TALLIES: FF and FG look to take first four seats in Loughrea
The vast majority of boxes have been opened in the Loughrea electoral area and it looks as if two seats will go to both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael with the destination of the fifth less certain.
Fine Gael’s Jimmy McClearn in Killimor and Moegie Maher in Loughrea will head the poll and they are likely to be following by the Fianna Fáil pair of Ivan Canning in Portumna and Loughrea’s Shane Curley.
Sitting independent councillor Pat Hynes in Loughrea will be disappointed that his first preference vote is significantly down on his 2014 performance.
He will benefit from the elimination of Sinn Fein’s Annemarie Roche to possibly keep ahead of the third Fianna Fáil candidate Pat Flanagan from Loughrea.
The odds are on Hynes retaining his seat but he will be hugely depending on transfers from the smaller candidates.
At the moment the Tuam tally is taking place with the opening of the 48 boxes from the area.