Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald has stated that she feels no pressure regarding her leadership as counting continues in two by-elections in Dublin Central and Galway West. The hand counting of votes began at 9am on Saturday and is expected to last several hours, with candidates being eliminated and their votes transferred to those still in contention.
First Tallies Indicate Tight Races
Initial tallies suggest that Social Democrats candidate Daniel Ennis is leading in Dublin Central, while Fine Gael's Sean Kyne and Independent Ireland's Noel Thomas are neck-and-neck in Galway West. The by-elections were called to fill seats vacated by Catherine Connolly, who became President, and former minister Paschal Donohoe, who left politics to become the World Bank's chief knowledge officer.
Dublin Central Results
With all boxes opened, the unofficial tally places Daniel Ennis at 19.6% of first preferences, followed by Sinn Fein's Janice Boylan at 17.7%. Green Party's Janet Horner secured 11.5%, and Fine Gael's Ray McAdam received 10.7%. Gerard "The Monk" Hutch, described in court as the patriarchal figurehead of the Hutch criminal organisation, polled at 11.4%. Other candidates include Independent Malachy Steenson (9.5%), People Before Profit-Solidarity's Eoghan O Ceannabhain (6.7%), Labour's Ruth O'Dea (5.8%), Fianna Fail's John Stephens (4.2%), and Aontu's Ian Noel Smyth (2%). The remaining candidates each received less than 1% of first preferences.
Galway West Results
With over 95% of boxes opened, the tally shows Independent Ireland's Noel Thomas at 20.2%, Fine Gael's Sean Kyne at 19.9%, and Labour's Helen Ogbu at 11.8%. Fianna Fail's Cillian Keane is on 9.1%, the Social Democrats' Mide Nic Fhionnlaoich on 6.8%, Galway mayor Mike Cubbard on 7%, and Sinn Fein's Mark Lohan on 6.5%.
Reactions from Party Leaders
Social Democrat TD Gary Gannon expressed delight at the early indications, stating, "It is a real endorsement of the type of politics Social Democrats stand for, and Daniel too." He added that the party's approach of knocking on doors, avoiding hate, and focusing on ideas is resonating with voters.
Mary Lou McDonald acknowledged that Sinn Fein is disappointed with the result in Galway West, saying, "Today isn't our day here in this constituency." However, she noted that the area was once a Fianna Fail stronghold and that politics beyond the two main parties is possible. She firmly dismissed any questions about her leadership, stating, "I am the leader of Sinn Fein, I lead us on days when we're on a winning streak, I lead us on the days when we're not lifting the cup."
The counting process involves sorting votes before formal counting begins, due to Ireland's proportional representation with a single transferable vote system. This requires multiple counts, and the process is expected to continue until Saturday evening for Dublin Central and Sunday for Galway West.
