Galway West: Mairéad Farrell (SF) in pole position
By Dara Bradley
With 82% of votes tallied in Galway West, there are seven contenders in the running for five seats.
Mairéad Farrell (Sinn Féin) with 13% of the vote is in prime position to top the poll.
Noel Grealish (Ind) on 10% and Hildegarde Naughton on 10% will expect to pick up a large share of the Maree and Oranmore boxes yet to be tallied.
Noel Thomas (Ind Ire) is in a strong position on 11% to challenge for a seat, and John Connolly (FF) on 12% will be hoping for a better transfer rate to fend Thomas off and retain the seat held by Éamon Ó Cuív since 1992.
Séan Kyne polled well and at 10% puts Fine Gael in with an outside chance of a second seat.
Catherine Connolly (Ind) on 11% has polled consistently across the constituency and should retain her seat.
Others include: Gráinne Seoige (FF, 5%), Eibhlín Seoighthe (Soc Dem 4%), Helen Ogbu, Labour, is on 3%; Senator Pauline O’Reilly (Green) is on 3%; , and Mike Cubbard (Ind) is on 3%.
ENDS