Has anybody prepared a plan on how reunification would work - not just the economics but the mechanics of how it would happen across education, health, social welfare, legal system - would need a transition period and need unionist co-operation
Sinn Féin’s Mairéad Farrell looks likely to be the first candidate elected in Galway West – with the redistribution of Independent candidate Cllr Mike Cubbard’s vote seeing Farrell overtake Éamon Ó Cuív and leaving her just 424 votes shy of the 10,057 quota.
Cubbard’s votes have also sprung Noel Grealish (Ind) into second place on 9,633 votes, ahead of Ó Cuív’s 9,017.
Independent TD Catherine Connolly remains in line to take the fourth seat in this five-seater – taking 633 transfers from Cubbard.
Green Party candidate Cllr Pauline O’Reilly has now been eliminated and her 4,230 votes are to be redistributed.
Seats: 5 Electorate: 104,825 Total Poll: 60,764 Spoiled: 423 Total valid poll: 60,341 Quota: 10,057