Local Elections 2024 Waterford: Dungarvan LEA count finishes with ...

15 days ago

Independent.ie

Sunday 9.15 p.m.

ELECTED: Cllr Thomas Phelan (Lab), Cllr Joe O’Riordan (Ind)

The final two councillors for the Dungarvan area were elected shortly after 9 p.m.

Returning Officer Paul Johnston declared Cllr Thomas Phelan (Lab) and Cllr Joe O’Riordan (Ind) elected, saying that even though they hadn’t reached the quota, they there was one candidate more than the two seats available, meaning the candidate with the lowest vote of the three, Independent Seamus O’Donnell had to be excluded, on 786 votes.

Councillors Phelan and O’Riordan join Damien Geoghegan (FG) Conor D McGuinness (SF) Tom Cronin (FF) Pat Nugent (FG) to represent the Dungarvan area, meaning an all-male council in the thriving tourist town.

Sunday 8.10pm

ELECTED: Cllr Jim D’Arcy (FG), Cllr Mary Roche (Social Democrats), Cllr Seamus Ryan (Lab), Cllr Joeanne Bailey (SF), Cllr Frank Quinlan (FG).

All six councillors for the Waterford City East constituency have been elected, following the distributing of Green Party candidate, Jodie Power’s 758 votes.

The election wrapped up in the tenth count, with Cllr D’Arcy exceeding the quota of 1,238, with his 1,257 votes.

Returning Officer Paul Johnston said there was only one vacant seat remaining and as the votes of the highest remaining candidate Mary Roche (1,126) exceeded Independent Darren Ryan’s vote (934), he declared Cllr Roche elected.

All six councillors for the Waterford South electoral area have also been elected, after Mr Johnston declared Cllr Seamus Ryan (Lab) (931 votes), Cllr Joeanne Bailey (SF) 1039 votes, Cllr Frank Quinlan (FG) 855 votes – all elected despite not reaching the quota of 1,058.

Current standing of Waterford Local Elections 2024

Tramore / Waterford City West Electoral Area (6)

Elected: Lola O’Sullivan (FG), Joe Kelly (Ind)

Waterford City East Electoral Area (6)

Elected: Declan Barry (IND), David Daniels (IND), Pat Fitzgerald (SF), Adam Wyse (FF), Jim Darcy (FG), Mary Roche (SD).

Waterford City South Local Electoral Area (6)

Elected: John Hearne (SF), Donal Barry (Ind), Jason Murphy (FF), Cllr Seamus Ryan (Lab), Cllr Joeanne Bailey (SF), Cllr Frank Quinlan (FG).

Dungarvan Electoral Area (6)

Elected: Damien Geoghegan (FG) Conor D McGuinness (SF) Tom Cronin (FF) Pat Nugent (FG)

Portlaw / Kilmacthomas Electoral Area (5)

Elected: John O’Leary (FF), Seanie Power (FG), Liam Brazil (FG), Declan Clune (Ind), Catherine Burke (SF)

Lismore Electoral Area (3)

Elected: John Pratt (Lab), Niamh O’ Donovan (FG), Donnachadh Mulcahy (SF)

26 seats have been filled and six remain to be filled.

Sunday 6.15pm

Bittersweet is the word Sinn Fein TD has for the party’s performance in the Local Elections.

Hoping for nine but likely to get eight seats, Deputy Cullinane said: “It’s bittersweet. Nationally or State wide it hasn’t been the election we’d hoped it would be. We expect we’ll be fighting for a seat in each of the three European constituencies.

"Locally in Waterford, we bucked the trend, we’re coming back with over 21pc of the vote. We’re going to win seven, potentially eight seat, so we could come back as potentially the largest party in Waterford, which obviously is seriously bucking the trend, given where we are elsewhere.”

Winning a seat in a Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael stronghold in Lismore was a huge coup, he said, adding that while there are positives to take, there were seats they had hoped to take, but didn’t.

"We have to reflect on our losses. We have to listen to the electorate and learn from what they tell us and make sure that we figure out why people didn’t vote for us in the numbers that we expected.” Alluding to polls reflecting a softening in the Sinn Fein vote over recent months, he said: “We don’t have time to naval gaze. We have to be humble about the result today. It wasn’t what we had hoped, but we also have to be confident about the politics we’re putting out there. A lot of people will depend on Sinn Fein to perform very well in the next general election because they want a government without Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael, and we have to appeal to them.”

Deputy Cullinane said the party may have stood too many candidates in one area. “In politics you have to go for it. We’ll learn from this election as well. We were conscious that we weren’t going to get the kind of vote we got in the last general election but we are confident going into the next election.”

Sunday 5.20pm

Results are coming thick and fast, with two more candidates’ elections announced.

Independent Declan Clune was elected on the eighth count, with 1,451 votes, while Sinn Fein’s Catherine Burke had the most votes (1,169), during redistribution pushing her over the line.

This completes the five-seater election for the Comeragh (Portlaw/Kilmacthomas) area.

Elected: John O’Leary (FF), Seanie Power (FG), Liam Brazil (FG), Declan Clune (Ind), Catherine Burke (SF).

Sunday 5pm

ELECTED: Adam Wyse (Fianna Fáil) Tom Cronin (Fianna Fáil)

Results of Waterford Local Elections 2024 at half-way point

Half of 32 seats being contested across 6 electoral areas have been filled

There are six seats being contested in the Tramore / Waterford City West Electoral Area.

Elected: Lola O’Sullivan (FG)

There are 6 seats being contested in the Waterford City East Electoral Area.

Elected: Declan Barry (IND) David Daniels (IND), Pat Fitzgerald (SF), Adam Wyse (FF).

There are 6 seats being contested in the Waterford City South Local Electoral Area.

Elected: John Hearne (SF), Donal Barry (Ind)/

There are 6 seats being contested in the Dungarvan Electoral Area.

Elected: Damien Geoghegan (FG), Conor D McGuinness (SF), Tom Cronin (FF).

There are 5 seats being contested in the Portlaw Kilmacthomas Electoral Area.

Elected: John O’Leary (FF), Seanie Power (FG), Liam Brazil (FG).

There are 3 seats being contested in the Lismore.

Elected: John Pratt (Lab), Niamh O’ Donovan (FG), Donnachadh Mulcahy (SF).

16 seats have been filled and 16 remain to be filled.

Sunday 4 p.m.

ELECTED: Pat Fitzgerald (Sinn Fein)

Fourteen councillors have now been elected in Co Waterford, the latest being Pat Fitzgerald, with 1,302 votes, in the Waterford City East ward.

Boosted by 224 votes from his party colleague, Karl Cretzan (who was excluded in the fifth count), Cllr Fitzgerald made it over the line. He is the fourth Sinn Fein councillor to win election after John Hearne, Conor D McGuinness and Donnchadh Mulcahy.

Stephanie Keating has been excluded and her 511 votes are being redistributed shortly.

Sunday at 2.25 p.m.

Sinn Fein has a new candidate in the Lismore Local Election Area, following the election of Donnchadh Mulcahy.

Cllr Mulcahy was elected on the sixth count, with 1,208 votes, having picked up thirty votes from Fine Gael’s Niamh O’Donovan, who was elected earlier in the afternoon.

His election saw the end of Independent candidate, Brian Buckley’s campaign, in the three seat area. With two newbies, the Lismore area is shaping up for an interesting five years ahead.

Sunday at 12.55 p.m.

36-year-old first-time Fine Gael candidate, Niamh O'Donovan had an interesting run-in to the Local Election, having encountered a hungry goat on the canvass.

Cllr O’Donovan, who was elected on the fourth count early Sunday afternoon, picked up 289 votes from Michael J Walsh (FF), bringing her over the 1,289 quota.

There were huge roars as she was lifted high by her team, as Returning Officer Paul Johnston announced her election.

“I had a good campaign, but a goat bit me in Ballyduff. I could feel the horns and the next thing I got a bite in the rear end. The two lads out with me were just laughing; they thought it was hilarious. I was like, ‘I need to go to A&E’.”

She said it was a busy year ‘learning as much as I can, as quick as I can, but thankfully it all paid off’.

"I don’t come from a political family so we were learning politics while running our campaign. I come from the community and voluntary sector, so politics is so different. You are trying to marry the two of them. Full credit to my dad and my uncle and everyone who canvassed with me. That made it a bit easier to get through the campaign.

She chose Fine Gael because of its ‘fantastic’ women’s network. “They were very supportive from the outset. I just felt that’s what I needed. I also like the party’s values; the equality of opportunity. It resonated well with me.”

The youth justice worker in West Waterford, said she is aware of the problems facing youths in rural Ireland. “Every day I would come across drug use, mental health issues, early school leaving, trying to get apprenticeships. All the sports needed for anyone who might end up in trouble with the guards. That gives you an idea about what could be done in an area to start a conversation and how to find solutions.”

She said she felt respected when canvassing. “I always had someone with me. Everyone was so receptive and polite. I’m a friendly face and was very well received. It will be good to have a female presence in the chamber. There’s only three seats in the Lismore Local Electoral Area; we’ll all have our different skills ad bring our own different personalities. As 50pc of the population are female, it would be good to have that awareness there.”

Labour’s John Pratt retained his seat in Lismore also, having picked up 270 votes from Mr Walsh, giving him a grand total of 1,392.

His 103 vote surplus will be redistributed shortly.

Sunday at 11 a.m.

To shouts of hip hip hooray, Fianna Fáil candidate John O’Leary was hoisted high, pumping his fists, having been elected to the Portlaw-Kilmacthomas area – following the redistribution of Fine Gael Cllr Liam Brazil’s votes.

Ending up with 1,411 votes he was well above the quota of 1,299.

Fine Gael Cllr Seanie Power’s 255 surplus votes will shortly be distributed.

Sunday at 10.35 a.m.

Following the distribution of surplus votes from Independent Cllr Donal Barry in the Waterford City South Local Election Area, Sinn Fein Cllr John Hearne was elected, to great cheering at the SETU count centre.

He picked up 35 votes from Cllr Barry, bringing him just over the quota of 1,058, with 1065 votes in total.

Independent candidate Eric English has been excluded and his 89 votes will soon be redistributed.

Sunday at 10 a.m.

As the redistribution of surplus votes got under way at the SETU Arena in Waterford Sunday morning at 9 a.m., the dust was only settling on a fevered end to proceedings several hours earlier.

As its stands eight councillors (one quarter of the total 32) have been elected in Waterford.

They are: Independent Cllr Donal Barry (Waterford City South), Fine Gael Cllr Lola O’Sullivan (Tramore/City West), Independent Cllr David Daniels (Waterford City East), Fine Gael Cllr Damien Geogheghan (Dungarvan), Sinn Fein Cllr Conor D. McGuinness (Dungarvan), Fine Gael Cllr Liam Brazil (Portlaw-Kilmacthomas), Independent Cllr Declan Barry (Waterford City East) and Seanie Power (Portlaw-Kilmacthomas).

Having been lifted up by supporters, Comeragh area poll topper, Fine Gael man Liam Brazil, who won 1,982 first preference votes in the Portlaw-Kilmacthomas area, was overjoyed.

He said Simon Harris did councillors a huge favour by taking over as leader of Fine Gael. "He went out and spoke to the people. People in rural Ireland wanted that. Enda Kenny did it before. He met people before that there was a gap between them and the politicians.

"Rural people feel they were left down over the last couple of years, but I think they’re beginning to see that Simon Harris is going to bring the whole country together again and I believe, with a good council here in Waterford, we can go out and meet the people and talk to them."

Attributing his success to hard work and connecting with people through honesty, Cllr Brazil said: “I am delighted. I am a councillor for the past twenty years. I’ve worked hard and I’ve reaped my reward here today for that. If you want to represent the people you must be honest with the people and talk to them and go out to them."

He said the day of putting on a suit and a tie a month before election to go out kissing babies and glad handing people is over.

"I ran a good campaign. My wife drove the car for me and I knocked on almost every door in the constituency. You can be a councillor all your life but there’s only one time when you can go out and meet the people and that’s during election time. People love to see you coming. All my vote is nearly rural. Kilmacthomas and Stradbally would be the big villages. I was meeting people living thirty miles away from me, who asked me what I could do for them. I told them I’m only a phone call away.”

For Damien Geogheghan, who topped the poll in Dungarvan with 1,584 votes, said hard work got him to the top.

Cllr Geogheghan is celebrating 25 years as a public representative this Tuesday, having been first elected on June 11, 1999.

"Being in an election scenario you never know, but I felt confident with this election. I felt I had a very good campaign and election and particularly on Friday, I felt that things were going very well for me. My voters came out for me.”

Having served as 15 years as a town councillor and twenty years as a county councillor, he said being positive and being willing to work with people is key to electoral success..

"I’ve always taken a really positive approach to politics. Dungarvan is a town that has come on leaps and bounds. I think I’ve played a part in that during my time as a councillor. I’m always looking to bring about improvements and to promote and sell the place. Dungarvan is now being compared to places like Kinsale and Westport, and I am very proud to be from Dungarvan and to represent the people there.”

He said keen political observers in Dungarvan felt the six outgoing councillors – who were all seeking re-election – would be returned or one would fall and be replaced by another from the same political background.

"That’s very unusual. The change is most likely going to occur in the Independent ranks. I think that’s a vote of confidence that the people – by and large – are happy with the councillors that they’ve elected. If you’re a hard working councillor and the tide is in for you, you will benefit from that. If you’re a hard working councillor and the tide is out for you, you’ll also be resistant to that change as well.

"For half of the time that I’ve been a councillor Fine Gael have been in opposition and for the other half, they’ve been in Government, and it hasn’t really impacted on my vote as a councillor. My vote has actually increased during our time in Government so I’d like to think that is down to my own record and my hard work.”

01.30

David Daniels, who was co-opted onto Waterford City and County Council at the March 2023 Plenary Council, is ahead so far.

It was a dramatic start to Sunday morning at the Waterford count centre, where several councillors won election.

In the Waterford City South Donal Barry (Non Party) 1,291.

In the Waterford City East ward, Declan Barry, (Non Party) 1,257 and David Daniels (Non Party) 1,331 were elected.

In the Tramore - Waterford City West Lola O’Sullivan (FG) 1,313 and in the Dungarvan Electoral Area, Conor D. McGuinness (SF) 1,408 and Damien Geoghegan (FG) 1,584 votes – were elected.

01:00

In the large Tramore/Waterford City West ward, Independents hold sway with 34.96pc of the vote, followed by: Sinn Fein (19.56pc), Fine Gael (19.49pc), Fianna Fáil (8.33pc), Green Party (4.64pc), Rabharta (3.88pc), Aontu (3.62pc), Labour (2.82), Independent Ireland (1.78pc) and Party for Animal Welfare (0.92pc).

Fine Gael candidate Lola O’Sullivan will retain her seat, having polled 1,289 votes, with Independent candidate Brian Hannigan looking strong with 894 votes. Fellow Independent Joe Kelly has 893 votes, followed by Jim Griffin (SF) on 696, Eamon Quinlan (FF) on 651 and Criostina Kiley (Green Party) with 363.

11.40 p.m.

The first two councillors have been elected at the Waterford Count Centre.

Deafening cheers rang out as the Local Elections Returning Officer, Paul Johnston, announced that Fine Gael candidate Liam Brazil had exceeded the quota by 683 votes in the Portlaw, Kilmacthomas Electoral Area, at 11.23 p.m., having gotten 1,982 first preference votes, topping the poll.

His Fine Gael colleague, Seanie Power, was also elected with 1,554 votes in the five-seater constituency.

Mr Johnston said Cllr Brazil's votes would be distributed Sunday morning.

Meanwhile, no one was elected when the Lismore votes were announced. First time candidate, Donnchadh Mulcahy of Sinn Fein, topped the poll with 988, but did not meet the quota of 1,289.

Consequently, the three lowest vote getters, Michael McCarthy (TIP) - 66 votes, Frank Power (Ind) – 126 votes and Green Party candidate, Lynne Glasscoe - 145 votes - were eliminated - and their votes are being distributed.

7.20 p.m.

A tough day for the Greens

Counting has gotten under way at the SETU sports arena in Waterford.

Returning Officer Paul Johnston announced shortly after 7 p.m. that work in sorting the votes had begun.

Green Party MEP Grace O’Sullivan arrived just after 6 p.m. to show support for her sister Lola who is topping the poll in the Tramore-City West ward, for Fine Gael.

She expressed disappointment that five out of six Green candidates running across the county are unlikely to get elected, with the sixth candidate, also in jeopardy.

Having received a very warm welcome ahead of the counting of her votes on Sunday in Cork, Ms O’Sullivan said: “It’s been a tough day here for the Greens in Waterford. However view of the tallies from a European perspective seems good so it looks like I’ve gotten a good vote here, which is really important for me, as Waterford is my home base. We are just waiting now to see if we can retain any of our councillors; Jody Power is still in with a chance.”

With six candidates, two sitting, Cristiona Kiely and Jody Power, in the mix at the start of tally counting, the outlook appears grim for the party.

Attributing the poor vote to being a Government coalition party, Ms O’Sullivan said: “When you’re in opposition it’s easier. People had expectations of the Greens in Government and it’s hard being the smaller of the parties in a coalition, but at the same time we’ve achieved a lot.

"The economy is doing very well. We need to ensure we put the finances behind the social services and to tackle climate change and set targets that we need to achieve. When you look at things like the Energy Performance & Building Directive that came from Europe and the money that is going into retrofitting housing, that’s delivering real change for people, particularly in social housing stock.” She said houses today are much more energy efficient and are saving people on costs as houses are better insulated. “From a transport perspective, rural Local Link is really delivering for people. The south constituency is ten counties, and from Kerry to Wicklow what I keep hearing is the fact that public transport is much more affordable and there are more lines, through Local Link.

"It’s tough when we lose seats but it’s the same for any party. In Waterford we had more candidates running than before,”

5.15 p.m.

The final tallies have come in for most Waterford Local Election Areas, with strong indications that it has been a good election for Independents and Fine Gael, with Sinn Fein bringing a new candidate over the line in the Portlaw/Kilmacthomas area.

With a lull in proceedings as the European votes are transported from the SETU sports arena outside Waterford City to Cork, and no sign of the first count beginning, the tally figures are looming large in people’s minds.

In the Waterford City East area, Independents are way ahead of the pack, with 36.73pc of the vote, Sinn Fein have 18.2pc, followed by Fianna Fáil with 17.86pc, Fine Gael (10.03pc), Social Democrats (7.34pc), the Green Party (7.2pc) and Irish People party (2.64pc).

Independent David Daniels has a whopping 1,361 votes, having been co-opted onto the council in March 2023. He is followed by fellow Independent, Declan Barry with 1,237 votes, Adam Wyse (FF) on 1,055, Jim D’Arcy (FG) on 859, Stephanie Keating (FF) with 824 and Mary Roche (Social Democrats) on 629.

In the City South area SInn Fein lead the way with 34.26pc of the vote, followed by Independents on 25.72, Fianna Fáil (17.5pc), Fine Gael (8.4pc), the Green Party (2.15pc), Social Democrats (1.88pc) and People Before Profit (1.73pc).

Here Independent Donal Barry is well ahead with 1,224 votes, followed by Sinn Fein’s John Hearne on 969, Jason Murphy (FF) with 866, Frank Quinlan (Fine Gael) on 586, Seamus Ryan (Labour) on 583 and Independent Joe O’Riordan on 609 votes.

In Dungarvan, there is a mix of candidates in contention for the six seats. Damien Geogheghan (FG) is topping the poll, so far, with a whopping 1,550 votes, followed by Conor McGuinness (SF) on 1,376, Fianna Fáil Tom Cronin has 1,216 and Fine Gael’s Pat Nugent is on 1,037. Thomas Phelan for Labour is next with 771 and Independent Joe O’Riordan has 609.

Fine Gael has 34pc of the vote in the area, ahead of Independents on 20pc, Sinn Fein (19.9pc), Fianna Fáil (13.6pc), Labour (8.6pc) and the Green Party (3.7pc).

In the Comeragh (Portlaw/Kilmacthomas) area Fine Gael have done best, with 45.7pc of the vote, followed by Fianna Fáil (19.52pc), Independents (17.38pc), Sinn Fein (16.16pc) and the Irish Party (1.24pc).

Fine Gael’s Liam Brazil tops the poll with 1.969 votes, followed by his party colleague, Seanie Power on 1,521. Fianna Fail’s John O’Leary is on 1,073, with Declan Clune 9Ind) at 866). The fifth spot is held currently by Catherine Burke (SF) on 574 votes.

Finally, there is a major race for the third and final seat in Lismore. Sinn Fein newcomer to Local elections, Donnchadh Mulcahy is topping the poll with 944 votes, followed by Labour’s John Pratt on 904 votes.

There follows a tight race between Fine Gael’s Niamh O’Donovan who has performed brilliantly for a first time candidate, getting 744 votes. Independent Brian Buckley is on 737 and Fianna Fail’s Michael J Walsh is on 730.

3 p.m.

Fianna Fáil Cllr Adam Wyse.

Thirty-year-old Adam Wyse is running his third election for Fianna Fáil and they don’t get any easier.

Confident of retaining his own seat in the Waterford City East area, Cllr Wyse said: “We’ve been holding our own. There are a few seats that will be difficult. It will all come out when we see how accurate the tallies are. In my own ward we had two seats. I look like I should hopefully hold it and my running mate Stephanie Keating is in a battle with two other sitting councillors, Jody Power (Green Party) and Mary Roche (Social Democrats).”

He said Fianna Fáil may not have enough. “It depends on

"what happens with transfers. It looks like the two Independents will top the poll again. I finished third the last time and fourth in 2014 and I’m looking like finishing third again. I think as a party we’re transfer friendly, which is something I don’t think we were for a long time. Sinn Fein have had a very difficult election, with Independents stealing votes for them.”

Wyse praised Waterford council staff with how the count has been run so far, adding that the race will come down to the wire for several candidates.z

Fine Gael Senator John Cummins.

Fine Gael Senator John Cummins said the party are looking likely to at least retain its seven seats across the county, possibly gaining an eighth.

"We’ve had a very solid showing and it’s looking like we’re going to poll the highest of all of the parties here in Waterford. We have had a very strong showing in mid-Waterford, with our two candidates, Liam Brazil and Seanie Power. In the City East it looks like we’ll take a seat, we left behind us five years ago, with Jim D’Arcy. Cllr Lola O’Sullivan will retain her seat in Tramore City West.

"We will be in a dog fight in Waterford City South for one of the two last seats, along with Sinn Fein and Labour. In the Dungarvan area we’ll definitely hold our two, and have an outside squeak of a third. In the Lismore area it will all come down to transfers. I do think we’ll take a seat there. We have two candidates in the field; everyone else has single candidates. Our single candidate is there neck and neck with the first, second and third, so we think we’ll take that seat.”

1.30 p.m.

Excitement is building for Independent, Sinn Fein and Fine Gae l candidates at the SETU Arena count centre in Waterford, as tallies are showing string performances across Local Election Areas.

With 75pc of boxes opened in the Dungarvan area, Fine Gael is leading the way with 33.2pc of the vote, followed by: Independents (21.1pc), Sinn Fein (20.7pc), Fianna Fáil (14.1pc), Labour (7.6pc) and Green Party (3.4pc).

Conor McGuinness (SF) is ahead in tallies with 1,077, followed by Damien Geoghegan (FG) on 1,046 and Tom Cronin (FF) on 937.

In the Tramore City West electoral area where 66.67pc of tallying is completed, Independent candidates are doing very well with a 32.91pc share of the vote, followed by Sinn Fein on 22.33pc, Fine Gael on 19.52pc, Fianna Fáil on 8.28pc, Green Party (4.34pc), Rabharta (3.83pc), Aontu (3.15pc), Labour (2.75pc), Independent Ireland (1.9pc) and Party for Animal welfare (0.99pc).

Lola O’Sullivan (FG) is leading the way with 1,166, followed by Joe Kelly (Ind), Michael Gallwey (Ind Ireland) and Jim Griffin (SF)

In the City East area where 82.14pc of tallying is completed, Independents are again leading the way, with 37.47pc of the vote, followed by Fianna Fáil (18.7pc), Sinn Fein (16.1pc), Fine Gael (10.68pc), Social Democrats (7.39pc), Green Party (7.02pc) and Irish People (2.64pc). Here David Daniels (Independent) is ahead of the pack with 1,184 votes, followed by Declan Barry (Ind) 1,109 and Adam Wyse (FF) on 868.

In the Waterford City South area where 78.79pc of tallies have been checked, Sinn Fein is well ahead with 36.19pc, followed by Independents (25.74pc), Fianna Fáil (18.7pc), Fine Gael (7.4pc), Labour (7.24pc), Green Party (2.09pc) and People Before Profit (1.77pc).

Declan Barry (Ind) is leading the field in the City East area, with 777, following the opening of around 57pc of boxes. He is followed by David Daniels (Ind) on 699.

In the Comeragh (Portlaw/Kilmacthomas district), based on 48.15pc of boxes being opened, Fine Gael’s Liam Brazil has 1,033 votes, followed by John O’Leary (FF) on 615 and Declan Power (TIP) on 495. There, Fine Gael have the lion’s share of the votes tallied (39.21pc), followed by: FF (23.13pc), Ind (20.98pc), Sinn Fein (15.63pc), Ireland Party (1.06pc).

Finally in the Lismore LEA, where 83.3pc of the tallies have been compiled, John Pratt (Lab) is on 675, followed by Fine Gael's Niamh O’Donovan (667) and Michael J Walsh (FF) on 630.

There, Fine Gael are ahead presently with 28.47pc of the vote, followed by Independents (18.91pc), Fianna Fáil (16.12pc), Sinn Fein (14.86pc), Gren Party (3.12pc), Irish People party (1.25pc).

On Friday Waterford cast its vote in the Local Elections, with two councillors (Ger Barron of the Labour Party and Mairéad Tobin of Fianna Fáil), not seeking re-election and more than twice the number of candidates contesting the available number of council seats. The candidates are contesting for 32 seats across six electoral areas in Waterford City and County.

Acting Director of Services with Waterford City and County Council and Local Elections Returning Officer is Paul Johnston. Waterford’s total population is 127,363 with a voting age population of 97,538. The Plenary Council is the term that refers to Waterford City and County Council as a whole, it being the sum of the constituent districts of Comeragh, Dungarvan/Lismore and the Metropolitan District of Waterford.

Candidates by LEA

Dungarvan

Tom Cronin (FF)*

Padraic Curran

Conor D. McGuinness (SF)*

Damien Geoghegan (FG)*

Caren Hallahan (Non Party)

Aaron Joyce (Non Party)

Roger Morrison (Non party)

Monica Murphy (FG)

Pat Nugent (FG)*

Séamus O’Donnell (Non party)*