Cork North Central: Current TD leads the way as all boxes tallied

2.45pm: The story of the election so far in Cork North Central is that the tallies show Sinn Féin’s vote is down significantly, the TD topping that tally has claimed.

Fianna Fáil’s Pádraig O’Sullivan TD, who topped the tally on 13.2%, with 7,470 of the tallied first preferences, described the result as “encouraging” but cautioned that transfers would be vital.

Mr O’Sullivan said he did not expect to top the poll when votes are counted, but he said the tally showed an interesting change in voting patterns in the constituency.

“The tally is encouraging, but we’re all waiting for the first official count to happen, and that’s when things will get real,” he said.

“The most encouraging thing for us in Fianna Fáil is that we have topped the parties in Cork North Central, we’re on 24% according to the tally, and Sinn Féin is significantly behind us on the tally on 18%.

“That’s down significantly on the 2020 general election.” 

Mr O’Sullivan said he believed his party’s three-candidate strategy had been broadly successful in Cork North Central.

“I think myself, Tony [Fitzgerald] and Sandra [Murphy Kelleher] worked as well as we could have, we ran a three-candidate strategy, which is always difficult, but at the same time, I think it has helped us to maximise the vote.” 

He added that he believed the election would be decided mostly in the later counts.

“I’m calling this an election of transfers, there’s not necessarily a wave for anybody the way there previously might have been in years past, so for me this election is going to be determined on transfers,” he said.

“In a lot of four- and five-seaters up and down the country, the last seats will be long counts and tough to call.” 

Mr O’Sullivan said he was hopeful that the outgoing coalition parties would again go into government together, but would not be drawn on what other parties might be needed to make up a majority.

“We’ll try and make a government out of whatever is going to transpire in the coming days and I think there will be considerable negotiation in the days ahead,” he said.

1.25pm: All 160 of the ballot boxes in Cork North Central have now been tallied and Fianna Fáil’s Pádraig O’Sullivan TD appears to be topping the poll on 13.2% with 7,470 of the tallied first preferences.

Just behind him is Sinn Féin’s Thomas Gould TD on 12.6% with 7,129 votes.

Independent Ireland’s Kenneth O’Flynn is on 9.82% with 5,558.

Fine Gael’s Colm Burke TD is on 9.77% with 5,527, while Fianna Fáil’s Tony Fitzgerald is on 7.04% with 3,984, and People Before Profit-Solidarity’s Mick Barry TD is on 6% with 3,392.

Labour’s Eoghan Kenny is on 5.63% with 3,184, while Sinn Féin’s Joe Lynch is on 5% with 2,794.

Fine Gael’s Garret Kelleher is on 4.79% with 2,711, while Labour’s John Maher is on 4.54% with 2,566.

Ireland First’s Derek Blighe is on 4.22% with 2,389, while the Social Democrats’ Susan Doyle is on 3.82% with 2,162, and Fianna Fáil’s Sandra Murphy Kelleher is on 3.57% with 2,022.

Finian Toomey of Aontú is on 3.18% with 1,799, while Fine Gael’s Imelda Daly is on 2.25% with 1,275, and the Green Party’s Oliver Moran is on 2.14% with 1,208.

The Social Democrats’ Ciarán McCarthy is on 2.1% with 1,187, while Rachel Hurley Roche, who is Independent but aligned with the Worker’s Party, is on 0.58% with 330.

Independent candidate Martin Condon is on 0.25% with 144, while Independent Joseph Peters is on 0.2% with 112, and Independent John Donoghue is on 0.2% with 122.

In vote share, Fianna Fáil is leading with 23.82%, Sinn Féin is on 17.54%, Fine Gael is on 16.82%, others 16.6%, Labour 10.16%, Independent Ireland 9.7%, People Before Profit-Solidarity 6%, Social Democrats 5.92%, Aontu 3.18%, and the Green Party is on 2.14%.

12.25pm: With 140 out of 160 ballot boxes in Cork North Central now tallied, or 87.5%, Fianna Fáil’s Pádraig O’Sullivan TD is currently on 14%, with 6,978 of the tallied first preferences.

Just behind him is Sinn Féin’s Thomas Gould TD on 12% with 5,976 votes.

Fine Gael’s Colm Burke TD is on 10% with 5,063, while Independent Ireland’s Kenneth O’Flynn is on 9% with 4,367.

Fianna Fáil’s Tony Fitzgerald is on 7% with 3,453, while Labour’s Eoghan Kenny is on 6% with 3,044.

People Before Profit-Solidarity’s Mick Barry TD is also on 6% with 2,899, while Sinn Féin’s Joe Lynch is on 5% with 2,676.

Fine Gael’s Garret Kelleher is on 5% with 2,650, while Ireland First’s Derek Blighe is on 4% with 2,064.

Labour’s John Maher is on 4% with 2,015, while the Social Democrats’ Susan Doyle is on 4% with 1,951, and Fianna Fáil’s Sandra Murphy Kelleher is on 4% with 1,948.

Finian Toomey of Aontú is on 4% with 1,628, while Fine Gael’s Imelda Daly is on 2% with 1,188, and the Social Democrats’ Ciarán McCarthy is on 2% with 1,128.

The Green Party’s Oliver Moran is on 2% with 1,080, while Rachel Hurley Roche, who is Independent but aligned with the Worker’s Party, is on 1% with 277.

12.20pm:

With 120 out of 160 ballot boxes in Cork North Central now tallied, or 75%, Fianna Fáil’s Pádraig O’Sullivan TD is currently on 14%, or 5,897, of the tallied first preferences.

Just behind him is Sinn Féin’s Thomas Gould TD on 12% with 5,017 votes.

Fine Gael’s Colm Burke TD is on 10% with 4,449, while Independent Ireland’s Kenneth O’Flynn is on 9% with 3,868.

Fianna Fáil’s Tony Fitzgerald is on 6% with 2,721, while Labour’s Eoghan Kenny is on 6% with 2,554.

People Before Profit-Solidarity’s Mick Barry TD is also on 6% with 2,519.

Fine Gael's Garret Kelleher is on 6% with 2,383, while Sinn Féin’s Joe Lynch is on 5% with 2,287.

Labour’s John Maher is on 4% with 1,800, while Ireland First’s Derek Blighe is on 4% with 1,767.

The Social Democrats’ Susan Doyle is on 4% with 1,731, and Fianna Fáil’s Sandra Murphy Kelleher is on 4% with 1,675.

Finian Toomey of Aontú is on 3% with 1,395, while Fine Gael’s Imelda Daly is on 2% with 1,028, and the Social Democrats’ Ciarán McCarthy is on 2% with 1,005.

The Green Party’s Oliver Moran is on 2% with 963, while Rachel Hurley Roche, who is Independent but aligned with the Worker’s Party, is on 1% with 253.

In vote share, Fianna Fáil is leading with 24%, Sinn Féin is on 18%, Fine Gael is on 18%, others 14%, Labour 10%, Social Democrats 6%, People Before Profit-Solidarity 6%, Aontú 3%, and the Green Party is on 2%.

12pm: With 62% of boxes tallied in Cork North Central, Fianna Fáil’s Pádraig O’Sullivan TD has pulled ahead on 14%, or 4,865.

Just behind him is Sinn Féin’s Thomas Gould TD, who is on 12% of the tallied first preferences with 4,352 votes.

Fine Gael’s Colm Burke TD is on 9% with 3,312, while Independent Ireland’s Kenneth O’Flynn is also on 9% with 3,271.

Fianna Fáil’s Tony Fitzgerald is on 7% with 2,365, People Before Profit-Solidarity’s Mick Barry TD is also on 6% with 2,251.

Fine Gael's Garret Kelleher is on 6% with 2,175, while Sinn Féin’s Joe Lynch is on 6% with 1,962.

Labour’s John Maher is on 5% with 1,665, the Social Democrats’ Susan Doyle is on 4% with 1,536, and Ireland First’s Derek Blighe is on 4% with 1,439.

In vote share, Fianna Fáil is leading with 24%, Sinn Féin is on 18%, others 18%, Fine Gael 18%, Independent Ireland 9%, Labour 6% and People Before Profit-Solidarity on 6%.

11pm: With 31% of boxes tallied in Cork North Central, Sinn Féin’s Thomas Gould TD, who topped the poll in the 2020 general election, looks to be currently out in front with 16% of the tallied first preferences.

Fianna Fáil’s Pádraig O’Sullivan TD is currently tallying at 14%, while Independent Ireland’s Kenneth O’Flynn is tallying at 13%, and sitting TDs Colm Burke (Fine Gael) and Mick Barry (People Before Profit-Solidarity) are on 9% and 8% respectively.

With tally people giving a likely quota of 3,451 on the boxes currently opened, Thomas Gould has 2,693 votes, with Pádraig O’Sullivan at 2,387, Kenneth O’Flynn at 2,186, Colm Burke at 1,484 and Mick Barry at 1,441.

Labour’s John Maher is on 7% at 1,269, with Fianna Fáil’s Tony Fitzgerald on 7% with 1,170 and Ireland First’s Derek Blighe on 5% with 1,189.

In terms of vote share, Fianna Fáil is leading with 22%, Sinn Féin is on 19%, others 18%, Fine Gael 14%, Independent Ireland 11%, Labour 8% and People Before Profit-Solidarity on 8%.

Earlier: The tally is underway in Nemo Rangers, where boxes opened at 9am for the votes for Cork North Central.

In Cork North Central, there are 21 candidates for five seats. 

The four incumbents; Sinn Féin’s Thomas Gould, Fine Gael’s Colm Burke, People Before Profit-Solidarity’s Mick Barry and Fianna Fáil’s Padraig O’Sullivan are all running again, but an extra seat has been added.

There are three Fine Gael candidates, three Fianna Fáil, two Sinn Féin, two Labour, two Social Democrats, and four Independent candidates running.

One Independent Ireland candidate, one Green, one Aontú, one People Before Profit-Solidarity and one Ireland First are also contesting for a seat.