Local elections 2024 – Wicklow: Neary and Duddy elected to complete Bray East count

The count for the Bray East LEA has been completed with new candidates Ian Neary (Independent Ireland) and Malachai Duddy (Independent) elected alongside Erika Doyle and Aoife-Flynn Kennedy.

Neary and Duddy were elected after the seventh count, at the expense of Sinn Féin’s Denise Cahill.

Hailing from Little Bray, father-of-three Neary proclaimed his election as a landmark moment for his family, who have deep roots in Bray, and said he was proud to be elected to represent both his local community and the broader Bray district.

“It will be huge from the community, as the only representative here before was Tracey O’Brien, who was here with Labour,” he said.

“Now I’m here with Independent Ireland, and I think an awful lot of my votes came from the top end of Bray, and more so my end of Bray.

“I am just going to give my best for the people of Bray, and not just people in Little Bray and Fassaroe.

“I know it means an awful lot to people, but this is a special moment for me and my family, because the Nearys have always been in Bray, and I’m a proud Bray man.

“I just want to do my best for Bray. “

Asked how he dealt with the stresses of an election campaign while working a full-time job and raising three children, Neary said: “We covered an awful lot of ground and I had a great team behind me – the likes Linda, Denise and others – and it was a hard graft.

“The feedback I was getting from most areas made it all worth it, and people were happy to see a fresh face, and they really appreciated the fact that I was knocking on doors.

“Even the elderly people that I spoke to whose votes were set in stone said they would be giving me their number two or three vote. I think that is the power of people putting a face to the name.

“We were coming home from work, getting something to eat quickly, shower and out canvassing, then getting home late in the evening.

“Juggling that, the kids and the job was tough. I was so glad that they wouldn’t let us canvas on Thursday because, to be honest, I needed a bit of a break!”

Elected in the same count, Malachai Duddy counts crime, anti-social activity, housing and the dilapidation of Bray Main Street are high on the list of priorities for barrister and human rights lawyer Malachaí Duddy.

From a well-known local family that first came to Bray almost 110 years ago, Mr Duddy served as a voluntary director of Bray Credit Union for over 13 years, and has also served on the Executive of Bray & District Chamber of Commerce, chaired the Bray 1916 Commemoration Committee and fundraised widely for charities, including Outreach Moldova.

17.25

Green party candidate Erika Doyle has expressed her relief and gratitude after she was elected to Wicklow County Council in the sixth count of the Bray East LEA.

The first Green Party candidate to be elected in these Wicklow local elections, Doyle was co-opted to replace Deputy Steven Mathews in 2020 as a representative for Bray East, and was voted in as Cathaoirleach of Bray Municipal District in the summer of 2022.

With her priorities for the area including the liveability of the Bray district and projects like the long-awaited skate park and a greenway from Kilmacanogue to Bray, Doyle said she is excited to continue playing her part in creating a better Bray.

“I am feeling relieved, exhilarated and, above all else, grateful,” she said.

“Almost 1,000 people gave me their first preference, and it is amazing as a co-optee to have a proper mandate.

“Of course, you have a mandate as a co-optee, but to know that people have chosen to keep me there is incredible. So, I’m really, really grateful that they have made that decision.

Asked if she felt her election was a reflection on the importance placed by voters in Green Party policies, Doyle said: “I certainly think so.

“I always say to people that it is green with a big ‘G’ and green with a little ‘g’. So, green with a big g is the policy stuff, but it’s how those policies filter through to local work.

“I think it is a little bit about my approach as well. I’d like to think my election is to do with how I deal with and listen to people, and how I work locally.

“You can have all the party credentials you want, but if you don’t connect to the people you represent, you are not going to get very far.”

Her success means 12 seats have now been filled of the 32 on Wicklow County Council.

Unfortunately two sitting councillors have now lost their seats as Anne Ferris (Labour, Bray East) and Mary Kavanagh (Independent, Wicklow) were eliminated in the latest counts for their areas.

16:35 After being elected for the fifth successive term on the fifth count in the Greystones LEA, Independent Councillor Tom Fortune has said that his love for helping people keeps him coming back for more

Bringing the number of Independent candidates elected to WCC to six (Gerry O’Neill, Peir Leonard, Joe Behan, Stephen Stokes and John Snell), Fortune’s election represents another major milestone on a career stretching back to when he was first elected in 2004.

The second candidate voted into Greystones LEA after Cllr Stephen Stokes election late last night, the non-party candidate was elected with a total of 1,421 first preference votes.

“That’s five in a row now and I’m delighted,” the Kilcoole man said.

“In particular I have to thank the people of Kilcoole. They came out in droves and it’s very appreciated. Now I will be working again to make improvements to benefit the whole district.

“I had a fantastic team behind me who put in a lot of work. My family were a wonderful help in so many different areas, from canvassing to IT work, and I enjoyed the whole campaign immensely.

” At the start, my family were saying, ‘do you really need this?’ but the fact is I do. The simple fact is I love helping people and it gives me great satisfaction, and at this stage in my life it’s something that is very important to me.”

A total of 11 of the 32 Wicklow County Council seats have been filled.

15.55

Aoife Flynn Kennedy has heaped praise on her Fine Gael colleagues and Taoiseach Simon Harris after being re-elected to Bray East LEA on the fifth count.

Councillor Flynn Kennedy now joins Edward Timmins (Baltinglass) and Melanie Corrigan (Bray West) on Wicklow County Council, with four more party candidates on course to win seats.

Elected to Wicklow County Council in 2019, Flynn Kennedy served as Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council for the year 2023-24.

Declaring her pride at having topped the poll, the mother-of-three said: “It was amazing to top the poll, and I can’t really believe it.

“I didn’t top the poll in 2019, and I worked really hard these past years, so it makes me very proud that people have recognised that work.

“It’s going really well for the party. We’ve very much out together a strong ‘Team Fine Gael’ this time around, with everyone working in partnership with each other and supporting each other.”

Asked about the support her party colleagues have received from Taoiseach Simon Harris, Ms Flynn Kennedy replied: “He has been phenomenal.

“Obviously, having him as Taoiseach is wonderful, but even before that, Simon has always been there for us as a team and party, making sure what we needed and that support.

“Then in terms of the wider membership, he has been looking after our wellbeing and it has just been brilliant having him back us all the way.”

Three seats still need to be filled in Bray East with Green Party candidate Erika Doyle likely to be re-elected on the next count.

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin just suffered their third elimination as Abbie O’Loughlin was excluded from Wicklow LEA. They do have eight candidates still in the running, but some of these are in big danger, including incumbent Mick Ryan in Bray West.

13.43

There were jubilant scenes at the Wicklow count centre when hugely popular local activist Danny Alvey from Newtownmountkennedy became the first new candidate to win a Wicklow County Council seat.

The Social Democrats candidate was so close to getting though in the Wicklow LEA on last night’s first count, and the redistribution of re-elected Independent John Snell’s surplus was just enough to push him over the line in count two.

Alvey is best-known for his tireless work planting trees and restoring the Dublin and Wicklow Mountains via ReWild Wicklow.

He’s the first Social Democrats win so far in Wicklow, but there are high hopes for sitting councillor Mark Barry in Greystones LEA and Deirdre McCormack in Baltinglass LEA. She has a similarly popular local profile to Alvey, always pushing local causes, her present key issue being bringing west Wicklow a swimming pool.

Speaking after his election, father of two Alvey (34) said that he made an instant connection with voters who could relate to a young family-man trying to make his mark on the community.

“It’s fantastic, I’m delighted and the support I have had from people across the district has been outstanding.

“It’s been a tough campaign, and it is a massive district to get around and meet everyone, especially as a first time candidate

“I spoke to a lot of people who are similar to me, from the same generation, and I think the fact that I’m young and

“I was speaking to people in new houses across Wicklow who are crying out for more housing and public transport, facilities and playgrounds.

“I have two small children myself, so I can relate to a lot of these issues and the hardships they are going through, so I suppose that struck a chord.

“We’ve done projects all across the county, but particularly in the district, and I’m vice chair of the Newtownmountkennedy Tidy Towns, so I have a connection with Wicklow and Newtown, and that became very apparent as the tallies came in.

“I couldn’t believe how close we came in the first count by seven votes, but it worked out lovely because a lot of my family and friends wouldn’t have been there last night, and they are all here with me today – so it all worked out in the end.

“Jennifer Whitmore has been a fantastic support for all the candidates. We have three more in with a shout, so I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for them all!”

Praising Danny for his work ethic and desire to help others across the district and beyond, TD Jennifer Whitmore said: “This is absolutely fantastic for Danny and great to see him get such a strong result.

“He is going to be absolutely brilliant for the council, and he will work so hard, and I think people recognize that.

“A lot of people connected with him because they are in similar situations – a young family-man struggling to get a house. So, he shares a lot of the same issues with people across the county.

“He’s going to be a very strong voice.”

There are now nine of the 32 Wicklow County Council seats filled.

In the second count of Bray West the redistribution of Joe Behan’s 1,035 surplus votes boosted fellow independent Rob Carry, Dermot O’Brien (Sinn Fein) and Dr Caroline Winstanley (Social Democrats) by almost 200 votes, putting all around the 700 mark, but they are still way off the quota of 1424.

Melanie Corrigan (FG) took the second seat in this LEA last night and now her 318 surplus will be redistributed for the third count. There are two seats remaining.

In the second count of Greystones LEA, there were no elections, but Charlie Keddy was eliminated.

In the second count of Arklow LEA, there were no elections or eliminations and now the 515-vote surplus of elected Peir Leonard (Ind) will be redistributed for the third count.

12.30

Long-standing Fine Gael councillor Edward Timmins heaped praised on Taoiseach Simon Harris, after becoming the second party candidate to be re-elected to Wicklow County Council.

Timmins, first elected in 2004, won his seat on the second count of Baltinglass LEA, with Independent Dominic Plant eliminated.

Timmins got over the line, thanks to redistribution of Independent Gerry O’Neill’s surplus of 419 from count one.

With 1641 votes, the long-standing councillor was well over the quote of 1594 and spoke of the buoyancy within his party as it continues to excel at these local elections.

“We are really happy with the outcome today, and I think Simon Harris has been a great boost to that and certainly helped with the party’s successes,” Cllr Timmins said.

“I think it is a particularly great achievement for the west, where it looks like we’ll hold our three seats, and that is something we’re very proud of.

“Melanie (Corrigan) did superbly well to get elected in the first count (Bray West), and overall, we are very happy – things seem to be going well for the whole party. We’re on the up!

“You end up focusing very much on your own campaign when it comes down to count day, and it can be very tight for the last couple of seats in the west, so I’ll just be looking closely at that now to see how it pans out.”

Timmins’s colleagues Avril Cronin and Peter Stapleton remain on track to land two of the four remaining Baltinglass seats, with Fianna Fail’s John Mullen the next most likely to be elected.

The most transferred votes from O’Neill’s surplus went to fellow independent Jason Mulhall, chair of the Blessington Tidy Towns. He still only has 722 votes though.

Eight of Wicklow County Council’s 32 seats have now been filled, with five Independents winning seats.

Bray East is the only area with no elected candidate currently, but after the elimination of Social Democrats’s Aaron McAllorum after the second count, sitting councillor Erika Doyle (Green Party) has had a huge bump of 134 in the third count.

She, Aoife Flynn Kennedy (FG), and Ian Neary (Independent Ireland) look likely to claim three of the four seats, with Denise Cahill (Sinn Fein) tracking for the fourth. But it’s tight.

Aontú’s Ciaran Hogan is the fifth candidate eliminated from this LEA.

11.35

Promising Social Democrats first-timer Aaron McAllorum this morning became the fourth to be eliminated from the Bray East LEA, after three went last night, but Social Democrats TD for Wicklow Jennifer Whitmore remains positive about what could be a big day for the party in Greystones.

Despite McAllorum’s disappointment, party colleague Danny Alvey in the Wicklow LEA, another first-time candidate looks a dead cert to get through in that second count later today, and that had Deputy Whitmore excited.

Deputy Whitmore said: “It was always going to be tough for Aaron, with it being a four seater and the four incumbents running. He still did very well considering it was his first time out.

“Danny was seven shy at three o’clock this morning, so that is a clear indication that he is well known in the area, and the work he has put in has been received very well.

“We also have three other seats in contention, and it is going to be a fight that comes down to the wire. The Independent vote has certainly changed the landscape, but we’re still hopeful

The redistribution of votes in Bray East from People Before Profit, Independent and Irish People Party candidates last night gave the biggest boost to Independent Ireland’s Ian Neary.

He is up another 83 votes to 981, with the quota set at 1299. Incumbent Aoife Flynn Kennedy (FG) remains closest to that number on 1125, but she only received an extra 11 votes from that second count.

02.45

Following the first count of the Baltinglass, Wicklow and Arklow LEAs at the Wicklow Local Election count centre, Gerry O’Neill, Peir Leonard, Pat Kennedy, John Snell and Stephen Stokes have been re-elected.

Of the total electorate of 20,661 in Baltinglass, the valid poll stood at 11,154, with Independent O’Neill surpassing the quota of 1,594 with 2,013 first preference votes.

First elected to Wicklow County Council as a Sinn Féin representative in 2014 before running successfully as an Independent in 2019, O’Neill is a founding member of the Blessington and District Forum, Chairman of the Crooksling Hospital Action Group and a coach of Blessington Boxing Club.

He was also elected on the first count five years ago and loud cheers and rapturous applause broke out in the count centre at the Shoreline Greystones just after 1am Sunday morning when the first count results were announced.

“I’m delighted for the people of west Wicklow and am honoured that they have placed their trust in me for another five years,” O’Neill said

“I always try to represent the people and I am thrilled that I will continue to represent their needs. It was a long and tough campaign and now I just want to get on with working for and on behalf the people.

“I have enjoyed my years as a councillor and always do my best, and will continue to do so for the people of west Wicklow.”

Of the total electorate of 19,259 in Arklow, the valid poll stood at 10,268, with Councillors Kennedy and Leonard surpassing the quota of 1,467, receiving 2,791 and 2,025 preference votes respectively.

Elected to Wicklow County Council in 2014 and 2019, Fianna Fáil Councillor Pat Kennedy has replicated his 2019 result by topping the Arklow polls once again with 2,759 first preference votes.

“Firstly I have to thank the team behind me for all their efforts,” Kennedy said.

“It was a long campaign and they put in a huge amount of work. More importantly I have to thank everyone who voted for me and placed their trust in me for another five years.

“The one commitment I gave on the doorsteps was that I will put the work in, as I have done ever since I was first elected.

“Now I’m keen to get to work on the issues people were raising as I knocked on doors, such as the state of rural roads, the cost of living and the rise in fuel prices.”

Councillor Peir Leonard will fly the flag for the Independents in the Arklow MD Chamber after receiving votes , replicating her success of 2019, which saw her run a campaign on a shoestring budget, just weeks before the election.

“I am incredibly grateful for the trust the people of Arklow have placed in me – this is a testament to our community’s shared vision for a brighter, more sustainable future,” Cllr Leonard said.

“As an independent councillor, I am committed to working tirelessly for the best interests of all residents, ensuring that Arklow and its surrounding areas continue to grow, thrive, and remain a wonderful place to live.”

Of the total electorate of 21,035 in the Greystones LEA, the valid poll stood at 11,380, with Councillor Stephen Stokes surpassing the quota of 1,626 with 2,059.

In the Wicklow LEA, the total electorate was 23,378, with a valid poll of 12,300. John Snell surpassed the quota (1,758) by some distance, receiving 2,118 first preference votes.

“It’s a great endorsement from the people of east Wicklow and it gives you more energy to keep going,” Snell said.

“It covers a huge geographical area with lots of towns and villages, and I am honoured that they all rowed-in behind me. Now the real work starts again on Monday morning. Times are hard and we need to make Wicklow Municipal District as best it can be so everyone benefits. A lot of the issues you see online weren’t brought up at the doorsteps while out canvassing.

“I only had a small team behind me and used only 74 recycled posters from my last election campaign, so to have done so well as an Independent candidate is incredibly humbling. I have to thank my family and friends. It a team effort, and it’s not just my success, it’s my teams as well, but It’s only a success if you make real change for people and that’s what I will be working to achieve.”

Wicklow County Council: Baltinglass LEA first count

ELECTED: Gerry O’Neill (Ind)

First count for Baltinglass LEA:

Kieran Burke (FF) 655

Connor Byrne (SF) 288

Avril Cronin (FG) 1122

Patsy Glennon (FF) 719

Aidan Kinsella (SF) 620

Deirdre McCormack (Soc Dem) 781

Anthony McNulty (PBP) 255

Jason Mulhall (Ind) 722

John Mullen (FF) 901

Gerry O’Neill (Ind) 2013

Dominic Plant (Ind) 48

Peter Stapleton (FG) 1373

Edward Timmins (FG) 1586

Total electorate: 20661

Total poll: 11269

Invalid ballot papers: 115

Valid poll: 11154

Quota: 1594

Baltinglass (6 seats)

Wicklow County Council: Arklow LEA first count

ELECTED: Pat Kennedy (FF), Peir Leonard (Ind)

First count for Arklow LEA:

Tommy Annesley (FF) 519

Viktoria Bodley (Ind) 126

Sylvester Bourke (FG) 938

Sheila Busher (SF) 428

Lorraine Farrell (PBP) 229

Pat Fitzgerald (FF) 1016

Laurie Kearon (FG) 405

Pat Kennedy (FF) 2791

Peir Leonard (Ind) 2025

Miriam Murphy (Ind) 513

David O’Gorman (Independent Ireland) 498

Warren O’Toole (SF) 709

Total electorate: 19259

Total poll: 10409

Invalid ballot papers: 1041

Valid poll: 10268

Quota: 1467

Arklow (6 seats)

Wicklow County Council: Greystones LEA first count

ELECTED: Stephen Stokes

First count for Greystones LEA:

Mark Barry (Soc Dem) 1077

Anne Waithira Burke (Labour) 386

Jack Commons (FF) 1041

Louise Fenelon Gaskin (FG) 1284

Orla Finn (Ind) 1269

Brian Fogarty (SF) 236

Tom Fortune (Ind) 1421

Antony Goldsmith (Irish Freedom Party) 288

Charlie Keddy (Ind) 108

Esther Kelly (SF) 248

Aileen Lennon (FG) 583

Kellie McConnell (PBP) 326

Lourda Scott (Green Party) 1054

Stephen Stokes (Ind) 2059

Total electorate: 21035

Total poll: 11487

Invalid ballot papers: 107

Valid poll: 11380

Quota: 1626

Greystones (6 seats)

Wicklow County Council: Wicklow LEA first count

ELECTED: John Snell (Ind)

First count for Wicklow LEA:

Danny Alvey (Soc Dem) 1751

Sonia Casey-Shortt (FF) 958

Gail Dunne (FF) 1297

Mia Fahey McCarthy (Green Party) 291

Anthony Hill (SF) 550

Tim Kavanagh (Ind) 126

Mary Kavanagh (Ind) 641

Shane Langrell (FG) 1376

John Larkin (Ind) 761

Paul O’Brien (Labour) 1045

Abbie O’Loughlin (SF) 410

Graham Richmond (FG) 976

John Snell (Ind) 2118

Total electorate: 23378

Total poll: 12423

Invalid ballot papers: 123

Valid poll: 12300

Quota: 1758

Wicklow (6 seats)

01.23

After an extended wait for the first count to begin at the Wicklow Local Election count centre, Bray West incumbents Joe Behan and Melanie Corrigan will serve another term after their re-election.

Of the total electorate of 13,461 in Bray West, the valid poll stood at 7,119, with Behan and Corrigan surpassing a quota of 1,424 with plenty of vote to spare.

A long-serving public representative, Behan retained his seat, with the Independent councillor topping the poll with 2,449 first preference votes.

His 2,449 first preference votes easily surpassed the 1,424 quota, with a total of four seats up for grabs. He also topped the vote in 2019, elected at the first count then as well.

“I’m absolutely thrilled and I hope to repay the trust placed in me over the next five years,” a beaming Cllr Behan said:

“While I am very happy at the moment, I am also very conscious that many people are struggling in many different ways and I aim to ensure that their needs are met.

“Housing still remains a huge issue, and not only for those unfortunate enough to find themselves homeless or those who have been on the social housing waiting list for some time. You also have young couples who are renting or living with their parents because they can’t afford a house in the current market.

“The provision of services and facilities for people with special needs, especially for young children, are also extremely lacking and the Government has been unsuccessful in dealing with it.

“I came away from my campaign knowing that there is a huge amount of work to be carried out and that’s where my focus will be.”

Enniskerry native Melanie Corrigan (Fine Gael), who arrived at the count centre after attending a neighbour’s wedding earlier in the day, was elected with 1,742 first preference votes.

“I’m absolutely delighted that the people of Bray West have put their trust in me again for another five years,” Cllr Corrigan said.

“I’ve worked really hard over the past five years, and I’m very grateful for the opportunity they have given me.

“I hope to do the same for the next five years. Thank you again to those who have put their confidence in me.

Wicklow County Council: Bray West LEA first count

ELECTED: Joe Behan (Ind), Melanie Corrigan (FG)

First count for Bray West LEA:

Joe Behan (Ind) 2449

Rob Carry (Ind) 468

Melanie Corrigan (FG) 1742

Colm Flood (Ind) 61

Bryan Kenna (Labour) 251

Keith Manning (Ind) 356

Dermot O’Brien (SF) 567

Alex Pigot (Green Party) 381

Mick Ryan (SF) 331

Dr Caroline Winstanley (Soc Dem) 513

19.50 Saturday

With the count now underway at the Wicklow Local Election count centre, Peir Leonard and Joe Behan, two of the early favourites for election based on today’s tallies, have said that they remain cautiously optimistic.

After being elected to the Arklow District Chamber in 2019 on the back of a last minute campaign, Independent Leonard has polled strongly again, with tallies indicating that she has taken 19.7pc of the first preferences in the Arklow LEA.

“It’s still early days, too early to celebrate, but the tallies form earlier looked promising alright,” Leonard said.

“It’s been a long day, and it is going to go on even longer, so let’s see what the evening brings”

Also flying the flag for the Independents, Behan took a resounding 2,405 first preference votes (34.6pc), representing the highest percentage of preferences received by any Wicklow candidate.

“Ah, it’s still early days yet, but it was great to see the tallies earlier and I feel like I can enjoy the count a bit more after seeing them,” Behan said.

“Of course, you never know until that count comes in, but I’m optimistic, and I’ll be more relaxed about the rest of the day. Let’s see what happens.”

Meanwhile, Anthony McNulty of People Before Profit has said that he is heartened by his showing in the tally counts for the Baltinglass LEA.

With six seats up for grabs, Anthony achieved 249 votes (2.3pc) after all 41 boxes were opened. While he looks unlikely to be voted in, he has already vowed to contest the next local elections.

“It’s my first time standing and I am delighted with how I was showing in the tallies, especially as a left candidate for an area which hasn’t voted in someone left for some time,” McNulty said.

“I absolutely loved the campaign trial and meeting people on their door steps and it was a privilege to hear from them as they shared their very personal stories and matters.

“The whole campaign has shaped my appetite for more and I look forward to listening to the people over the next five years and helping people, whatever their needs may be. This election has sharpened my teeth and I will definitely be running again in five years time.”

18.30 Saturday

With all tallies counted at the Wicklow Local Election count centre, Danny Alvey of the Social Democrats is polling second in Wicklow Municipal District and looks set to be elected in the first count.

In his first time running Danny achieved 1,678 votes (14.2pc) in the tally after all 55 boxes were opened, second only to Cllr John Snell with 2,030 votes.

“I ran a positive campaign focused on communities and what they need and require, rather than issues only in certain areas, such as immigration.

“Public transport, schools and more sporting facilities are what the people want to hear about, rather than immigration, which I regard as more of a distraction than anything else.”

17.20 Saturday

With all ballot boxes now opened at the Wicklow Local election count centre, tallies show that the substantial lead taken by Fine Gael has now been clawed back by Fianna Fáil, while several Independents look set to secure their seat in count one.

The Arklow LEA appears to be playing out as predicted, with Pat Kennedy (Fianna Fáil) leading the way ahead of party colleague Pat Fitzgerald and Independent Peir Leonard.

Fine Gael candidates in the Baltinglass LEA will have their sights set on hitting the first count quota, with Edward Timmins, Peter Stapleton and Avril Cronin each receiving over or around 10pc of preferences. Long-serving Independent Gerry O’Neill is the outstanding candidate in the the LEA, garnering 18pc of preferences.

In Bray West, incumbents Joe Behan (Independent) and Melanie Corrigan (Fine Gael) have taken the lion’s share of the preferences in their respective electoral areas, while Aoife Flynn-Kennedy took 17pc of preferences in Bray East, which looks set to be the most hotly contested LEA in the county.

Equally, the Greystones LEA shows a broad distribution of preferences, with Stephen Stokes the only candidate that looks set to reach the quota later this afternoon.

In the Wicklow LEA another Independent, John Snell, looks set for re-election with over 17pc of preferences, while Danny Alvey (Social Democrats) and Fine Gael candidate Shane Langrell both received over 10pc of the preferences.

Although all candidates expected to to be elected in the first count are incumbents, there has been substantial support for several new candidates, including Alvey, Stapleton and Langrell, as well as Ian Neary (Independent Ireland) and Louise Fenelon Gaskin (Fine Gael)

Based on the tallies, a 50pc turnout is estimated. The tallying and sorting has now finished. Counting is due to begin.

There are 75 candidates seeking election to 32 seats on Wicklow County Council.

A first count, and hopefully the first news of election candidates, could be as late as midnight, with counters intending to keep going through the night.