Fianna Fáil polls strongly in Cork constituencies

FIANNA FÁIL’S Billy Kelleher was the first deputy to be returned to the Dáil in the four-seat constituency of Cork North Central yesterday evening.

In neighbouring five-seat Cork South Central, FF minister Micheál Martin topped the poll with 11,226 votes, exceeding the 9,845 quota to return straight to the Dáil, while the party’s Michael McGrath also won a seat with a quota-beating vote of 9,866 first preference votes.

In Cork North Central, Kelleher polled 9,456 first preference votes in the first count, which came in just after 6.30pm. At the 2002 General Election, Mr Kelleher, a deputy chief whip in the last administration, got 5,801 first preference votes and was returned to the Dáil with the help of transfers.

This year Mr Kelleher was 986 above the quota of 8,470 so his surplus votes were being transferred to other candidates in the poll as none of them achieved the quota.

Fine Gael’s Bernard Allen also looked to be ike he is on his way to the Dáil after polling 6,866 first preference votes but he will have to rely on transfers, as will FF’s Noel O’Flynn, who polled 5,680.

The battle for the fourth seat was between Labour’s Kathleen Lynch, who got 5,221 first preference votes, and FG’s Gerry Kelly, who netted 4,808.

Sinn Féin’s Jonathan O’Brien was in sixth place with 3,456 first preference votes.

Over in Cork South Central, sleeping bags were at the ready for a repeat of 2002’s epic election count.

After the first count, a mere 918 votes separated six candidates in the scrap for three out of five seats.

Sitting TDs Dan Boyle, John Dennehy and Simon Coveney all fared badly and none could be deemed safe.

From early on, nerves were frayed. A mistake in the tally put Deirdre Clune more than 1,000 ahead of her rivals, only to have the extra votes taken away an hour later.

She then began scrapping for transfers with Fianna Fáil, Labour, the Green Party and her two Fine Gael colleagues but was likely to do well from the elimination of Progressive Democrat John Minihan However, the real king-maker was Sinn Féin’s Henry Cremin who had 3,020 votes to distribute.

His cards on each count will be scrutinised, with the weekend likely to elapse before any final outcome is decided.

Two people who can sleep soundly are Fianna Fáil poll-toppers Michael McGrath and Micheál Martin.

In the Carrigaline area, first-time candidate Mr McGrath decimated Fine Gael MEP Mr Coveney, also picking up votes throughout the rest of the constituency.

Last night their surpluses were being divvied up, with a further 1,000 votes up for grabs from poor low-polling independents in the frantic scramble for three more candidates to get near the 9,845 quota.