By Dara Bradley

Fine Gael is in the hunt for two seats in Galway West, with Government Chief Whip Hildegarde Naughton and Senator Sean Kyne polling strongly, tallies suggest.

With 20% of votes tallied, both Kyne (9%) and Naughton (8%) are neck-and-neck, which gives them a chance of a second seat.

City Councillor John Connolly is the strongest of the two Fianna Fáil candidates in Galway West and looks better placed to retain the seat held by Éamon Ó Cuív since 1992.

Gráinne Seoige has improved with the opening of Conamara boxes but, on 6%, the broadcaster still lags Connolly by 13%.

Mairéad Farrell of Sinn Féin and Independent Catherine Connolly are both looking likely to return to the Dáil with 16% and 13% of first preferences respectively according to the tallies.

Noel Grealish, the other sitting TD, is on 5% but boxes from his stronghold on the east of the constituency have not yet been opened.

Independent Ireland’s Noel Thomas is polling solidly on 5%.

Helen Ogbu, Labour is on 4%; Senator Pauline O’Reilly (Green) is on 3%; Eibhlín Seoighthe (Soc Dem) is on 5%, and Mike Cubbard Ind is on 5% with four fifths of boxes yet to be opened.