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LAST UPDATE | 30 May 2019
A FULL RECOUNT has been ordered for the Ireland South constituency.
The recount will begin next Tuesday, 4 June at 9am. It was ordered after Sinn Féin’s Liadh Ní Riadha requested it following an earlier recheck of votes.
The recount will determine who will take the fifth and final seat in the tightly fought constituency where just 327 votes separate the fifth and sixth candidates.
Returning officer Martin Harvey spoke after the recheck had concluded this afternoon, Harvey said:
Liadh Ní Riada has confirmed that she wishes to continue with a full recount of all papers. Accordingly the count is now adjourned and will resume here at 9am on Tuesday next.
The recheck
Earlier, a recheck was carried out to determine who would take the seat.
The recheck was ordered after Green Party Senator, Grace O’Sullivan, looked poised to take the fifth and final “cold storage” seat in the constituency.
She secured 98,706 votes putting her ahead of her rival Liadh Ní Riada on 98,379 votes.
Returning officer Martin Harvey said a recheck was requested by Sinn Fein and he had agreed to the application by the Ní Riada camp.
It involved involved an examination of each bundle of fifty votes belonging to O’Sullivan and Ni Riada to ensure they have been allocated correctly. Following the completion, either party had the option of requesting a recount.
That recount has now been ordered.
State of play
Yesterday, Fine Gael’s Sean Kelly became the first MEP to elected for the area, reaching the quota on the ninth count.
Fianna Fáil’s Billy Kelleher was elected in the last count, and his surplus of around 11,786 votes was shared out among the final four candidates in the race for the final seat.
Independent TD Mick Wallace will secure the third seat in the constituency with sitting Fine Gael MEP Deirdre Clune set to take the fourth seat. The Ireland South constituency has five seats, including the one Brexit-dependant one.
Senator Grace O’Sullivan said she totally understood the basis for the recount.
“750,000 votes have been counted in the last few days. You can understand when it comes down to a full small hundred an error could be made.
At this point in time I am the holder of the fifth seat. The Brexit seat. The seat of uncertainty. I hope to hold it.
“In the end the voters have voted. It is what it is and I am big and strong enough to keep going. I feel the returning officer here Martin Harvey has a magnificent team. He has run the whole process perfectly to this point,” O’Sullivan said.
Midlands North-West
Yesterday, the Midlands North-West constituency finally filled its four seats.
Sinn Féin’s Matt Carthy, Independent Luke Ming Flanagan and Fine Gael’s Maria Walsh took the last three seats – joining Fine Gael’s Mairead McGuinness.
After Fianna Fáil’s Brendan Smith was eliminated his transfers propelled Walsh to third place, ahead of Sinn Féin’s Matt Carthy, who is now their only MEP from Ireland.
In Dublin, Ciarán Cuffe of the Green Party topped the poll, taking the first available seat, with Fine Gael’s Frances Fitzgerald the next candidate to surpass the quota. On Tuesday, Clare Daly of Independents4Change and Fianna Fáil’s Barry Andrew took the final two MEP seats.
Andrews missed out on the third seat after being leapfrogged by Daly on the fifteenth count, meaning that he will have to wait until Brexit happens to take the fourth and final seat in Dublin.
With reporting from Adam Daly and Cormac Fitzgerald
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Cue Trump moving the American Embassy from Ballsbridge to The Falls Road to solve the problem.
@alphanautica:
Irish lefty/liberals will probably want the American Embassy shut down soon I’d say.
@David Sinclair: why? Because the comment sounded good in your head? By the way, it’s the right wing Americans that are withdrawing ambassadors all over the world
@David Sinclair: But David, what will we do with our bowel of shamrock then ???
@alphanautica: As long as he doesn’t move the Falls Road to Ballsbridge I don’t mind.
@Dave O Keeffe:
I considered alphanautica’s suggestion rather absurd Dave so replied in like manner.
Obviously you felt his was a rational proposal then?
Very interesting Dave.
@alphanautica: I hope Coveney has some chalk and a blackboard to explain.
@Sean Gordon: You need to seek medical advice if you have shamrock growing in your bowel…
@David Sinclair: so I was right, your comment sounded good in your head but didn’t translate. You’ve done it again by the way.
@Old Gabby Johnson: I hope Trump has chalk board also along with an abacus to get through to Si.
@alphanautica: still sh*t stirring ..if the GFA falls apart and there’s trouble in the north again I’ll be thinking of the idiots like yourself honey badger and all the other effing begrudgers… what a shower of fools ye are
@alphanautica: Donald won’t be long telling Simon convey not to dictate to him you not in Ireland now.
Well that’s a waste of a flight
@ed w: now, now, I hear Trump is having trouble sleeping. Simon will sort that out no bothers
@ed w: insomniacs from local clinics are invited to attend speech
Still think Coveney is doing a better job than Leo, he certainly seems to be a more competent politician than Leo and he hasn’t got a spin machine to promote himself, It looks like some FG members picked the wrong leader.
@Mr Phil Officer: but only in your opinion…so we shouldn’t worry…
@Bruce Miller: well Coveney appears to be the more capable politician, his statements are more articulate and to the point, none of this BS sock nonsense and yes judging from the performance of both it is my honest opinion that Coveney would be a better Taoiseach.
@Mr Phil Officer: Credit where it’s due, FGs membership did back Coveney by 2 to 1. Shame they were ignored.
@The Risen: credit where it’s due indeed, wonder why they eventually chose Leo against the wishes of the majority when it’s clear that Coveney was the better choice.
@Mr Phil Officer: Donald won’t be long telling Simon convey not to dictate to him you not in Ireland now.
@Mr Phil Officer: disagreeing neither.
Probably easier at this point to find a solution to the Israel/Palestine conflict than the Northern Ireland question.
If Coveney is to brief the Trump administration on the wee north, he better be good at drawing pictures.
Trump to make the Good Friday agreement Great again ?
Lol I was going to say trump is going to rip up the good Friday agreement and they’ll sign a new one called “The Great Friday Agreement”.
@Damian McKeever: icis
First show Trump where Northern Ireland is … then explain how Antrim can be made into a bigly golf course.
Do you really think Trump will care? Maybe Tillerson checking for fracking opportunities for his friends in Exxon….
President Trump is friend of SF always attended their annual Christmas fundraiser in New York even before the IRA ceasefire….Congressman Peter King frequent defender of Trump on US media is also old friend of Gerry Adams and SF….
@John003: Don was at one fundraiser and he denies giving any donation.
@Dave O Keeffe: Think it was SF who deny getting one….But do they keep a record of donations…Gerry Adams called him up to podium at one event for a prize I think he made a donation
So, it’s gone from ‘always attends’ to him being at one fundraiser.
You need to get that SF chip off your shoulder john003.
@John003: they say they didn’t get one, he says he didn’t give one (which is entirely in keeping with what we know about him) you say different. Now, one of those three knows a massive amount less about the situation and wouldn’t you know it its the same one that came to the contrary conclusion
Although no fan of the DUP, they haven’t altered their stance on the role of the Irish language in NI.
@Bruce Miller: They backed out of what they signed up in Saint Andrews agreement so yes they have changed stance. Behind the scenes forces at work.
@Jangles: There is no mention of an Irish Language Act in that agreement – so how could they have backed out of it?
@Jangles: Irish: Comhaontú Chill Rímhinn; Ulster Scots: St Andra’s ‘Greement
@Bruce Miller: “The Government will introduce an Irish Language Act reflecting on the experience of Wales and Ireland and work with the incoming Executive to enhance and protect the development of the Irish language.” – from the aforementioned St. Andrews Agreement.
NI fatigue.
like they would actually care, better go to the kremlin .
@Ireland Just shoot me: why..
Any excuse stay home and sort out Vulture Funds, let leashed on us by Oliver Noonan Cromwell, the leaders of 1916 would be very proud of ye. Ruled by Fear of the ECB and the IMF and passing the bile onto the good people of the Country. Stand up and call their bluff
He should sail over in one of his fancy yachts instead take his time be no lose here done feck all for housing when he was Minster for housing waste of poliction like the rest ,,,,,
Bring a map.
Its an embarrassment sending these grossly incompetent gov politicians like coveney outside of Ireland. This guy has spend most of his political life sitting on the fence over pretty much everything.
He needs to get Mike Pence onboard who has family links with Ireland and has President Trump’s ear and may yet be the next president. Vice President Pence no matter what you think of his politics could be a great friend to all the people of Ireland.
Why bother? No money in it for Trump he couldn’t give a toss!!!
Another junket for a government minister waste of taxpayers money
Stay at home. They already have the lowdown on the north.
Maybe better to fly Bill Clinton back in on your way home, Simon.
Is that Simon Coveney of Bildberberg I see going in the backdoor of Goldman’s sachs …..
How the LNG fracking gas deal coming along
Why is water privatisation not sorted yet……
Got to check in with your overlords sometime. ..
Always good to have a smokescreen…
Just tell Trump we don’t need any help with Northern Ireland, even if that’s a lie.
have your say