Independent becomes first Councillor elected

An Independent has become the first councillor elected in the country, with Michael Kilcoyne topping the Mayo poll with two quotas.

Ind Cllr Michael Kilcoyne first elected councillor with a whopping 2,921. For more see @themayonews #le14 #Mayo pic.twitter.com/ixoQuNP13c

— Ciara Galvin (@CiaraGalvino) May 24, 2014

Results from across the country in the coming hours are expected to show a surge in support for Independents and Sinn Féin.

The local elections will also see Labour losing out, in some cases being wiped out from some local authorities.

Fine Gael will also suffer some losses, and in some areas Fianna Fáil will make gains with the return of household names like Mary Hanafin and Seán Haughey - though the party is struggling elsewhere.

The European election counting does not take place until tomorrow - but tallies and an RTE exit poll suggest Sinn Féin on course for a seat in each of the three constituencies, Independents doing well, and Fine Gael possibly holding their four seats.

Sinn Féin has pulled off a coup - topping the poll in the Dublin West by-election - but the result there is too close to call.

A Longford-Westmeath bye-election first count is due around now. Fine Gael's Gabrielle McFadden will top the poll and and Aengus O'Rourke of Fianna Fáil saying it is hers to lose.

He is coming second on his first attempt at a Dáil seat.

The returning officer is likely to call the first count at the Longford Westmeath by election this hour.

The final tally puts Fine Gael's Gabrielle McFadden 7 points ahead of her nearest rival.

Our Correspondent Francesca Comyn is at the count centre in Kenagh:

[CLIP]

dur: 29secs

in: The first

out: seven per cent

The first count is drawing to a close here at the Longford Westmeath by election.

Party members are casting an eye over some of the doubtful votes.

Turnout here was around 46% according to the final tally which puts Fine Gael's Gabrielle McFadden ahead on 25%, and possibly on course to take the seat which belonged to her sister the late Nicky McFadden.

Fianna Fail's Aengus O'Rourke is on 18% and in third place is Sinn Fein's Paul Hogan on 15% with Labour's Denis Leonard lagging well behind on 7%.