Galway West:Fianna Fáil Minister Eamon Ó Cuív repeated his poll-topping performance of five years ago in the Galway West constituency when he was elected on the first count last night.
Mr Ó Cuív received just over 17 per cent of first preferences, with a clear 460 votes over the quota, when he was deemed elected shortly before 8pm by returning officer Marian Chambers Higgins.
Reluctantly hauled up on to supporters' shoulders, Mr Ó Cuív was warmly congratulated by colleagues, his wife, Áine, friends and family at the count centre in NUI Galway.
Progressive Democrats candidate Donal Lyons was eliminated during the second count.
The main talking points were the disappointing performance of the Green Party and a discrepancy between tally figures and the total poll.
Green Mayor of Galway Niall Ó Brolcháin attributed his disappointing vote to a "national squeeze on smaller parties". Mr Ó Brolcháin had been tipped to take the last seat in the five-seater. However, tallies of first preference votes at the count centre early yesterday suggested that he had just over 5 per cent of first preferences - only marginally better than his 4.43 per cent in his first general election outing in 2002.
The tally trend suggested that there might be no change in Galway West for the first time ever - with Fianna Fáil holding two seats, and Fine Gael's Pádraic McCormack, Labour's Michael D Higgins and the Progressive Democrats' Noel Grealish all holding their own. The count continues today.
In Galway East, Michael Kitt topped the poll in the first count but was well short of a quota.
