Monivea-based Councillor Albert Dolan has topped the poll in Galway East, securing 10,040 first-preference votes.

After the first count at Presentation College in Headford, the Fianna Fáil councillor is just 703 shy of the 10,843 quota.

Sitting TD Seán Canney is in second position on 10,030 votes and will comfortably retain his seat.

Sinn Féin’s Louis O’Hara is in third position on 7,459 votes and will be hoping to prove transfer-friendly enough to hold that position as he chases a seat, having narrowly missed out on one in 2020.

Outgoing Minister of State, Anne Rabbitte (FF), is in serious danger of losing the seat she has held since 2016 – party members at the count centre have all but given up hope of the party taking a second seat in the constituency.

Fine Gael’s Pete Roche is very much in contention on 5,521 votes, as is Independent Ireland’s Declan Geraghty.

Independent Fergal Landy has been eliminated and his 385 will now be redistributed.

Electorate: 87,791

Valid poll: 54,214

No. of seats: 4

Quota: 10,843

First Count

Albert Dolan (FF) 10,140

*Seán Canney (IND) 10,030

Louis O’Hara (SF) 7,459

Peter Roche (FG) 5,521

Declan Geraghty (IND IRL) 5,150

*Anne Rabbitte (FF) 4,056

Clodagh Higgins (FG) 3,458

Niamh Madden (FG) 2,765

Luke Silke (Aontú) 1,554

Eoin Madden (Green) 1,263

Conor Burke (PBP-S) 1,238

David O’Reilly (IRP) 610

Paul Madden (IND) 585

Fergal Landy (IND) 385 – ELIMINATED

* denotes outgoing TD

Pictured: Albert Dolan and his girlfriend Caroline Murphy at the Galway East count.