Historic day as Conway-Walsh is elected

IT's official. Mayo has returned its first two TDs.

Fine Gael's Michael Ring and Sinn Féin's Rose Conway-Walsh have been elected after the first count.

Conway-Walsh had 14,633 first preference votes to get her over the line having exceeded the quota, just behind Ring who finished on 14,796.

This was more than double the 6,414 votes she achieved in 2016.

It's the first time in nearly 100 years that Mayo has had a Sinn Féin TD and the official announcement by the returning officer, Fintan Murphy, of her election was met with thunderous applause at the count centre at the TF Royal Hotel in Castlebar.

The last time SF had a Dáil seat in Mayo was 1927 - held by Tom Maguire.

Conway-Walsh said the people of Mayo had voted for change and she thanked them for putting their trust in Sinn Féin.

 

Results from the first count were:

 

Dara Calleary 9,163

Lisa Chambers 6,373

Rose Conway-Walsh 14,633

Joe Daly 721

Grainne De Barra 84

Alan Dillon 5198

Sean Forkin 59

Paul Lawless 2574

Gerry Loftus 574

Stehen Manning 65

Saoirse McHugh 4,177

Michelle Mulherin 5,435

Daithi Ó Fallámháin 246

Michael Ring 14,796

Kamal Uddin 255

 

Michael Ring's surplus of 1,925 is now being distributed.