Cork North Central General Election 2024 updates: First four seats ...
Seats filled: 0
Tallies indicate first major wins and casualties in tight race
7.30pm OUTGOING Fianna Fáil TD Padraig O’Sullivan topped the poll in Cork North Central, marginally ahead of outgoing Sinn Féin TD Thomas Gould, with both now set to be re-elected.
Mr O’Sullivan polled 7,708 votes compared to Mr Gould’s 7,399 – with both men about 2,000 votes short of the 9,846 quota.
Fine Gael’s Junior Minister Colm Burke also looks set to be re-elected after he polled 5,736.
Independent Ireland challenger Councillor Ken O’Flynn – who narrowly failed to get elected at the 2020 General Election – is also certain to secure a Dáil berth as he polled 5,733.
However, the fifth and final seat is expected to prove a tight battle between Fianna Fáil’s councillor Tony Fitzgerald (4,084), People Before Profit’s outgoing TD Mick Barry (3,494) , Labour’s Councillor Eoghan Kenny (3,329) and Councillor John Maher (2,687), as well as Fine Gael’s Councillor Garret Kelleher (2,790) and Sinn Féin’s Councillor Joe Lynch (2,894).
Social Democrat Susan Doyle appears to face an uphill battle to get into contention for the final seat at 2,255.
Geography is expected to prove crucial in terms of the destination of late count transfers with Cork North Central having the towns of Ballincollig and Mallow added to the constituency.
5.45pm
A five-way battle is looming for the fifth and final seat in Cork North Central as Fianna Fáil’s outgoing TD Padraig O’Sullivan is set to top the poll.
A first count for Cork North Central – which reverts to a five seat constituency – is expected at the Nemo Rangers GAA count centre around 6.30pm.
Mr O’Sullivan will top the poll, marginally ahead of Sinn Féin’s outgoing TD Thomas Gould, as both are set to be over 1,000 votes short of the quota.
Independent Ireland’s Councillor Ken O’Flynn and Junior Minister Colm Burke for Fine Gael are both also well placed to win Dáil berths.
However, a tight battle is looming between Fianna Fáil’s councillor Tony Fitzgerald, People Before Profit’s outgoing TD Mick Barry, Labour’s Councillor Eoghan Kenny and Councillor John Maher, as well as Fine Gael’s Councillor Garret Kelleher and Sinn Féin’s Councillor Joe Lynch for the final seat.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin admitted that geography will prove crucial in a constituency which has been massively expanded by the addition of the Cork towns of Ballincollig and Mallow.
2pm
Fianna Fáil, Sinn Fein, Fine Gael and Independent Ireland are poised to take the first four seats in Cork North Central with a tense battle between People Before Profit, Labour, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael for the fifth and final seat.
The final tally in Cork North Central showed outgoing TD Padraig O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail) set to top the poll at 13.2pc
Fellow outgoing TD Thomas Gould (Sinn Fein) will also comfortably be re-elected at 12.6pc.
Also likely to secure a Dáil berth are Councillor Ken O'Flynn (Ind Ire) with a final tally of 9.82pc and outgoing TD Colm Burke (Fine Gael) at 9.77pc.
However a tense battle is likely for the fifth and final seat with six candidates within striking distance of each other.
Councillor Tony Fitzgerald (Fianna Fail) is on 7.04pc while outgoing TD Mick Barry (PBP-Sol) is on 6pc.
A strong challenge is also being mounted by Councillor Eoghan Kenny (Labour) on 5.63pc and Councillor Joe Lynch (Sinn Fein) on 4.94pc, both of whom are from the two additions to Cork North Central, Mallow and Ballincollig.
Fine Gael have not given up hopes of contesting the final seat if transfers are kind with Councillor Garret Kelleher (Fine Gael) on 4.79pc while Councillor John Maher (Labour) may also in contention on 4.54pc
11am: Early tallies indicate that Independent Ireland’s Councillor Ken O’Flynn is poised to make a breakthrough in Cork North Central.
The constituency is reverting back to a five seater and early tallies indicated a major battle for the fifth and final seat.
Cork North Central dropped to a four seat constituency at the 2016 and 2020 general elections.
However, early boxes have indicated a strong poll showing for Councillor O’Flynn, the son of veteran former Fianna Fáil TD Noel O’Flynn, with 13pc of first preferences.
Councillor O’Flynn enjoyed one of the strongest electoral performances in the Local Government Election last June with a huge vote as he was re-elected to Cork City Council.
It appears that he has repeated that electoral performance and is poised to win a seat.
His vote has been particularly strong in Blackpool, Mayfield and The Glen.
With one-third of the ballot boxes opened for Cork North Central, Sinn Féin's outgoing TD Thomas Gould is topping the poll.
With 50 of the 160 boxes tallied, Mr Gould is on 16pc.
He is followed by Fianna Fail's Padraig O'Sullivan on 14pc, Independent Ireland's Councillor Ken O'Flynn on 13pc and Fine Gael's outgoing TD Colm Burke on almost 9pc.
All four look set to be comfortably elected.
The fifth and final seat appears to be a battle between outgoing People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Mick Barry (8.6pc), Fianna Fail's Councillor Tony Fitzgerald (6.9pc) and Labour's Councillor John Maher (7.6pc).
However, tallymen warned that predicting the fourth and fifth seats will be difficult given that the constituency has been expanded to include Ballincollig from Cork North West and Mallow from Cork East.
Analysts warned that the Ballincollig and Mallow votes will be critical in determining the destination of the final two seats.
Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein have adopted a specific geographic strategy in the constituency.
Tallymen warned that a more accurate picture will be known around 11am when the majority of the constituency ballot boxes will be opened.
Analysts are carefully watching transfers to determine whether left-wing candidates are supporting each other – with outgoing People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Mick Barry expected to be vying with Labour and others to remain in the hunt for the fifth seat.
