Cork North Central General Election 2024 updates: Mick Barry ...
Seats filled: 5
6pm
The youngest TD in the new Dáil Eoghan Kenny of Labour has said that he feels “privileged” to have the opportunity to work on behalf of his constituents in Cork North Central.
Mr Kenny, who is just 24-years-old, described the Labour Party as being “alive and kicking” following a successful weekend which has seen the election of 11 party TD’s nationwide.
He stressed that he was pleased to be able to bring a younger perspective to the Dail.
“It has been very evident that there is a real need for a new generation of politicians to tackle the issues that we are facing in housing, healthcare, childcare and many issues across the board. Being the youngest TD in Dáil Éireann is a real privilege.
Hopefully we will set the world alight in Dáil Éireann with our 11 (Labour TD’s) elected. It is a fantastic weekend for the Labour Party as well that we have 11 TD’s elected. That is with Sean Sherlock and Brendan Howlin both hanging up their political boots.”
“I am absolutely privileged and extremely honoured to get this mandate from the people of Cork North Central and in particular the people of my home town of Mallow who backed me here.”
Mr Kenny, who is a county councillor, works as a business and religion teacher at Mayfield Community School on the northside of Cork.
A full recount was ordered in the constituency last night after just 35 votes separated the final candidates Councillor Kenny of Labour and outgoing TD Mick Barry. Mr Barry of People Before Profit/Solidarity withdrew his request for a recount shortly after 5pm today.
5PM
Deputy Mick Barry of People Before Profit/Solidarity has withdrawn his request for a recount in Cork North Central. Cllr Eoghan Kenny (Labour) will take the fifth seat.
11.20am
A full recount was ordered in the five seat Cork North Central constituency last night after just 35 votes separated the final candidates Councillor Eoghan Kenny of Labour and outgoing People Before Profit Solidarity TD Mick Barry.
Counting of bundles is underway in Nemo Rangers with a full decision to be made at lunchtime on whether a full recount will take place to decide the fifth seat in the constituency.
Mr Kenny was deemed elected with 7,461 votes on the 17th count shortly after 12.30am. However, with just 35 votes between Kenny and Mick Barry a full recount was launched.
Deputy Barry said that they were keeping their options open at this point.
“We are going to start with a check of the bundles. If we are going to overhaul 35 votes, it is more likely to be on the basis of a bundle error rather than one here, one there. We are going to do the bundles but we will keep our options open after that.”
A full recount, if it goes ahead, could take up to three days as it involves the counting of 59,071 papers.
1am
A RECOUNT has been ordered in the five seat Cork North Central constituency after just 35 votes separated the final two candidates.
The fifth and final seat was going to Labour's Councillor Eoghan Kenny ahead of outgoing People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Mick Barry by a mere 35 votes - but after the two candidates had been separated by just one vote earlier in the count.
The same count had seen two different candidates separated by just three votes for one earlier elimination.
On the 17th count the distribution of the surplus from Independent Ireland's Councillor Ken O'Flynn had seen Councillor Kenny poised to win the final seat with a transfer of 68 votes bringing him to 7461.
The outgoing PBP-Solidarity TD had received a transfer of 117 from Councillor O'Flynn, leaving him on a total of 7426 - just 35 ballots behind the Labour candidate for the final seat.
The recount will begin at 10am on Monday.
Mr Barry confirmed he had sought and was granted a recount.
Cork North Central returning officer Martin Harvey is supervising his final general election after 32 years in the role.
In his first general election in 1992, the same constituency had witnessed a lengthy recount after just a handful of votes separated Liam Burke of Fine Gael and Billy Kelleher of Fianna Fail for the fifth and final seat.
The Fianna Fail and Fine Gael candidates were cousins.
The other four seats in the constituency were won by Sinn Fein's Thomas Gould, Fianna Fail's Padraig O'Sullivan, Fine Gael's Colm Burke and Independent Ireland's Ken O'Flynn.
Nemo Rangers GAA complex is serving as the count centre for both Cork North Central and Cork South Central.
10.40pm
INDEPENDENT Ireland's Councillor Ken O'Flynn and Fine Gael's Junior Minister Colm Burke have been elected in Cork North Central.
Both were elected after the 14th count.
Councillor O'Flynn is the son of veteran former Fianna Fáil TD Noel O'Flynn who held a seat in Cork North Central for 14 years before his retirement in 2011.
The councillor - a former member of Fianna Fáil - narrowly failed to win a seat in the 2020 General Election as an independent.
Last June he delivered one of the biggest votes in the Local Government election as he was re-elected to Cork City Council.
Mr Burke - a former Ireland South MEP - has successfully defended his Dáil berth.
The first two seats in Cork North Central were taken by outgoing TDs, Thomas Gould of Sinn Fein and Padraig O'Sullivan of Fianna Fáil.
Mick Barry (PBP) and Eoghan Kenny (Labour) are in a dogfight for the final seat with just 300 votes currently separating them.
7.30pm
FIANNA Fáil poll topper in Cork North Central, Padraig O’Sullivan, has been re-elected.
The outgoing TD took the second seat after fellow outgoing TD Thomas Gould of Sinn Fein was elected marginally ahead of him on transfers.
He was elected on the twelfth count.
Fianna Fáil are also battling for the fifth and final seat with outgoing TD Colm Burke and Independent Ireland’s Councillor Ken O’Flynn poised to take the third and fourth seats.
The final seat will be determined by a nail biting battle between Fianna Fáil, Labour and People Before Profit.
4.30pm
Cork North Central is shaping up to prove a cliffhanger with just three votes now separating two candidates battling for the fifth and final seat - after three votes determined an earlier elimination involving two other candidates.
Outgoing TD Mick Barry of People Before Profit-Solidarity is at 4,724 votes after the tenth count - just three votes behind Councillor Eoghan Kenny of Labour as both battle for the final seat in the five seat constituency.
In an earlier count, three ballots determined the elimination of Councillor John Maher ahead of Sinn Fein's Councillor Joe Lynch.
The order of final eliminations and candidate geography will now determine the destination of the final seat.
Outgoing TD Thomas Gould of Sinn Fein was elected on the tenth count with outgoing Fianna Fail TD Padraig O'Sullivan set to be re-elected within an hour.
Outgoing TD Colm Burke of Fine Gael will be re-elected while Councillor Ken O'Flynn of Independent Ireland, a son of veteran former Fianna Fáil TD Noel O'Flynn, is also set to take a seat.
Counting in Cork North Central is expected to continue into the early hours of Monday morning.
1pm
Fianna Fáil’s outgoing TD Padraig O’Sullivan is expected to be elected within the next two hours after he edged within 700 votes of the quota in Cork North Central by 1pm.
Mr O’Sullivan topped the poll in Cork North Central where none of the five Dáil seats have been filled as yet.
The ninth count is now underway with the elimination of Labour’s Councillor John Maher – who was just three votes behind Councillor Joe Lynch of Sinn Féin – set to prove crucial.
Councillor Maher is expected to transfer heavily to his Labour running mate, Councillor Eoghan Kenny who is now engaged in a tense five way battle for the fifth and final seat.
Outgoing TDs Thomas Gould of Sinn Féin and Colm Burke of Fine Gael are all set to be returned to the 34th Dáil.
Independent Ireland challenger Councillor Ken O’Flynn will take a seat after a strong first preference vote – and heavy transfers from other independents and small parties.
Councillor O’Flynn got a massive transfer from Ireland First’s Derek Blighe of 1,280 votes – pushing him well ahead of Mr Burke.
The quota in Cork North Central is 9,846.
9am
Counting has resumed at the Nemo Rangers GAA complex for Cork North Central where officials expect the fifth and final seat not to be filled until the early hours of Monday morning.
Poll-topper and outgoing Fianna Fáil TD Padraig O’Sullivan is around 1,900 votes shy of the 9,846 quota and is expected to be elected by early afternoon.
Sinn Féin’s outgoing TD Thomas Gould is also expected to be re-elected by early afternoon with outgoing Fine Gael TD Colm Burke also set to hold his Dáil berth.
Independent Ireland challenger Councillor Ken O’Flynn – the son of former Fianna Fáil TD Noel O'Flynn – will also be elected.
However, the fifth and final seat is expected to prove a tense 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).
Analysts stressed that the order of eliminations will be critical to determining who wins the fifth and final seat.
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.