Counting is underway in the general election 2024.
Last night’s exit poll showed Sinn Fein JUST marginally ahead of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, however as recent years have shown, polls can be deceiving.
This is Daniel Pitcher reporting from the Dublin West count centre in Dublin 15. I will be giving snapshots of how people have voted here, and with Eoin Glackin in the RDS, keeping an eye on other constituencies.
We are underway with counting in the #DubW count centre here in Dublin 15 #GE24 pic.twitter.com/JaZOBBBqbe
— Daniel Pitcher (@DanPitchside) November 30, 2024
10:00 – 12% of boxes open in Dublin West; Fianna Fail’s Jack Chambers is on 22% and Sinn Fein’s Paul Donnelly at 21%, Fine Gael’s Emer Currie 12%, Ruth Coppinger People Before Profit 9%.
Independent Tania Doyle is at 7 per cent, Ellen Murphy of Social Democrats and Ellen Troy of Aontú are both at 6 per cent.
Roderic O’Gorman Green Party 4%.
10:24 – Taking a look at some tallies elsewhere in Dublin, and the Dublin Central constituency will be a focal one, with Sinn Fein’s Mary Lou McDonald, in her bid to become Taoiseach, along with Gary Gannon from Social Democrats and Paschal Donohoe battling it out to top the poll, however a candidate who could be hot on their heels is Independent candidate Gerrard Hutch, who is polling well, particularly in the Inner City.
10:30 – It looks like the race in Dublin West is shaping up to be quite competitive, with Sinn Féin’s Paul Donnelly now edging ahead of Fianna Fáil’s Jack Chambers, albeit by a slim margin. The current tally shows Donnelly on 21% of first-preference votes, while Chambers is just behind at 20%. This indicates a tight battle for the top spot, and with 25% of boxes counted, there’s still plenty of room for shifts in the results.
Emer Currie from Fine Gael, at 14%, is holding steady in third place but still has some ground to cover if she wants to challenge for a top two finish. The fact that Ruth Coppinger from People Before Profit Solidarity is sitting at 9% shows there’s strong support for left-wing alternatives, but she’ll need a significant surge to contend for a seat.
Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman, on 6%, along with Social Democrat Ellen Murphy, also on 6%, are both in the mid-tier range, which could see them benefit from transfers later in the count, depending on how preferences flow from eliminated candidates.
It’s still a relatively open race, with candidates like Aontú’s Ellen Troy and Independent Tania Doyle sitting at 5%, and others lower down the rankings.
A lot will depend on how preferences transfer as candidates are eliminated and votes are redistributed.
It’s looking like the race could tighten even further as more boxes are tallied—definitely one to watch!
10:37
LATEST: 45% of boxes open in #DubW with 51% turnout, Paul Donnelly (SF) out in front followed by Jack Chambers (FF) while Currie (FG) is lagging behind #GE24 pic.twitter.com/FIy5VxNvbi
— Daniel Pitcher (@DanPitchside) November 30, 2024
10:50 – Meath East – In the latest tally of votes Fine Gael is leading with 38%, followed by Fianna Fáil on 20% and Sinn Féin with 18%.
Fine Gael’s Helen McEntee has secured 720 votes, while Fianna Fáil’s Thomas Byrne has 286 and Sinn Féin’s Darren O’Rourke has 307 votes.
Aontú’s Emer Toibín is on 11% (223 votes), and Independent Gillian Toole trails with 9% (41 votes). Smaller parties and Independents have a combined 14%.
The race remains tight, with Fine Gael holding a strong position, but Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil close behind.
12:12 – They have flown through the boxes in Dublin West. 100% of boxes opened, with Jack Chambers of Fianna Fail looking like he will top the poll on 22%, just ahead of Sinn Fein’s Paul Donnelly on 17%.
100% of boxes open in #DubW and first seat is looking good for Jack Chambers, with Paul Donnelly not far behind – O’Gorman on 7% and Coppinger on 8% May scrap for the 5th #GE24 pic.twitter.com/Mu6XPo8mRe
— Daniel Pitcher (@DanPitchside) November 30, 2024
Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman gives his view on what he’s expecting to be a bad day for his party nationally – He though COULD still take the fifth seat here in #DubW pic.twitter.com/5G9LN43huM
— Daniel Pitcher (@DanPitchside) November 30, 2024
13:44 – In the Wicklow constituency, Fine Gael’s Simon Harris looks on course to retain his seat, they are over halfway through the boxes and he’s on 30.7%.