Billy Kelleher inches closer to being re-elected as Ireland South count could drag on until Friday

Billy Kelleher took a total of 1,963 votes from Sean Kelly's 8,016 vote surplus but that wasn't enough to put the Fianna Fáil MEP over the quota and he ended the day on just over 94,000 votes. Picture: Jonathan Brady/PA

A number of eliminations saw sitting Fianna Fáil MEP Billy Kelleher inch closer to being re-elected in Ireland South, but the shape of the race will not be clearer until late on Wednesday.

Mr Kelleher took a total of 1,963 votes from Sean Kelly's 8,016 vote surplus but that wasn't enough to put the Fianna Fáil MEP over the quota and he ended the day on just over 94,000 votes.

Mr Kelly's surplus was the largest distribution of the day with his party colleagues John Mullins taking over 2,600 votes.

Overall, there is an expectation that the count could go on until Friday morning at Nemo Rangers and the last three seats remain up for grabs. 

Independent TD Michael McNamara should be boosted when Independent Ireland's Eddie Punch is eliminated, meaning a face off between Fianna Fáil's Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, independent MEP Mick Wallace, Sinn Féin's Kathleen Funchion and Green MEP Grace O'Sullivan.

Sinn Féin team members felt that the elimination of Senator Paul Gavan could give Ms Funchion as many as 13,000 extra votes and they will hope that that is enough to hold off Mr Wallace, who sat on around 56,000 votes as the day's counting ended. 

Mr Wallace took over 1,200 votes from the elimination of People Before Profit's Cian Prendiville, leaving him around 3,600 votes ahead of Sinn Féin's Kathleen Funchion, but the final shape of the race will be decided when larger vote getters like the far-right candidate Derek Blighe are eliminated tomorrow.

Mr Blighe will likely have 30,000 votes by that stage and his transfers could prove crucial.

Representatives of different parties have noted that Mr Wallace has taken large transfers from both far-right candidates and far-left candidates like Mr Prendiville.

Speaking at the count centre, Ms Ní Mhurchú said that she is "absolutely honoured and delighted" and "humbled" by her vote of over 55,000. She said that her campaign had "hit the ground running" in March and she had visited most towns and villages in the constituency.

The former RTÉ host and current solicitor would not be drawn on whether she will remain in politics should she not be successful here, but indicated she was likely to.

"This is not the time or the point to be thinking about that now. Can I just tell you that I have enjoyed the campaign so much — it has been so positive, so beneficial, not just to me, but to voters — to be spreading positive politics. From the campaign team to Fianna Fáil, to those councillors who really rooted for me, they've been rooting for me — all the Fianna Fáil heartland and the members.

"So my experience of politics has been so, so positive, I probably would find it very hard to leave that all behind me."