Fianna Fail Senator Niall Blaney has been eliminated after the fifteenth count in the Midlands Northwest European election count. It follows the elimination last night of the other Donegal based candidate, Independent Peter Casey.
Independent Luke Ming Flanagan still leads the way, and is now 10,000 votes off the quota.
Fine Gael’s Nina Carberry and Maria Walsh also look certain to be elected, along with Fianna Fail’s Barry Cowen.
Meanwhile Independent Ireland’s Ciaran Mullooly has moved even further ahead and is in pole position to win the final seat; he is now almost 18,000 votes clear of Sinn Feins Michelle Gildernew – who will need significant transfers from her party colleague Chris McManus when he is eliminated later today.
Counting gets underway again at 9am this morning, with the final count expected tonight.
