Counting began in poll to elect Irish president - VIDEO
Counting began in poll to elect Irish president - VIDEO
Counting has just begun in Ireland in the poll to elect the State’s ninth president. The counting has begun at 9am and the first-count figures expected to be available late this evening.
Turnout was uneven around the country yesterday while officials reported that some people had opted not to vote in the two referendums.
Dublin County Sheriff John Fitzpatrick said last night that voting was slow to begin with but had picked up after business hours.
Mr Fitzpatrick said turnout was at 40 per cent in Shankill at about 6.30pm, but remained as low as 10 per cent in Tallaght late into the evening. However, a late surge resulted in a firgure of 48.8 per cent being recorded in Jobstown, Tallaght, while the Shankill figure rose to 53 per cent.
Meanwhile Dundrum was busy all day with a final turn out figure of 65 per cent.
The sense in Cork city was that voting stations were generally quiet for most of the day, but turnout had risen to 52 per cent in Beaumont by 8pm. The figure was 48 per cent in Kanturk, Co Cork, where Independent candidate Seán Gallagher’s wife, Trish, is from. Mr Gallagher yesterday did not rule out a career in politics if he was unsuccessful in securing the presidency.
This is an historic election if anything because it sees Sinn Fein, the republican party, with its own candidate, Martin McGuinness, the former North Assembly, deputy First Minister.
Whatever the result, the candidacy confirms a trend, which sees Sinn Fein set to be one of the main protagonist in the Republic of Ireland political life.
Turnout was uneven around the country yesterday while officials reported that some people had opted not to vote in the two referendums.
Dublin County Sheriff John Fitzpatrick said last night that voting was slow to begin with but had picked up after business hours.
Mr Fitzpatrick said turnout was at 40 per cent in Shankill at about 6.30pm, but remained as low as 10 per cent in Tallaght late into the evening. However, a late surge resulted in a firgure of 48.8 per cent being recorded in Jobstown, Tallaght, while the Shankill figure rose to 53 per cent.
Meanwhile Dundrum was busy all day with a final turn out figure of 65 per cent.
The sense in Cork city was that voting stations were generally quiet for most of the day, but turnout had risen to 52 per cent in Beaumont by 8pm. The figure was 48 per cent in Kanturk, Co Cork, where Independent candidate Seán Gallagher’s wife, Trish, is from. Mr Gallagher yesterday did not rule out a career in politics if he was unsuccessful in securing the presidency.
This is an historic election if anything because it sees Sinn Fein, the republican party, with its own candidate, Martin McGuinness, the former North Assembly, deputy First Minister.
Whatever the result, the candidacy confirms a trend, which sees Sinn Fein set to be one of the main protagonist in the Republic of Ireland political life.
