Counting of Mayo votes in presidential election starts

THE counting of Mayo votes in the presidential election gets underway at the TF Royal Hotel in Castlebar this morning at 9 a.m.

Boxes from the Ballina electoral area are the first being opened.

Voter turnout in Mayo is just over 30%, with Independent candidate Catherine Connolly the overwhelming favourite to be elected as new President of Ireland.

You can follow the Fine Gael party tally as boxes are opened at the Mayo count centre here.

Keep an eye on the national picture and official count results here.

UPDATES

9.20 a.m.: Twenty minutes into counting, and with 48% of the Ballina electoral area boxes opened, tally figures show 56% support for Catherine Connolly, with Fine Gael's Heather Humphreys on 24%.

The spoiled vote tally is 15% (350 out of 2,321 votes cast), with 4% of voters giving their No. 1 to Jim Gavin.

9.50 a.m.: Spoiled votes running at 14% in Mayo, latest tallies show with 85% of boxes now open in Ballina electoral area and 50% of boxes in Castlebar electroral area also open.

Support for Catherine Connolly very steady at 55%, with Humphreys on 25% and Gavin on 4%.

10.10 a.m.: Connolly winning every box in the Castlebar LEA.

10.30 a.m.: The trend continues across Mayo, Connolly leading, but lots of spoiled votes.

11.10 a.m.: Halfway there and the outcome is certain: Catherine Connolly with a landslide victory. Latest update here.

12 noon: Tallies showing 14% spoiled their vote in Mayo.

Read the full FG tally from polling stations all around the county here.

2 p.m.: All over. Heather Humphreys concedes - story here.