Byelections 2019: Green Party's Joe O'Brien elected to Dáil in Dublin-Fingal
: The Green Party's Joe O'Brien has been elected in Dublin-Fingal.
He was elected on the eighth and final count of the evening.
Mr O'Brien received 12,315 votes after the eighth count to secure the first ever by-election win for his party.
Fianna Fail’s Lorraine Clifford Lee came in second with 7,754 votes.
Labour's Duncan Smith has been eliminated on the seventh and penultimate count from the Dublin-Fingal by-election.
As a result, just two candidates – Green councillor Joe O'Brien and Fianna Fail Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee remain – with Mr O'Brien now in a commanding lead.
Cllr O'Brien now has 9,183 compared to Ms Clifford-Lee's 6,547 votes.
Mr Smith's 6,300 votes will now be distributed and despite Ms Clifford-Lee's strong showing, she never managed to close the gap on Mr O'Brien who topped the poll on the first count.
Mr Smith was greeted by a warm round of applause from his supporters once his elimination was confirmed.
Fine Gael Senator and former health minister James Reilly has been eliminated from the Dublin-Fingal by-election after the sixth count.
With just three candidates left in the race, Dr Reilly's departure caps off a highly disappointing day for Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who was present at the count centre at the announcement.
Dr Reilly was eliminated with 4,200 votes and the Green Party's Joe O'Brien now looks odds on to be elected to the Dail as he has extended his lead over the other candidates.
He is now on 7,984 votes.
Also left standing are Fianna Fail's Lorraine Clifford-Lee who now has 5,648 votes and Labour's Duncan Smith who is on 4,999 votes.
Dr Reilly's votes will now be distributed.
Sinn Fein's Ann Graves and Social Democrats' Tracey Carey have been eliminated from the running in the Dublin-Fingal by-election after the fourth count.
Ms Graves had 1,481 votes on her elimination while Ms Carey had 1,273.
Following the transfers of Gemma O'Doherty's 1149 votes, Fianna Fail's Lorraine Clifford-Lee has closed the gap on leader Joe O'Brien of the Green Party, but he is still 1,162 votes ahead of her.
There are now just five candidates remaining in the field- Cllr O'Brien, Clifford-Lee, Fine Gael's James Reilly, Labour's Duncan Smith and Dean Mulligan of Independents4Change.
Controversial conservative activist Gemma O'Doherty has been eliminated after the third count in the Dublin-Fingal by-election.
Ms O'Doherty, standing as an anti-establishment independent candidate, secured 1,149 votes before her elimination.
Green Party councillor Joe O'Brien has maintained his lead and appears to be on course to be elected. After the third count, Cllr O'Brien has 5,965 votes compared to the 4,766 votes held by Lorraine Clifford-Lee.
Labour's Duncan Smith was said he was delighted with his performance and is in third spot on 3,926 votes, ahead of Fine Gael's James Reilly who has 3,803 votes.
Fianna Fáil's Housing spokesman Darragh O'Brien has conceded defeat to the Green Party in the Dublin-Fingal byelection.
Speaking to the Irish Examiner at the count centre, Mr O'Brien said while his colleague Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee has “performed very credibly” there has been a “sizeable move toward the Green Party.”
Mr O'Brien said the low turnout, which could end up being a record low turnout, is a concern for all parties.
“It's been a very decent performance. Turnout is very low obviously that's something that all of all parties have to reflect upon. Lorraine has polled well and should come in, looks like second on about 18%, so that's a very credible performance,” he said.
“Obviously, you know, we go into every election campaign to try to win it. But there has been a sizable move towards the Greens and Cllr Joe O'Brien, their candidate.
"So you know, I've I've been that soldier I've won seats I've lost seat, I've won it back,” he added.
It's not easy day for you know, for the candidate, there will be a disappointment, but there will be other days as well.
"And I think now our challenge is trying to win two seats out of five and the general election which will be coming up very shortly now after this we will be back here again,” he said.
Labour's Ged Nash also said his party is very happy with the performance of their candidate Cllr Duncan Smith who has polled in and around 16%.
“We're actually very pleased with what's impressive performance by Duncan. We're actually the only major party has consistently to have seen as well grow.
"We've got 10%. In the last general election, we're looking at about 16%.
"So really calls for optimism. It's been incredible performance from talking himself from party activists right across the constituency.
And on these numbers, it shows very, very clearly that Labour has a really good opportunity here to obviously retain a seat.
Minister for Climate Action Richard Bruton has played down the significance of the Green vote in the constituency, with Joe O'Brien set to be the first Green Party candidate to win a byelection seat.
The minister said: "I think byelections have pretty much thrown up this sort of pattern forever, so I think it would be a mistake to read too much into elections where the turnout in some boxes is less than one-in-five who have come out to vote."
A first count is expected shortly.
Green Party councillor Joe O'Brien is on course to win the Dublin-Fingal byelection, according to lunchtime tallies.
With 80% of boxes opened and tallied, Cllr O'Brien was on 22.7%, holding a near five-point lead on his nearest rival Fianna Fáil Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee on 18%.
Labour's Duncan Smith, following a strong showing in his hometown of Swords, is on 16% with Fine Gael Senator and former party deputy leader James Reilly is on 14.6%.
Labour activists in Fingal are greatly encouraged by Cllr Smith's showing saying it is clear the party is sure of keeping its seat in the General Election.
Dean Mulligan, the Independent4Change candidate, is on just under 10% with Sinn Féin's Ann Graves on 5.2%.
Former journalist turned conservative activist, Gemma O'Doherty, is on 4% with 804 votes with 20% of boxes still to be counted.
A first count is expected before 2pm with a final result due by late afternoon.
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