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Fianna Fáil looks likely to return as largest party

Updated / Monday, 2 Dec 2024 03:31
Micheál Martin celebrated being elected
Micheál Martin celebrated being elected

With seats filling up fast, it is looking likely that Fianna Fáil will return as the largest party following General Election 2024.

Party strategists are now hoping for up to 48 seats, with gains in several constituencies still up for grabs.

However, there was some disappointment for the party as junior minister Anne Rabbitte lost her seat in Galway East, as new candidate Albert Dolan pulled off a surprise win, taking a seat on his 26th birthday.

Fianna Fáil took the highest first preference vote share of the top three parties at 21.9%. Fine Gael was second with 20.8%, while Sinn Féin came in at 19%.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin praised his party's performance, but insisted he would let the "dust settle" on the results before turning his thoughts to government formation.

Speaking at the count centre at Nemo Rangers GAA Club in Cork, he said: "I'll do my own reflections, think about it. I need a long walk - from an exercise point of view - but also to clear the head and think this one through.

"There's very serious challenges facing the country and we've got to keep the country right and put the people before ourselves and before parties."

Micheál Martin congratulates Seamus McGrath as he celebrates with his brother - new EU Commissioner Michael McGrath - after being elected in Cork South Central

Asked if there was trust between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, he said: "I think there's capacity to get on".

His party took two seats in Kerry where Minister for Education Norma Foley was joined by Michael Cahill.

They also secured two seats in Donegal and Clare, where comeback kid Timmy Dooley was elected.

Sinn Féin is on course to reach 40 seats, with the party's Rose Conway-Walsh elected this morning in Mayo after counts resumed.

Speaking to RTÉ Radio, Ms Conway-Walsh said she is delighted to be re-elected and to be the first woman in history to top the poll in Mayo.

She said it was always going to be a challenge to win two seats in the constituency and thanked her running mate, Gerry Murray, who has been eliminated.

Sinn Féin's candidate in Galway West Mairéad Farrell became the first woman to top the poll in that constituency.

There is mixed news for Fine Gael, which is on course to come in third place, losing seats in Kerry and Donegal.

It has been a good week for the Social Democrats and its candidate Eoin Hayes surprisingly took a seat ahead of Sinn Féin's Chris Andews in Dublin Bay South.

Overall, they have seen their total number of TDs rise from six in 2020 to 11 this time around.

Gary Gannon held his seat in Dublin Central, as did Fine Gael's Paschal Donohoe, who was elected on the tenth count.

The fourth seat went to Labour’s Marie Sherlock following the distribution of Mr Donohoe's surplus, meaning Independent Gerard Hutch's bid for a Dáil seat has ended.

Labour leader Ivana Bacik was this morning re-elected in Dublin Bay South and said her party's priority is to build a platform "on the left" before speaking to Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil about going into government.

Ivana Bacik celebrates her election win in Dublin Bay South

In the newly created three-seater constituency of Wicklow-Wexford, Fine Gael's Brian Brennan and Sinn Féin's Fionntán Súilleabháin were both elected after exceeding the quota after count six, while Fianna Fáil's Malcolm Byrne was declared elected despite not reaching the quota.

Fianna Fáil's Lisa Chambers is out of the contest to secure a Dáil seat in Mayo, with the high-profile senator eliminated after count seven in Castlebar, on 6,709 votes.

Former Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley, running as an Independent Republican, took the third seat in Laois.

He missed out on the quota by 58 votes, however he was deemed elected by the Returning Officer.

Mattie McGrath was the first candidate to be elected in Tipperary South after the count resumed there.

Meanwhile, Darragh O'Brien, the outgoing Minister for Housing, said he was delighted to be re-elected in Dublin Fingal East and believes Fianna Fáil will be the largest party in government when the counts are completed.

However there are a lot of seats left to be won, he added, and the party is taking nothing for granted.

The Green Party - the junior partner in the outgoing government - has had a bruising set of results.

Minister Catherine Martin lost her seat in Dublin Rathdown, while party leader Roderic O'Gorman held on to his seat in the final count in Dublin West. He will be the sole Green TD in the 34th Dáil.

Read more:
Updates as they happen
TDs elected to the 34th Dáil so far
Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael reiterate view to form government
Recap: A look at what happened on day one

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Mary Regan

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Mary Regan

Political Reporter