Gallagher concedes defeat

Seán Gallagher has conceded defeat in the presidential race and offered his congratulations to Michael D. Higgins

"In the last hour I've called Michael D. Higgins to congratulate him on his performance and his success in this election," a statement from Mr Gallagher said.

"He will have my full support as President and I sincerely thank him for a positive campaign.

"His slogan stated that he would be a President to be proud of and I believe he will be that President."

Mr Higgins looks set to take about 40% of the vote on the first count, to be confirmed at Dublin Castle around 7pm or 8pm.

Mr Gallagher appears on course to finish second but has seen his support collapse from a high of 40% in last weekend's opinion polls to closer to 30% in the vote proper.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore, Labour Party leader, said it had been an honour to nominate 70-year-old Mr Higgins, a former minister, for the job.

“This is a good day for the Labour Party. Our nominee Michael D Higgins looks pretty certain that he will be elected the ninth president of Ireland,” Mr Gilmore said.

“I’m really happy for him. I’m really delighted that he succeeded.”

Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness looked set to take third place in the vote and secured a huge boost for his party by topping the poll in the Donegal North-East constituency.

Gerry Adams, his party’s president, said the support would bring politics in the North and the Republic closer.

“I think what we have done is narrow the gap between politics in the north and the south,” Mr Adams said.

Sinn Féin vice president Mary Lou McDonald accepted that Mr Higgins had won the election and she said he would be a good president.

She said Mr McGuinness’s campaign had succeeded in raising issues that were important to Sinn Féin and broke new ground for the party.

“For Sinn Féin this is a milestone election,” she said.

“There was a time – and it’s not so long ago – when republicans would have been considered almost a marginal voice in southern politics and today we changed that.”

The Sinn Féin TD added: “It’s not simply a case of us wishing us to win elections or win contests. That’s not an end in itself.

“It is genuinely about offering a political alternative.”

Ms McDonald denied that the furore over Mr McGuinness’s IRA past would damage the party in the Republic, noting that his chief critic, Fine Gael’s Gay Mitchell, had polled poorly.

Amid suggestions that the grassroots were not behind him, Mitchell's poor showing left him vying with Senator David Norris for the fourth and fifth spots with a record seven candidates in the race.

The also-rans are Mary Davis and Dana Rosemary Scallon.

The final confirmation of the poll at Dublin Castle is not expected until late tonight or in the early hours or tomorrow if there are any issues at count centres around the country.