The boxes have been opened and the sorting of votes has commenced in the Galway East constituency where there are four seats up for grabs with 14 candidates standing.
None of the main contenders are as yet present at the count centre in Presentation Convent, Headford as the counting of votes is expected to commence at around 10am.
The fourth seat in the constituency will be one of the most intriguing in country with both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael battling to for a second seat. There should be early indications of that fight at around midday.
The enlarged constituency is now a four-seater with areas such as Dunmore, Williamstown, Glenamaddy and across to rural parts of Ballinasloe now being included.
The seats are currently held by poll-topper Sean Canney (Ind), Ciaran Cannon (FG), who is not standing in this election, and Portumna’s Anne Rabbitte (FF).
The constituency was made a four-seater as part of a boundary revision with much of North Galway being returned from Galway-Roscommon in an effort to reduce the breaches of county boundaries.
A total of 14 candidates have declared their intention to contest for the constituency which stretches almost 55 miles from Headford across to Tuam, Athenry, Loughrea and down to Portumna.
There are a number of certainties in relation to Galway East barring incredible and unprecedented upsets.
There is little doubt that independent Canney could retain his poll-topping exploits and win the first seat. Fine Gael’s Cllr Pete Roche (FG) in Abbeyknockmoy will poll extremely well given his local election performances and the fact that he came so close back in 2020.
The Fianna Fail duo of Deputy Anne Rabbitte and Cllr Albert Dolan in Monivea are quietly confident of taking the remaining two seats given their geographical location.
There is no doubt that there has to be a seat in the south of the constituency where Niamh Madden (FG) is also running in Portumna. The popular auctioneer has the full backing of outgoing Deputy Ciaran Cannon.
Also in the frame for Fine Gael will be city councillor and former Mayor of Galway Clodagh Higgins, relying on her Athenry background in Galway East.
Sinn Fein’s Cllr Louis O’Hara is also to be considered given the fact that he polled more than 7,100 votes the last time around. This was more than the first preferences received by elected candidates Ciaran Cannon (FG) and Anne Rabbitte (FF).
The full list of candidates is Conor Burke (Solidarity–People Before Profit); Cllr Albert Dolan (Fianna Fail); Cllr Declan Geraghty (Independent Ireland); Cllr Clodagh Higgins (Fine Gael); Deputy Sean Canney (Ind); Eoin Madden (Green Party); Niamh Madden (Fine Gael); Paul Madden (Independent); Cllr Louis O’Hara (Sinn Fein); David ‘Irish Chariot’ O’Reilly (The Irish People); Minister Anne Rabbitte (Fianna Fail); Cllr Pete Roche (Fine Gael) and Luke Silke (Aontú).