Cowen sweeps Laois/Offaly poll

Minister for Finance Brian Cowen is sweeping the poll in Laois Offaly with 75% of the boxes open according to tallymen at the count centre in Birr.

He is expected to have a huge surplus and is pulling votes from all over the widespread constituency, in both rural and urban areas.

Minister of State Tom Parlon is on the way out according to pundits. The President of the Progressive Democrats has failed to deliver this time around and it looks like it is an end to Parlon Country.

Tallymen say his vote has collapsed not alone in Laois but also in his home county of Offaly. Some tallies have his vote down by as much as 50% in Offaly, compared to the figure achieved in 2002.

Charlie Flanagan of Fine Gael, a shock loss last time out, looks set to return to Dáil Eireann where he will join party colleague Olwyn Enright who has maintained her vote.

Fianna Fáil’s Edenderry based councillor John Foley is polling exceptionally well and may take a seat at the expense of one of his Laois colleagues, either John Moloney or Sean Fleming. This will all depend on whether he can pick up enough of Brian Cowen’s surplus.

A first count is not expected until late in the afternoon or early evening.

Story courtesy of the Laois Nationalist.