GALWAY WEST:THE LAST remaining seat in the new Dáil had still not been filled last night in Galway West.
Four days after counting started in Leisureland, Salthill, some 17 votes separated Fine Gael councillor Seán Kyne from Independent councillor and former city mayor Catherine Connolly.
Ms Connolly, a former Labour Party member, requested a second recount early yesterday morning when the margin in Mr Kyne’s favour was so tight.
The first full recount had been requested by Fine Gael senator Fidelma Healy-Eames on Sunday evening and did not finish until 6am yesterday.
Ms Healy-Eames, also a contender for the last seat, had been just 56 votes behind party colleague Kyne initially on the tenth count. This margin increased by just three votes to 59 on the 11th count, and she was eliminated early yesterday morning.
As of last night, four candidates had been deemed elected in the five seater – outgoing minister Éamon Ó Cuív (FF), poll-topping Labour councillor Derek Nolan, Fine Gael former mayor Brian Walsh and outgoing Independent TD Noel Grealish.
Mr Ó Cuív’s running mate, former marine minister Frank Fahey, was eliminated on the seventh count.
Ms Connolly said last night that the 17-vote difference between herself and Mr Kyne was her main reason for seeking to have all votes checked and counted again. She had held a 58-vote advantage when the surplus of Brian Walsh’s (FG) votes was being distributed.
She said the fact that spoiled votes had increased by 81 from 540 to 621 on the first recount was a matter of concern.
She also questioned why the votes of one candidate, Sinn Féin’s Trevor Ó Clochartaigh, had not altered at all during the first recount.
“I believe the scrutiny of votes is being determined by the level of pressure exerted by Fine Gael, including its legal team,” she said.
Ms Connolly, whose stepmother died at the weekend, said that she realised everyone was exhausted.
“I’m exhausted, Seán Kyne is exhausted, the counting staff have been terrific and I have to pay tribute to them,” she said.
“I owe this to my campaign team and the people who canvassed for me throughout Galway city and county and Connemara over the past month.”
Ms Connolly, who was a director of elections previously for Labour Party president Michael D Higgins, left the party in 2007 when it refused to sanction her bid to run alongside him in that year’s general election.
Mr Kyne, who ran in the 2007 general election, said he was hopeful his advantage would be maintained.
“The papers have now been examined many times and we remain hopeful that the result will stand,” he said. “We always knew it would be close.”
It was expected that returning officer Marian Chambers-Higgins would try to resolve the issue by working throughout last night, for the second night in a row.
It is the longest count to date in Galway West’s history.