Harris travels to Mayo to congratulate Walsh on election

AN Taoiseach Simon Harris travelled to Castlebar to congratulate Mayo-based Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh on her re-election to the European Parliament in the early hours of Friday morning.

The five-day count in the Midlands-North-West constituency concluded at 3.10am in the TF Royal Theatre in Castlebar with confirmation of the election of Maria Walsh and her running mate, Nina Carberry, and Independent Ireland's Ciaran Mullooly. 

They joined Luke 'Ming' Flanagan and Fianna Fáíl TD, Barry Cowen who were earlier elected to the European Parliament after exceeding the quota.

Simon Harris travelled to Mayo late on Thursday to congratulate Maria Walsh and Nina Carberry on their election saying they had been written off by many people.

“I’m delighted to be back in County Mayo tonight for what is really an absolutely incredible result for the Fine Gael party in Midlands-North-West,” he said.

“To have two amazing MEPs be elected, to have Maria Walsh returned to the European Parliament, to be joined by Nina Carberry.

“There’s many people, many pundits who would never have predicted this result but we knew it could happen because we knew we were running two absolutely incredible candidates.

“I’m so proud of them. I’m really looking forward to working with them now in the years ahead and so grateful to the people of Midlands-North-West for returning two Fine Gael MEPs here in this constituency.”

Walsh was elected on the 21st and final count without reaching the quota following the elimination of Sinn Féin's Michelle Gildernew. The Shrule native received a total of 100,781 votes just ahead of Carberry with 98,872 while Mullooly was elected with 88,177.

Roscommon-based Independent Luke 'Ming' Flanagan was the first candidate to be elected but had to wait until the 19th count to exceed the quota of 113,325 with a total vote of 118,754.

Luke 'Ming' Flanagan and supporters celebrate his re-election to the European Parliament. Pic: Conor McKeown

Mayo Fianna Fáil candidate Lisa Chambers was eliminated on the 19th count with a total vote of 62,818. Her vote helped elect her party colleague Barry Cowen with the Offaly man exceeding the quota on the 20th count with a total vote of 115,977.

The result means that there will be three new MEPs returned for the Midlands-North-West with Sinn Féin losing their seat following the elimination of sitting MEP Chris MacManus. The Sligo-based candidate was eliminated on the 17th count and while his transfers helped push his running mate Michelle Gildernew ahead of Ciarán Mullooly, she was unable to hold off the former RTÉ reporter.

Mullooly leap frogged Gildernew after he received almost 6,000 more transfers from Aontú's Peadar Tóibín to put him in pole position. He widened the gap further following the distribution of Flanagan's surplus and Chambers' vote to finish 6,538 clear of the Sinn Féin candidate.

Earlier Achill-based Independent and former Green Party candidate, Saoirse McHugh was eliminated following the 15th count with a total of 31,519 votes.