Euro votes counting to resume

Counting was resuming today for the remaining eight seats in the European elections.

The Dublin constituency wrapped up just before dawn when Socialist Joe Higgins took the final seat from Fianna Fáil’s former MEP Eoin Ryan – another massive body blow for the party.

In the North-West, counting was suspended after anti-Lisbon Treaty campaigner and Libertas founder Declan Ganley demanded an investigation into claims that up to 10,000 of his votes may have been given to a rival.

Witnesses claimed they saw a box of ballot papers in the constituency being mistakenly allocated to another candidate.

After polling 70,638 votes in the first count, Mr Ganley, who earlier confidently predicted he would take a seat in Brussels, asked for bundles to be rechecked in front of the tally man. The process was expected to take three hours.

The front-runners for seats in the region were Pat “the Cope” Gallagher, of Fianna Fáil, Jim Higgins, of Fine Gael, and Independent Marian Harkin.

Other counts will resume at 9am.

In the East constituency, Fine Gael’s Mairead McGuinness was elected on the first count with Labour’s Nessa Childers expected to take second and sitting Fianna Fáil MEP Liam Aylward close for third.

In the South, Brian Crowley, of Fianna Fáil, topped the poll in one of few successes for his party. He is elected with former GAA president Sean Kelly, of Fine Gael.

The final seat in the Munster region will go down to the wire, with Alan Kelly, of Labour, and Sinn Féin’s Toireasa Ferris fighting for transfers with the well-supported Independent Kathy Sinnott.

Seasoned commentators have suggested Ms Sinnott may just shade it on transfers.

The declared results so far are:

Dublin: Fine Gael’s Gay Mitchell, Labour’s Prionsias de Rossa and Socialist Joe Higgins elected.

East: Fine Gael’s Mairead McGuinness elected.