Sixth count sees Danny Healy Rae retain Dáil seat

Danny Healy-Rae has retained his Kerry seat.

He was re-elected on the sixth count, after a nerve-wracking wait for the independent TD.

Just days before the election, a TG4 poll had placed him in the ballot below the Green Party candidate Cleo Murphy.

But the poll served to reinvigorate Deputy Healy-Rae’s campaign and he got in with 13,000 votes, just over the 12,945 quota.

Brendan Griffin was also elected on the sixth count, thanks largely to his running mate Mike Kennelly, who was eliminated in the fifth count.

The minister of state gained an extra 2,448 votes, taking him up to 14,703 votes.

All that is left now is for the election of a candidate for the fifth and final remaining seat.

This is expected to go to Fianna Fail’s Norma Foley.

She now has 9,593 votes, ahead of running mate John Brassil with his 7,230 votes.

The Green Party’s Cleo Murphy has 5,811.

The results are due shortly.

The final result is expected to be the two Healy-Raes, Michael and Danny, Fine Gael’s Brendan Griffin, Sinn Fein’s Pa Daly, along with Norma Foley.