Donegal live results: Pat the Cope Gallagher reclaims seat while 100% Redress candidate also well placed

Welcome to our live coverage of the count in Donegal. Here is where things stand.

• Sinn Féin’s Pádraig Mac Lochlainn and Pearse Doherty have both been elected along with Fianna Fáil’s Pat The Cope Gallagher
• Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue and 100% Redress candidate Charles Ward are well placed for the final two seats
• Detail results from the Donegal count.

Pat the Cope Gallagher has swept back into power in Donegal.

The 76-year-old Fianna Fáil stalwart has taken the third seat in the five seater.

The Burtonport man lost his seat back in 2020 but has worked tirelessly behind the scenes to plot a route back to Leinster House.

The Cope polled 13,660 votes to finally come home on the 15th count at the Aura Leisure Centre in Letterkenny just after 12.30am.

There are still two seats to fill but it looks most likely that they will be filled by the 100% Redress candidate Charles Ward and outgoing Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue.

It looks increasingly likely that sitting Independent TD Thomas Pringle will lose out on the last seat in Donegal.

There are just four candidates left fighting for four seats.

They include Fianna Fáil’s Pat the Cope Gallagher, 100% Redress Charles Ward, Fianna Fáil’s Charlie McConalogue and Pringle.

Although Pringle is 341 votes ahead of the outgoing Minister for Agriculture at present, the Fianna Fáil man looks likely to take a large amount of transfers from the eliminated Nikki Bradley of Fine Gael.

100% Redress candidate Charles Ward tipped for a seat

Counting is ongoing and we are now entering the 13th count with Pat the Cope Gallagher expected to take the next seat.

But Charles Ward is now in front of sitting Minister Charlie McConalogue. Aontú candidate Mary T Sweeney has just been eliminated giving Mr Ward a major lift of 1,318 votes and a total of 9,784.

The defective block campaigner now has the third highest votes with McConalogue (FF) sits at 8,771 votes. Pat the Cope Gallagher is moving closer to that third seat with 11,294 votes and nearer to the 12,771 quota.

Independent candidate Gerry McKeever was hoping for a closer shave in Donegal. The popular Letterkenny barber and political newcomer had been encouraged by his strong customer base to stand.

McKeever had managed to poll a total of 378 votes when he was eliminated after the seventh count. He admitted he was disappointed with his showing but hasn’t ruled out having another cut at a seat in Dáil Eireann.

This from yesterday, Sinn Féin’s Padraig Mac Lochlainn is elected on the second count.

Independent candidate Niall McConnell famously used his sheepdog Cap in his election campaign.

And it would appear that his love of animals may have rubbed off with voters in Donegal.

He polled just 580 votes in the 2020 election.

But this time around he has jumped to a total of 2,185 votes, with 1,565 of those being first preferences.

It wasn’t enough to challenge for a seat but it did take a bite out of other candidates’ totals.

The eliminations are coming thick and fast in Donegal as the count rattles on towards Pat the Cope Gallagher making a dramatic comeback to the Dáil.

The 76-year-old looks certain to follow the Sinn Féin duo of Pearse Doherty and Padraig Mac Lochlainn who were elected yesterday.

Cope was ousted for the last seat in 2020 by his party Fianna Fáil colleague Charlie McConalogue.

But this time the shoe is on the other foot as the outgoing Minister for Agriculture looking to have a battle on his hands to hold his seat.

A delighted Pat the Cope Gallagher said “I only got my P60 in 2020. I didn’t get my P45 and I’m delighted to be back in a position to be able to work for the people of Donegal.”