Galway East 3rd Count: Reid, Spelman eliminated
The third count in Galway East has been completed. That elimination of Aontu’s Martin Ward from Tuam and the distribution of his 670 votes has benefited Independent Sean Canney in the main, but Sinn Féin’s Louis O’Hara received the second highest transfer.
If that trend continues through subsequent counts, then he cannot be ruled out for a possible seat. The Athenry student is in the comfortable position of being 968 votes ahead of his nearest rival, outgoing TD Ciarán Cannon and 1,204 votes in front of Cllr Pete Roche (FG).
Following the third count, the votes of eliminated Peter Reid (Soc Dem) and Marian Spellman (Labour), totalling 1,782, are being distributed. That fourth count should be completed inside the next hour.
The predictability that was traditionally a trademark of the Galway East constituency is firmly a thing of the past and this is largely to do with O’Hara’s performance. He is very much in the race for a seat and a pictured should begin to emerge when this fourth count is completed.
GALWAY EAST Number of seats: 3 Electorate: 69,233 Total poll: 42,858 Spoiled votes: 338 Total valid poll: 42,520 Quota: 10,631
THIRD COUNT Distribution Ward’s votes Sean Canney (Ind) +248 8,142 Louis O’Hara (SF) +117 7,294 Ciaran Cannon (FG) +19 6,326 Pete Roche (FG) +50 6,090 Anne Rabbitte (FF) +44 5,820 Donagh Killilea (FF) +58 5,004 Eoin Madden (GP) +35 1,977 Peter Reid (Soc Dem) +25 892 Marian Spelman (Lab) +27 890 Reid and Spellman eliminated
SECOND COUNT Distribution of O’Reilly, MacCanna votes Sean Canney (Ind) +79 7,894 Louis O’Hara (SF) +69 7,177 Ciaran Cannon (FG) +9 6,307 Pete Roche (FG) +6 6,040 Anne Rabbitte (FF) +14 5,776 Donagh Killilea (FF) +14 4,946 Eoin Madden (GP) +18 1,942 Peter Reid (Soc Dem) +19 867 Marian Spelman (Lab) +18 863 Martin Ward (Aon) +88 670 Ward eliminated.
FIRST COUNT Sean Canney (Ind): 7,815 Louis O’Hara (SF) 7,108 Ciaran Cannon (FG) 6,298 Pete Roche (FG) 6,034 Anne Rabbitte (FF) 5,762 Donagh Killilea (FF) 4,932 Eoin Madden (GP) 1,924 Peter Reid (Soc Dem) 848 Marian Spelman (Lab) 845 Martin Ward (Aon) 582 David O’Reilly (Ind) 246 Deaglan MacCanna (Ren) 126 O’Reilly, MacCanna eliminated
Photo: Peter Reid of the Social Democrats (front left) with supporters.