Sinn Fein's Michelle Gildernew has moved ahead of Ballyleague/Lanesboro's Ciaran Mullooly in the race for the fifth and final seat in the Midlands Northwest constituency in the European elections.
It’s after she got almost 21,000 transfers when her party colleague, Chris McManus, was eliminated – and Mullooly got less than 1,200.
But Aontu’s Peadar Toibin has now been eliminated on the 18th count and his votes will be transferred for the 19th count.
Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan, Fine Gael’s Nina Carberry and Maria Walsh, and Fianna Fáil’s Barry Cowan, are likely to take the first four seats.
Ming is less than 3,000 short of the quota – and his daughter and campaign manager, Isabelle, says her dad appealed to younger voters.
18th count results:
Flanagan (IND): 110,533 (+4,072)
Carberry (FG): 86,865 (+597)
Walsh (FG): 86,401 (+1,466)
Cowen (FF): 85,592 (+627)
Gildernew (SF): 74,795 (+20,692)
Mullooly (II): 73,101 (+1,168)
Toibin (Aontu) 56,633 (+1,234)
Chambers (FF) 60,537 (+873)
Eliminated: Toibin (Aontu) 56,633
