Breakdown of the European elections in Ireland

Bairbre de Brun                  Sinn Fein

Jim Nicholson                    Ulster Unionist party

Diane Dodds                      Democratic Unionist Party

 

In an historic weekend for Sinn Fein, Bairbre de Brun was elected MEP as the party topped the polls in Northern Ireland for the first time. With 126,184 first preference votes, the Sinn Fein candidate was the only person to reach the quota after the first count.

 

The other two seats in the North went to Jim Nicholson of the UUP and Diane Dodds of the DUP.  Both Unionists were elected after the third count.

 

The DUP's first preference vote fell almost 14% since the last Euro election in 2004, from 32% to 18.2% this time around. The drop can be attributed to the votes picked up by former DUP member Jim Allister, who left the party in protest after it went into government with Sinn Fein.

 

Allister, who founded his own party, the Traditional Ulster Voice (TUV) when he left the DUP, stood as a TUV candidate in the election and received 66,197 first preference votes. Allister was eliminated after the second count, but said he will run again as  TUV candidate in the next general election. 

 

 

 

It has been a long weekend for Fianna Fail and things aren't about to get any better.  With their first preference voting around 24%, once the finally tally is counted and confirmed, this election will mark the party's worst performance in its history.

 

Fine Gael and Labour have reaped the reward of voter dissatisfaction, and FG leader Enda Kenny is chomping at the bit to table a vote of no confidence in the government in the Dail this week.

 

Sinn Fein's historic showing in the North has been tempered by Mary Lou McDonald's failure to hold onto her MEP seat in Dublin.  The Sinn Fein Deputy leader lost out to Joe Higgins of the Socialist Party. Veteran politicians Gay Mitchell of Fine Gael and Proinsias De Rossa took the other seats in Dublin.

 

In the East, former TV presenter Mairead McGuinness of Fine Gael retained her seat after the first count and was joined by Neasa Childers of  Labour and Liam Alyward of Fianna Fail.

 

In the South, Brian Crowley of Fianna Fail was re-elected and former GAA President Sean Kelly won a seat for Fine Gael at the first attempt. There is one seat left to decide in this constituency, and it is a battle between Alan Kelly of Labour and independent MEP Kathy Sinnott.

 

The three seats in the North West have not been decided due to a delay as a result of a recheck of the votes. Anti-European treaty candidate and head of Libertas Declan Ganley conceded defeat and announced he will step away from political affairs.

 

A total of 833 seats were up for grabs in local elections across the country, and with about 20 left to be decided, FG has won about 33% so far, FF 25%, Labour have taken in around 15% and Sinn Fein are hovering around 6-7%.The Green party has won three seats total and its strong representation in the Dublin area has all but disappeared.

 

European Elections Results:

 

Gay Mitchell                      Fine Gael

Proinsias De Rossa            Labour

Joe Higgins                        Socialist Party

 

Sean Kelly                         Fine Gael

Brian Crowley                     Fianna Fail

Last seat to be decided.

 

Mairead McGuinness          Fine Gael

Neasa Childers                  Labour

Liam Alyward                    Fianna Fáil

 

24 hour delay due to recheck of votes