Galway West: Fine Gael polling strongly
By Dara Bradley
Fine Gael is in the hunt for two seats in Galway West, with Government Chief Whip Hildegarde Naughton and Senator Sean Kyne polling strongly, tallies suggest.
With 20% of votes tallied, both Kyne (9%) and Naughton (8%) are neck-and-neck, which gives them a chance of a second seat.
City Councillor John Connolly is the strongest of the two Fianna Fáil candidates in Galway West and looks better placed to retain the seat held by Éamon Ó Cuív since 1992.
Gráinne Seoige has improved with the opening of Conamara boxes but, on 6%, the broadcaster still lags Connolly by 13%.
Mairéad Farrell of Sinn Féin and Independent Catherine Connolly are both looking likely to return to the Dáil with 16% and 13% of first preferences respectively according to the tallies.
Noel Grealish, the other sitting TD, is on 5% but boxes from his stronghold on the east of the constituency have not yet been opened.
Independent Ireland’s Noel Thomas is polling solidly on 5%.
Helen Ogbu, Labour is on 4%; Senator Pauline O’Reilly (Green) is on 3%; Eibhlín Seoighthe (Soc Dem) is on 5%, and Mike Cubbard Ind is on 5% with four fifths of boxes yet to be opened.