LIVE UPDATES: Offaly general election count. Day One
2.13am
After a very eventful, tense, and long day in St Brendan's Community School, Offaly has chosen the three TDs who will represent them in the 34th Dail.
Those TDs are Carol Nolan, Tony McCormack, and John Clendennen.
The count is officially ended, and it's time for some much needed sleep. Goodnight!
1.55am
These are the results of the seventh count:
Seats: 3
Quota: 9,347
John Clendennen Fine Gael (+67) 8,617
Aoife Masterson Sinn Fein (+68) 8,501
Tony McCormack Fianna Fail (+112) 9,151
Tony McCormack and John Clendennen were deemed to be elected without reaching the quota, with Aoife Masterson losing out on a Dail seat by 116 votes.
0.58am
Politics is often called a blood sport - and with good reason for those of us who are observing proceedings in the Offaly Count Centre here in Birr, where the margins between two of the three remaining candidates are razor thin.
With Carol Nolan's surplus of 247 votes currently being distributed, as things stand a mere 117 votes now separate Fine Gael 's John Clendennen from Sinn Féin's Aoife Masterson. Both candidates are surrounded by their supporters as they anxiously await the outcome of what is likely to be the final count of the night.
The third candidate for the remaining two seats, Fianna Fail's Tony McCormack benefitted from 1,100 transfers as result of the elimination of Cllr Eddie Fitzpatrick, which saw him move into pole position to take the second Offaly seat on 9,039 votes.
Tense times indeed!
00.52am
These are the results of the sixth count:
Seats: 3
Quota: 9,347
John Clendennen Fine Gael (+930) 8,550
Aoife Masterson Sinn Fein (+897) 8,433
Tony McCormack Fianna Fail (+1,110) 9,039
Non transferables: 1,176
No candidate reached the quota on this count. The next count will consist of the distribution of Carol Nolan's surplus (247 votes).
23.26pm
Nolan first Offaly TD to be elected to 34th Dail
Carol Nolan has become the first Offaly TD to be elected to the 34th Dail. Following her election she paid tribute to her "hardworking staff" and supporters, and said it was "an unbelievable feeling" to be re-elected.
The Independent TD, who was first elected to the Dail in 2016 on the Sinn Féin ticket, but resigned from the party two years later when she disagreed with their abortion stance, also thanked the people of Offaly for their "vote of confidence" in her.
"It's a great night for me and for my family, and I am absolutely delighted and honoured" she said.
23.20pm
These are the results of the fifth count:
Seats: 3
Quota: 9,347
John Clendennen Fine Gael (+521) 7,620
Eddie Fitzpatrick Independent (+563) 4,113
Aoife Masterson Sinn Fein (+ 301) 7,536
Tony McCormack Fianna Fail (+1,310) 7,929
Carol Nolan Independent (+447) 9,594
Carol Nolan has been elected on this count, following the distribution of Claire Murray's votes (3,422). The next lowest placed candidate, Eddie Fitzpatrick, has now been eliminated and his votes (4,113) will now be distributed.
22.12pm
These are the results of the fourth count:
Seats: 3
Quota: 9,347
John Clendennen Fine Gael (+144) 7,099
Eddie Fitzpatrick Independent (+400) 3,550
Aoife Masterson Sinn Fein (+378) 7,235
Tony McCormack Fianna Fail (+52) 6,619
Claire Murray Fianna Fail (+664) 3,422
Carol Nolan Independent (+397) 9,147
Non transferables: 159
Total number of votes distributed was 2,194. As no candidate reached the quota, the lowest place candidate Claire Murray has now been eliminated, and her votes (3,422) will now be distributed
20.34pm
These are the results of the third count:
Seats: 3
Quota: 9,347
John Clendennen Fine Gael (+356) 6,955
Eddie Fitzpatrick Independent (+168) 3,150
Aoife Masterson Sinn Fein (+593) 6,857
Tony McCormack Fianna Fail (+209) 6,567
Fergus McDonnell Independent Ireland (+78) 2,194
Claire Murray Fianna Fail (+182) 2,758
Carol Nolan Independent (+367) 8,750
Non transferables: 131
Total number of votes distributed was 2,084. As no candidate reached a quota, the lowest placed candidate, Fergus McDonnell, has now been eliminated, and his votes (2,194) will now be distributed.
19.48pm
We caught up with Fine Gael Cllr. John Clendennen, as he conceded that the final seat in Offaly will either go to Fine Gael or Sinn Fein.
19.19pm
McCormack pays tribute to Cowen brothers
https://www.offalyindependent.ie/2024/11/30/mccormack-pays-tribute-to-cowen-brothers/
18.59pm
These are the results of the second count:
Seats: 3
Quota: 9,347
Mike Boylan Independent (+14) 560
John Clendennen Fine Gael (+19) 6,599
Eddie Fitzpatrick Independent (+21) 2,982
Pippa Hackett Green Party (+9) 934
Aoife Masterson Sinn Fein (+53) 6,264
Tony McCormack Fianna Fail (+9) 6,358
Fergus McDonnell Independent Ireland (+42) 2,116
Claire Murray Fianna Fail (+12) 2,576
Carol Nolan Independent (+ 101) 8,383
Keishia Taylor People Before Profit (+14) 590
Non transferable votes: 23
Three candidates were eliminated, and their votes are now being distributed.
They are: Keisha Taylor (590), Mike Boylan (560), and Pippa Hackett (934).
6.30pm
Some of the big talking points of the 2024 election in Offaly:
Fianna Fáil's share of the vote at 23.8% is significantly down on what the party might have expected, having taken eight seats from 19 on Offaly County Council in June, including four in Tullamore.
Of course, the party's vote may have been impacted by the subsequent decision of Edenderry area polltopper Eddie Fitzpatrick to resign and plough his own furrow in this election as an independent.
Fine Gael too will be disappointed at its 17.6% share of the vote - would a second candidate have helped to attract more votes, or simply split the vote? We will never know.
However, it is in keeping roughly with the 17.3% the party secured in the 2020 general election, albeit in the Laois/Offaly constituency.
Fianna Fail in 2020 secured 31.9% of the vote - meaning a combined FF/FG first preference vote of 49.2%
Combined the two traditional giants of Offaly politics in 2024 have 41.6% - probably lower than how the parties will perform nationally.
5.08pm
Here are the results of the first count
Seats: 3
Electorate: 62,931
Total poll: 37,634
Invalid poll: 249
Valid poll: 37,385
Quota: 9, 347
Mike Boylan Independent (546)
John Clendennen Fine Gael (6,580)
Eddie Fitzpatrick Independent (2,961)
Pippa Hackett Green Party (925)
Aoife Masterson Sinn Fein (6,211)
Tony McCormack Fianna Fail (6,349)
Fergus McDonnell Independent Ireland (2,074)
Claire Murray Fianna Fail (2,564)
Carol Nolan Independent (8,282)
Keishia Taylor People Before Profit (576)
Maureen Ward Aontú (317)
As their was no surplus to be distributed, the lowest placed candidate Maureen Ward has now been eliminated.
Her votes (317) will now be distributed.
17.46pm
The results of the first count in the Offaly constituency is set to be announced in the next 15 minutes or so.
17.10pm
Ahead of the first count, which is expected shortly, we caught up with a few of the candidates to get their reaction to the tally results.
16.20pm
Mike Boylan said he's hoping to keep his name in the minds of the people of Offaly with an eye towards the next local election.
"We're gone from the general election," said Boylan. "The campaign went well, people were friendly on the doorsteps.
He added: "People say they want change - but the vote remains the same. I'd say young voter turnout was low."
16.06pm
As she prepared to leave the count centre in Birr earlier today, Pippa Hackett said she would “take some time” to reflect on her future. “I'll enjoy Christmas, and I will regroup and look at my options in the New Year” she said.
Pointing out that she will still be a Junior Minister until the new government is formed, she said she intends to go into the Department (of Agricuture) “once or twice during the week” but one of her first priorities will be to put up the Christmas decorations at her home. “My youngest is very anxious to get the decorations up” she added “so we will make a start on that tomorrow.”
Asked to reflect on the collapse in her own vote, and that of the Green Party nationally, Minister Hackett conceded that it “isn't looking good” for the Green Party, but she said she was “very proud” of the work that her party had done in goverrnment to bring the green agenda to the forefront of Irish life. “I think there is a lot more focus on green issues as a result of our participation in government, and we are now at a point where the green agenda can no longer be ignored or left behind.”
Minister Hackett thanked those who had voted for her, and said it is her intention to continue to focus on green issues in the future “albeit outside of government.”
According to final tally figures for the Offaly constituency, the Green Party garnered just 2.54% of the first preference vote, down from 5.03% in 2020.
15.56pm
Candidates are beginning to arrive at the count centre with poll topper Carol Nolan and Sinn Fein's Aoife Masterson having arrived in the last half hour.
There was also a surprise appearance at the count centre by Fianna Fail's Aengus O'Rourke.
12.21pm
At this time, 100% of the boxes are opened in the Offaly constituency. Again Carol Nolan remains on track to top the poll (21.86%), with John Clendennen following with 18.27%.
Mike Boylan Independent (1.56%)
John Clendennen Fine Gael (18.27%)
Eddie Fitzpatrick Independent (7.19%)
Pippa Hackett Green Party (2.54%)
Aoife Masterson Sinn Fein (16.64%)
Tony McCormack Fianna Fail (17.11%)
Fergus McDonnell Independent Ireland (5.56%)
Claire Murray Fianna Fail (6.89%)
Carol Nolan Independent (21.86%)
Keishia Taylor People Before Profit (1.52%)
Maureen Ward Aontú (0.86%)
12.10pm
There are many anxious faces among Fine Gael stalwarts here in the count centre with a number of long-time Party veterans conceding that Cllr John Clendennen faces a huge uphill battle to regain the Fine Gael seat lost by Marcella Corcoran Kennedy in 2020. The strong showing of Sinn Féin's Aoife Masterson right across the county, and the possibility of her being able to pick up transfers once other candidates start being eliminated, has rocked party stalwarts.
Former Sinn Féin TD for Laois/Offaly, Brian Stanley, polled strongly across North Offaly in the 2020 general election, and with four North Offaly candidates in the race this time around, Aoife Masterson looks more likely than John Clendennen to pick up their transfers once the elimination process begins.
Nobody is prepared to call that final seat at this early stage, but it is shaping up to be the mother of all battles.
12.00pm
Currently, 90% of the boxes have been tallied.
Carol Nolan is still on track to top the poll with 21.54% of the vote.
11.31am
With 61 out of 112 boxes, already it looks like there will be a real dogfight here to see where that crucial third seat will go. Carol Nolan looks set to top the poll, on 21.61% of the vote, but is unlikely to be elected on the first count. She is being closely followed, however, by John Clendennen (FG) on 18.38%, Aoife Masterson (SF) on 17.20% and Fianna Fail's Tony McCormack on 16.48%.
The big surpise here is the strong showing of Aoife Masterson, who has been picking up votes all over the county, both in urban and rural boxes, and outpolled Fianna Fail's Tony McCormack in at least one Tullamore box.
Eddie Fitzpatrick, who left Fianna Fail to run as an Independent, hasn't performed as well as he would have hoped, while the Green Party vote has completely collapsed, with their sole Offaly representative this time around, and former Minister, Pippa Hackett, conceding that she had not come to the count centre “with any great expectations.” She has been in attendance at the count centre here in Birr along with her husband Mark, and family, since early this morning.
11.27am
Returning Officer, Sean Ryan, has just announced that the Edenderry boxes have concluded.
The tally is now moving on to further boxes.
11.15am
The state of play with 61 boxes opened here at St Brendan's Community School in Birr.
10.28am
Just to remind people, there are three seats up for grabs in Offaly, as the constituency stands by itself for the first time since 2016.
This is only the second time in the history of the State that Offaly has been a stand alone constituency, having always been paired with it's neighbour Laois.
The county has historically seen a strong Fianna Fail voter base, but with both Aoife Masterson, and now Independent and former Fianna Fail candidate Eddie Fitzpatrick polling well - could a change be on the cards?
10.01am
Masterson polling well
Early tally results show Sinn Féin's Aoife Masterson polling well. One box in Ballybrien shows her getting 60 votes, while two boxes from Clara show here with 77 and 41. Cloghan tallies show her with 69 and Ballyfore 76.
Meanwhile Fianna Fail's Tony McCormack is also performing well, with Clara Box 1 showing him on 75, and 84 in Box 2.
One Cloneygowan box shows Eddie Fitzpatrick, who is now running on an Independent ticket, with 267 votes.
It's all to play for here at the Offaly Count Centre, and it's very early days yet!
9.38am
Total Electorate: 62,931
Total boxes: 112
Boxes per area:
Birr: 40
Edenderry: 30
Tullamore: 41
Postal: 1
9.27am
A reminder of the full list of the 11 candidates here in the Offaly constituency:
Mike Boylan Independent
John Clendennen Fine Gael
Eddie Fitzpatrick Independent
Pippa Hackett Green Party
Carol Nolan Independent
Tony McCormack Fianna Fail
Fergus McDonnell Independent Ireland
Aoife Masterson Sinn Fein
Claire Murray Fianna Fail
Keishia Taylor People Before Profit
Maureen Ward Aontú
9.04am
Good morning from the Offaly general election count centre in St. Brendan's Community School in Birr, where Geraldine Grennan and Rebekah O'Reilly will be keeping you up to date with all the action from the count.
Returning Officer, Sean Ryan, has briefed everyone on the initial process the verification of the votes - which has just got underway.