Outgoing Fianna Fáil TD Padraig O’Sullivan topped the poll in Cork North Central, marginally ahead of outgoing Sinn Féin TD Thomas Gould, where both are now up for re-election.

Mr O’Sullivan received 7,708 votes compared to Mr Gould’s 7,399 – with both men around 2,000 votes short of the quota of 9,846.

Fine Gael junior minister Colm Burke also looks set to be re-elected after polling 5,736.

Independent Ireland challenger Councilor Ken O’Flynn – who narrowly missed out on being elected in the 2020 general election – is also confident of securing a Dáil seat as he polled 5,733.

However, the fifth and final seat is expected to prove a close battle between Fianna Fáil councilor Tony Fitzgerald (4,084), People Before Profits outgoing TD Mick Barry (3,494), Labor councilor Eoghan Kenny (3,329) and councilor John Maher (2 687), as well as Fine Gael councilor Garret Kelleher (2,790) and Sinn Féin councilor Joe Lynch (2,894).

Social Democrat Susan Doyle appears to face an uphill battle to enter the fray for the last seat of 2,255.

Geography is expected to prove decisive in the destination of late bill transfers with Cork North Central having the towns of Ballincollig and Mallow added to the constituency.

South Central

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has been re-elected by a margin on the first count in the five-seat Cork South-Central constituency with 14,526 first preference votes

The Tánaiste secured a massive 23pc first preference vote. He celebrated with his family as he was hoisted into the air by his sons Cillian and Micheál Aodh after topping the poll.

Martin was elected with a massive first preference vote of 14,526 ballots – almost one in four of all votes cast in the sprawling southern constituency.

The Tánaiste has been returned at every election in Cork South Central since 1989.

His surplus of more than 4,000 votes will now be counted and distributed – with Martin’s running mate, councilor Seamus McGrath, older brother of Ireland’s new EU commissioner Michael McGrath, also set to take the Fianna Fáil seat, just 2,700 votes short. the quota.

The remaining seats are tipped to be filled by Sinn Féin’s outgoing TD Donnchadh O’Laoghaire (6,947) and either Fine Gael senator Jerry Buttimer (4,407) or councilor Shane O’Callaghan (3,664).

The Social Democrats’ surprisingly strong challenger councilor Padraig Rice (5,368) has a lead over rivals including Labor councilor Laura Harmon (3,005) and independent Mick Finn (3,582) in the battle for the last seat.

Ralph Riegel