FROM early morning in Cork, the signs were that the turnout would be up on the last general election, writes Dick Hogan.
In the Douglas area of Cork South Central, the turnout was estimated at 2 per cent within an hour of the opening of the polling booth at 8 a.m. It appears that pensioners, housewives and the unemployed voted early, but there was some evidence that the early opening brought in people on their way to work.
According to the former Minister for Agriculture, Mr Joe Walsh, the three-seater of Cork South West returned a very high poll. By 8.30 p.m., Mr Walsh said, some estimates put the poll at over 70 per cent. He added that this trend appeared to be holding in both the urban and rural parts of the constituency.
Other estimates suggested that in Cork South Central and Cork North Central, despite appalling bad weather and high winds, the turnout was between 60 per cent and 70 per cent.
In the centre of Cork city, at 11 a.m., 10 per cent of the electorate had voted, while in Bishopstown and Douglas the turnout by midday was 20 per cent. There were also signs first-time voters had come out in large numbers.
Polling was also brisk in Cork North Central, where by midday there was a 12 per cent turnout; increasing to 40 per cent by the early evening.
In Cork North West and Cork East, the turnout was also high, expected to be near 70 per cent.