagan, whose election to the European Parliament has led to the by-election.