Noel Grealish set to take second Galway West seat

Independent Catherine Connolly in poll position for third seat

Ciara Galvin
Galway

THE 12th count in the Galway West constituency has revealed a clearer picture of the new political landscape.
Independent Catherine Connolly (pictured) was the biggest winner from Niall O’Tuathaill’s (SD) transfers, seeing her leap ahead once again of Sinn Fein’s Trevor O’Clochartaigh and Fine Gael’s Sean Kyne. She is now on 8,877, after receiving a mammoth 1,739 of transfers.
If subsequent transfers keep the momentum going for Connolly, she will be set to become the first female Independent candidate to be elected in the Galway West constituency since the foundation of the State, by taking the third seat.
Independent Noel Grealish is set to take the second seat, as he now stands at 9,711, just 1,001 off the quota.
Vying for the next seat is Sean Kyne on 7,656 and Trevor O’Clochartaigh on 7,468, but it will all depend on the transfer of Fianna FΡil’s eliminated candidate John Connolly.
Fine Gael’s Hildegarde Naughton is still holding out and transferring well, taking 532 transfers from Connolly, while party colleague John O’Mahony, the only Mayo candidate looks set to bow out in the 13th count, as he is now bottom of the pecking order with 5,852 votes.