EARLY unofficial tallies have emerged from a number of local electoral areas, as a small per centage of boxes have been opened and sorted by count staff.
Hard at work, the tally staff have been able to provide some small unofficial indication on how the race is shaping up so far.
Some early unofficial tallies of boxes opened in the county, show that, with just 24 per cent of boxes opened (or 11 boxes), Newcastle West has given Fine Gael a 39 per cent share of the vote, with coalition partner Fianna Fáil coming in second on 31. The rest of the breakdown comes in with Independents at 19 per cent, Sinn Féin on 9 per cent, and Independent Ireland on 4 per cent.
Leaders in this area, as it stands according to the tallies, are Fine Gael candidate Liam Galvin with 879 first-preference votes (26.8 per cent), Fianna Fáil’s Michael Collins on 443 (8.7 per cent), Fianna Fáil’s Francis Foley with 433 (13.2), and Independent Jerome Scanlon on 395 (12 per cent).
In Adare-Rathkeale, also with 24 per cent of boxes opened (11), Fianna Fáil are leading the way on 35.4 per cent, ahead of Fine Gael (34.7), Independent Ireland (18.7), Sinn Féin (5.6), and Independents (4.6).
Fianna Fáil’s Bridie Collins is in a strong position in the early unofficial tallies here, with 712 first-preference votes (24 per cent). Her closest opponents are Fine Gael councillor Stephen Keary on 443 (14.9 per cent) and Independent Ireland’s Tommy Hartigan with 329 (11.1).
Cappamore-Kilmallock has seen 16 per cent of boxes opened (10), with strong early movement from Independents (33.6 per cent), trailed by Fine Gael (24.2), Fianna Fáil (16.1), Sinn Féin (13.9), Independent Ireland (7.6), the Green Party (1.9), and Aontú (1.9).
Independent Eddie Ryan is well in front on the unofficial tallies here, with 813 first-preference votes, according to tally staff, or 27.7 per cent.
PJ Carey (Sinn Féin) and Gregory Conway (Fine Gael) take up second and third on 409 and 399 respectively.
