(JJ Hurley)
Ballot boxes in the constituencies of Cork South Central and Cork South West look like producing a late count into the night, with a dog fight for the final seats.
In Cork South West, Deputies Michael Collins and Holly Cairns are set to take the first two seats, with the tallies suggesting 23.5% and 20% respectively.
With turnout of almost 64%, the final seat looks like a straight fight between Christopher O’Sullivan FF, and Noel O’Donovan from FG.
According to the tallies, O’Sullivan is more likely to hold onto the seat, despite O’Donovan set to benefit from transfers from Senator Tim Lombard
The Fine Gael senator returned with 10% of the vote, but it will not be sufficient to keep him in the contest, also set to bow out early is Cllr Alan Coleman, who returned with 5% of the vote according to the tallies.
Coleman’s transfers could yet prove crucial to O’Sullivan, as both candidates are from the same political gene pool.
In Cork South Central, it looks like Tániste Michael Martin will head the poll, but the surprise candidate of the campaign is Pádraig Rice from the Social Democrats.
With the tallies complete Fianna Fail looks certain to take two seats, with Seamus McGrath taking the seat vacated by his brother, Sinn Fein’s Donnacha O Laoghaire will also be returned.
Rice a surprise in the shakedown looks very likely to claim the fourth and the fifth and final seat will possibly see Senator Gerry Buttimer taking the final spot for Fine Gael.
Again these predictions come with a government health warning and the exact destination of these seats will not be known until the results are announced later in the evening.
One thing is certain, it is going to be a long night.
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