Maxwell to top poll for Independent Ireland in Westport

Louisburgh-based candidate Chris Maxwell will become the first Independent Ireland candidate elected onto Mayo County Council and do so by topping the poll in the Westport Electoral Area.

The former Fianna Fáil local election candidate only declared as an Independent Ireland candidate last month but tallies suggest that he will top the poll and be elected on the first count.

Final tallies show that Maxwell has 20 percent of the final tally with 1,861 votes which will be enough to see him comfortably exceed the quota and elected on the first count.

Maxwell will be the first Louisburgh-based candidate to be elected since 2009 when Austin Francis O'Malley was elected.

Westport-based Fine Gael councillor Peter Flynn looks set to be elected again with tallies putting his vote on 16 percent.

The battle for the remaining two seats is set to be fierce with the three sitting councillors Brendan Mulroy (FF), John O'Malley (Ind) and Christy Hyland (Ind) and first time Fine Gael candidate Keira Keogh all in the hunt.

Mulroy and O'Malley with 14 percent each are both slightly ahead of Hyland and Keogh who are both on 13 percent with just 160 votes separating the four candidates.

Where Maxwell's surplus goes could determine the shake-up of the final seat with Mulroy hoping that the Fianna Fáil genepool will benefit him. However, both Hyland and O'Malley will also be hoping that the Independent vote might go their way.

The performance of Keogh surprised many in the count centre and she will be hoping that she can benefit from transfers from Flynn to put her over the line.

Sinn Féin candidate Karen Gallagher polled 5 percent putting her just ahead of Green Party candidate Peter Nolan on 3 percent and Irish Freedom Party candidate Niall McCormack on 2 percent.