Just 3 seats in one constituency to be filled

Counting is continuing in just one constituency this evening where the three seats in Laois-Offaly remain the only ones to be filled out of the 166 deputies elected to the 30th Dail.

Fine Gael's Olwyn Enright has joined the Minister for Finance Brian Cowen in being elected in Laois-Offaly but counting for the remaining three seats is ongoing.

Just before 10 pm counting in Dublin North came to an end as Fine Gael's Dr James Reilly claimed the fourth seat on the tenth count, joining Fianna Fail's Darragh O'Brien; Green Party leader Trevor Sargent and Fianna Fail's Michael Kennedy.

This followed a full recount the Portmarnock count centre of the 55,000 ballots cast where three of the four TDs in the 29th Dáil were retiring at this election.

The count had been challenged by Labour Party candidate Brendan Ryan, who was 11 votes behind the Socialist Party's Clare Daly after the 11th count. Results after the recount put Ryan two votes ahead and a further recount is now due.

Clare Daly's election agent Michael Murphy said they were considering their options and would not rule out a legal challenge at a later stage.

In Dublin South Central Sinn Féin deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh has fought off the challenge from Labour's Eric Byrne to take the fifth seat without reaching the quota.

Byrne was hoping to join his party colleague Mary Upton in the Dail but fell short by 69 votes after the tenth count in the constituency. Counting finished there shortly before 8pm.

All the seats in Galway West have now been filled where the Progressive Democrats outgoing TD Noel Grealish has secured what is only the second seat in a disastrous election for the party.

Fianna Fail's Frank Fahey has also held his seat there to join party colleague Eamon O'Cuiv, the Labour Party's Michael D Higgins and Fine Geal's Padraig McCormack.

In Tipperary South, Fianna Fail's Dr Martin Mansergh took the third seat on the 8 ^thcount after a recheck. This followed a query from independent TD Seamus Healy when it emerged there were just 59 votes between the two.