Galway West: 'Thirst for change' boosted SF campaign

Máiread Farrell said it became clear once the campaign got underway that people were after something new, and that Sinn Féin provided them with that.

“Once we started canvassing, it was clear that the people were very much open to us and open to our policies and our politics - and that people were fed up of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.

“There were people who were lifelong voters of other parties and said that for the first time, that they were going to change that vote,” said Ms Farrell at the Galway West count centre.

Ms Farrell said she had felt in the run-up to polling day that she would be “in the mix”, but admitted she had not expected to be in contention for the first or second seat.

Now just three votes behind Éamon Ó Cuív (FF), Ms Farrell said the Exit Poll last night had indicated that she might do well, but she had been readying herself for any eventuality - still cognisant of her defeat at the polls in last May’s Local Elections.

“When the Exit Poll came out last night, we knew we had a strong shot here. Last time, nationally, we polled at 14% and locally in Galway West, we polled at 9% so I was factoring in maybe a 5% drop. I’m very happy with how it’s going.

“At the end of the day, I’ve seen the bad days and now, hopefully, I’ll see some good days.

“It’s up to me now, and other Sinn Féin representatives, to prove we want to do things differently and we want to do the work. It’ll be up to me to hit the ground running in the next couple of weeks,” she said.

As for forming a part of the next government, Ms Farrell said she’d been “in a bit of a bubble” all day, but that she was in favour of talking to any parties that were interested in developing a Programme for Government that would “deliver equality”.

Photo: Mairéad Farrell (SF) with Fianna Fáil's Ollie and Mike Crowe.