It’s day two of counting at the Aura Leisure Centre, Letterkenny.
It was a long day yesterday with proceedings wrapped up shortly before 2am.
Two of the five seats available in the Donegal constituency have been filled so far.
Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty has topped the poll with 18,998 first preference votes.
His running mate, Padraig MacLochlainn secured the second seat after the surplus of Deputy Doherty’s votes were distributed and counted.
This morning begins now with the counting of Padraig MacLochlainn’s 324 surplus votes.
With three seats remaining vacant it’s still all to play for in Donegal.
Pat the Cope Gallagher of Fianna Fail is on course to be the next candidate elected. After the second count, the veteran politician sits on 10,504. He still needs a haul of transfers to get him to the quota of 12,771. It is unlikely that he will be elected before a number of further counts.
As it stands, it looks like it could be a fight between Fianna Fail Minister Charlie McConalogue, Charles Ward, 100% Redress Party and Independent Thomas Pringle for the last seat.
There is much speculation as to who will secure the final two seats. Thomas Pringle’s team are of the belief that they can secure enough transfers to get himself and Charles Ward over the line while the Fianna Fail camp say Minister McConalogue has a ‘significant cushion’ and that he will hold onto his seat.
Yesterday, Sinn Féin were hopeful they may have secured a third seat in Donegal in Noel Jordan. They have taken Cllr Jordan’s total of 4,405 votes to date as a positive, considering the last time the party ran a three candidate strategy, Padraig MacLochlainn lost his seat.
