Independent Ireland candidate and returning councillor Noel Thomas has put it up to his former party by topping the poll at Connemara South.

The former Fianna Fáil councillor from Moycullen was elected on the third count at 11pm on Sunday night.

Next in line to take one of the four remaining seats is Pádraig Mac An Iomaire (FG), who has to gain nearly 600 more votes to reach the magic number.

Fianna Fáil’s Máirtín Lee is in third position with 1,043 first preferences in the five-seater in which 16 candidates ran.

The next count will be announced shortly with just nine votes to be distributed from Cllr Thomas.

Caption: Noel Thomas…elected in Conamara South,

Conamara South

Distribution of Curran’s 417 votes

Count 3

*Thomas, Noel (IndI) (+15) 1,648 (Elected)

Mac an Iomaire (FG) (+63) 1,422

Curraoin, Tomás (Rep SF) (+40) 1,043

Ó Tuairisg, Daragh (FF) (+6) 868

Lee, Máirtin (FF) (+86) 904

Ó Cualáin, Dáithí (FF) (+53) 825

Leainde, Michael (IndI) (+78) 814

O’Hara, Kevin (SF) (+14) 689

McKinstry, Alastair (Green) (+4) 631

Sinéad O’Brien (Non-party) (+9) 470

Ó Flatharta, PJ (Non-party) (+37) 479