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LAST UPDATE | 27 May 2019
THE GREEN PARTY’S Ciarán Cuffe has topped the poll in Dublin in the European elections, making his election a foregone conclusion even as counting continues.
Cuffe received 63,849 votes on the first count, giving him 17.5% of the vote – below the 23% he was projected to receive in RTÉ/TG4 exit poll, which was conducted by Red C and had a 4% margin of error.
After the seventh count and with several candidates eliminated, Cuffe is still top of the poll.
The story of the election so far has been the “green surge” – across the country the Green Party has made significant gains in the local elections and early indications suggested that the party could see three candidates elected to the European Parliament.
The first count put former Tánaiste and Fine Gael TD Frances Fitzgerald on 16.23% of the vote. She was followed by Barry Andrews of Fianna Fáil, who received 14.1% of first preferences.
While Cuffe did not achieve the quota on the first count, his election is a foregone conclusion. While it now seems likely that Fitzgerald and Andrews will take two of the seats, the identity of the other MEP for Dublin will remain an open question well into tomorrow and possibility beyond.
Independents4Change TD Clare Daly, who was on 12% in the exit poll, received 11.6% in first preferences. As of the seventh count, Daly is currently placed fourth behind Cuffe, Fitzgerald and Andrews.
Early indications suggested that Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan was in danger of losing her seat, with the exit polling putting her on 10%. In 2014, Boylan had topped the poll in Dublin. Tonight’s results bear those fears out, putting her on 10.8% of first preferences.
“It’s a cruel game,” Boylan told RTÉ this evening after the fifth count, admitting that the reaction on the doors was different compared to 2014. “We have to take it on the chin, we didn’t motivate our voters to go out and vote,” she said.
Social Democrats councillor Gary Gannon received 5.6%, while former Labour minister Alex White got 5% of first preferences. Fine Gael candidate Mark Durkan, a former leader of the SDLP, received 4.5%. Both White and Durkan conceded the election earlier this evening.
Dublin was the sole European constituency expected to have any results this evening. Results from Ireland South and Midlands North-West are expected to come in tomorrow, although it might be mid-week before we know the final shake-up of seats.
Ireland-wide projections from the European Parliament, released earlier this evening, put Fine Gael on 4 seats, with 29% of the vote. The Greens were placed on 15%, which would give them two seats.
Fianna Fáil, who have enjoyed success today in the local elections, were projected to have 15% of the vote and gain one seat. Mick Wallace and Clare Daly, the European Parliament figures estimate, could both end up being elected.
Sinn Féin, if the figures prove correct, would only achieve two seats with 13% of the vote.
Counting will continue in the RDS tomorrow.
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It’s gas they’ll go nuts over a flag up there, down here we just role our eyes and take what ever tripe the government dish out. Makes me wonder who is right?
If you really have to wonder, it suggests a lot about you. Ditch the suit and join them. Why on earth you’d even hint we should be wreacking havoc in our own capital… Bored much?
Goes to show that many of the people in the free state couldn’t be bothered, sadly. As long as they aren’t subject to foreign rule, everything is just fine. Forget about our brothers in the north. I think yous need to take the finger out, and wake up. Your comment sounds like the typical Irish government stance during the past half century or so.
I was posing the question should we protest more …. Not should we wreck the place every time we don’t like a decision the govt make… Are u FG much?
@Dodge
Short memories are handy things.
How many Gardai and members of the REAL Oglaigh na hEireann did PIRA kill over the years, and how many people and businesses in the Republic of Ireland did they terrorise in those years ?
Please don’t lecture about ‘Northern brothers’
Volunteer Adams needs to stop lecturing others.
Well said Gerry, shame it won’t be broadcast to the masses via the media in the UK to help people understand what this is all about. They way people outside the island of Ireland see this is “stupid Irish fighting each other again”.
4 people blocked a road in Carrick during the week as the PSNI looked on. If they had tri colours on their flag poles 400 wouldn’t have been allowed block it for an evening. There is always a mix of tolerating Unionism/Loyalist violence by the police and a fear of taking them on.
We all know that pretty much every senior Loyalist paramilitary is also a tied to the Security forces in some way. Time for the orders to go out to stop this.
If only our Politicians were like that in Europe, we may get somewhere like the Greeks! We can pick a fight or bully each other, but when it comes too a German woman! We’re pure Chicken!
Gerry Adams talking about illegality now you have to sit back and have a good laugh, 90% of the stuff this man done was illegal!!!
You are also one of the minority of idiots living in the past, move on SF are
Your a member of FF ffs. A party whose leaders criminality and treason is very much part of our lives every day as we deal with the fallout from their crime spree during the Celtic Tiger.
Gerry Adams and illegality… Pot and Kettle…
Another one of the minority of idiots living in the past move on
Does not harping on about the pat mean that we can now stop talking about Bertie, Cowen, Harney etc etc.
Just wondering
I’ve got a guaranteed solution to eliminating the majority of these terrorist groups and bigoted political parties in the north: Ban the alphabet.
You know what stop with Sinn Fein and the past.
You may as well say the same about our German paymasters that not so long ago they were gassing millions of people.
Agreed
Rob, you know what, don’t tar all Germans with the Nazi brush. No one tars all the Irish with the Sinn Fein/IRA brush.
Lets release all our murderers and rapists too! Sure that happened in the past.
People want to get past the troubles but when people who were heavily involved in it are in the dail rather than prison its hard to swallow.
Agree or disagree with him, but he is correct.
Typical of the paddy to be living in the past.. reason why the country is in the shit it’s in….
That comment was for Olibhear…
News flash: the Provisional IRA have decommissioned and disbanded. According to some comments here, you wouldn’t think so. Sinn Féin have moved on. Why can’t you?
Some people like to pick and choose certain aspects of history to suit their agenda as they are not capable of having a discussion about the important issues like where Ireland is today and how we move forward.
@Lord Loverocket
You can’t decommission mindsets.
Just read some of the comments from the Sinn Fein-IRA supporters above
@ Little Red Thumb Boy
I read all comments. Some are looking to the future but some others are stuck in the past.
This is why SF needs to loose Gerry and the like. Any protestations about illegality seems trite coming from them. Ditch them now and SF might have some chance…
Gerry — drug dealing and all illegal practices like protection rackets are still the stock and trade of the IRA. Stop inciting violence in the south of Ireland like you did in the north. You are one of the very few who benefitted. Go back up there to live and stop lecturing on proper behaviour by others.
Highly intelligent comment well done, me arse
God but your one bitter auld sod.
@Frank: you talk some cr@p man
@frank
can you point to an instance in which a member of sinn fein or the (now-defunct) provisional ira have been convicted of dealing drugs??
just one, and that’ll shut me up.
Wondered why Gerry was being so quiet over this until I discovered that he was in a private hospital in the US getting treatment for prostate cancer. Socialist my arse. The HSE and NHS might be good enough for the rest of us, but not for Gerry Adams. Hypocrite.
Now Robin, that remark is below the belt.
Can’t blame a man for wanting the best possible treatment to save his life.
Robin, if he was to go on a waiting list here, the chances of his survival would be diminished. If a man wants to spend royalties from selling books to get the best medical attention he can get, would you use that against him?
It says a lot about our health service, that people would rather spend their own money and get private treatment. That is the real shame.
For once Cal1 I agree with you. It is a shame, I don’t blame him for wanting the best treatment and I’d do the same.
But then again, I’m not spouting on about solidarity with the working classes. Maybe he could’ve gone on the waiting list and paid for a child on the list to go to America?
The sittishuation is just as bod as erea it was
Right enough , peace process, troubles over, truth and reconciliation process being called by Sinn Fein but falling on deaf ears , why because we would have answers we would know exactly what happened , why do the British and Irish government not want this that’s what I want to know, the people up the north who were directly affected by the troubles have made peace and SF are representing the people up there. We in republic have no right to use this horrible time for our own political means. SF are a great party with 3/4 people who had any connection to the ira. The republic government sat back and did nothing at the time and feel they have the right to use the troubles to try ruin the reputation of a party/ and avoid answering very important questions put to then by Sinn Féin !
As Ali G would say, me Julie…you is fit!
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@ Damolles… 90% of comments yesterday agreed BNP were behind alot of it…
You are one of the minority of idiots living in the past Damocles
Comment of the week Damocles
Class Damocles pure class
Crass Damocles, pure crass
Are we so stuck up that we can’t laugh at this comment?
Why is the “TD for Louth” so interested in Belfast? You’d nearly think he was a carpetbagger who is really from West Belfast. But that can’t be the case. Sinn Fein have our best interests at hear and are paragons of virtue.
Maybe because that Belfast is his home city plus he is the leader of one of the major parties in the north.
@Vincent
Aren’t all politicians parons of virtue? Fianna Fáil….Fine Gael….Labour? All paragons of virtue in my honest, sarcastic opinion.
Vincent- You’d know about CarpetBaggers, FG have a party of them! Extorting money out of families on the breadline, impoverished even more to pay the private debts of Bankers and Cronyism/Nepotism rampant in the party!
@Cathail- he should stay up there so. That was my point.
Why’s that? He is an elected representative for the people of Louth, it would be very impractical if he only lived in the six counties.
Just watched this man on Sky, he will go anywhere for a vote, what a man! I also bet all the thumbs down are his shadey supporters.
Is there anything to be said for arranging some tug boats to ship this war torn shot hole off to the Faroe Islands or something?
The 10% of polls sponsored by Sinn Fein were absolutely fine. Hilarious guy. Here all week!…..Yeah, yeah, Chris Kelly, I’m an idiot, I need to move on, yada, yada…Yer not as funny as Gerry, but yer not far aff!
have your say