ANALYSIS: Here's how Kilkenny City is taking shape with three now elected - and a sitting councillor facing loss of seat
Lots of questions still to be answered as we await the next count
Candidates have now been elected to the first three seats on Kilkenny City LEA, and a fourth is imminent. However, on Count 9 now, there's still a way to go before we know the make-up of the remaining three seats.
Andrew McGuinness (FF) and David Fitzgerald (FG) were first over the line on Count 1. Cllr McGuinness' surplus of 197 votes were distributed, with 73 of them transferred to party colleague Joe Malone (FF). That was a big help in getting him toward the quota of 1,223. After Count 8, he just needs just 59 more transfers to get the fourth seat - only a matter of time.
Eugene McGuinness (Ind) who polled 1,136 first preferences, has benefited enough from transfers to land that third seat. Count 8 saw him pick up 27 more and surpass the quota.
So, what does the battle look like for those three last seats? There are still five contenders, but the light is fading for some. Figures suggest Fine Gael's Martin Brett is facing an uphill battle to hold onto his seat. He got 488 first preferences, but has a lot of ground to make up, and so far has been slow to pick up many transfers. After Count 8, he is on 531.
Cllr John Coonan (FF) polled 697 first preferences, and has a very good chance to make it three Fianna Fail seats in the seven-seater LEA. After Count 8, he is on 738, and has the best chance of taking the fifth seat.
Labour's Sean O'hArgain has reason to be optimistic of returning to elected office for the first time since 2014. He got 657 first preference votes, and Count 8 sees him on 691 . Maria Dollard (Green Party) is also still very much in the fight. She received 595 votes in Count 1, and as of Count 8 is on 632.
Martin O'Neill of the Social Democrats polled 524 first preferences, and as of Count 8 is on 568. It's not a bad showing at all for a first-time candidate, but perhaps will not be enough to get him over the line on this occasion.
Sinn Fein have failed to get off the ground, and a seat in the city is a long shot. One candidate, Mark O'Farrell, has been eliminated and his votes distributed. The party's candidates polled as follows on Count 1: Evan Barry (369), Aoife O'Brien (192) and Mark O'Farrell (130). The figures are not what the party would have been hoping four just four years after TD Kathleen Funchion was elected on a landslide, record-breaking vote in the 2020 General Election.
Others
In Count 1, newcomer Toluwani Akaehomen received 323, while Luke O'Connor (IFP) got 309, and Andrea Cleere of Labour on 292. Kevin Shore of People Before Profit received 89 votes, and new candidate Jon Aza polled 65, with Liam Heffernan on 153. Independent Michael McGrath polled 52 votes, while Noel G Walsh received 18.