BREAKING: Two candidates elected in Castlecomer LEA, while one sitting councillor faces losing seat
Pat Fitzpatrick has romped home and topped the poll, with Mary Hilda Cavanagh also keeping her seat
Councillor Pat Fitzpatrick has topped the poll in the Castlecomer Local Electoral Area, becoming the first elected representative for the area in this election.
The Fianna Fail councillor received a huge 2,308 first preference votes, bettering his 2019 poll-topping vote of 2,249.
Ireland's longest-serving female councillor Mary Hilda Cavanagh (FG) will extend her unique record of public service, having also been elected on Count 1 with 1,865 first preferences. The quota is 1,506.
Fianna Fail's Michael McCarthy is a whisker away from being elected, polling 1,489.
In one of the other big stories of this election, independent Maurice Shortall (1,153) looks on course to take a seat in North Kilkenny. Fine Gael's John Brennan is also in a strong position with 1,128.
The biq question now is which of the area's other incumbents, Fianna Fail's Michael Delaney, who got 988, and Sinn Fein's Denis Hynes (1,020) will perform better in transfers. With fewer than 50 votes separating them, they're in a battle for their seats.
Independent Ireland's Daniel Burke, who polled 354, and Stephen Delaney (TIP) who got 235, look to be well outside the running.
Cllr Pat Fitzpatrick's surplus of 802 votes is now being distributed, so we'll know a lot more after Count 2.