Cork North-West: True to form... but with a late twist

A three-seat constituency that has only ever returned Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael TDs stayed true to form, despite a dramatic late twist which nearly provided a Lazarus-like comeback for an Independent candidate.

Fianna Fáil county councillor Aindrias Moynihan defied expectations by topping the first preference count in in Cork North West but had to wait until the ninth and final count to be elected. By then, sitting Fine Gael TD Michael Creed had leapfrogged the first-time candidate, taking the first seat on the eighth count.

Coming fifth in terms of first preferences, county mayor John Paul O’Shea had all but conceded defeat by Saturday lunchtime. However, a series of remarkable transfers benefitted the Independent and, in the final count, he fell short of taking the third and final seat from outgoing Fianna Fáil TD Michael Moynihan by 249 votes.