The 14 MEPs heading to Brussels

Barry Andrews (FF)

An incumbent MEP going into these elections, he was first elected to the European Parliament in 2019. However, Mr Andrews did not take his seat immediately.

Then, Dublin was just a three-seat constituency, but as a result of Brexit, Dublin gained a fourth and Mr Andrews took his seat in 2020. This time, though, he topped the polls and was elected on count 19.

Within Europe, he is a member of the Renew Europe Group.

Regina Doherty (FG)

Before her election to the European Parliament, Regina Doherty was a senator and former Meath TD.

Her bid for Europe was considered a surprise move, but she became the party’s candidate after a selection convention in Drumcondra, beating junior minister Josepha Madigan and senator Barry Ward.

In the final days of the campaign, a war of words between coalition parties broke out after Ms Doherty accused the Green Party of being arrogant, “talking down” to voters and having an “autocratic” style.

She received the second-highest first-preference votes in the Dublin constituency after Mr Andrews.

Like the Fianna Fáil candidate, Ms Doherty surpassed the quota on count 19 and was elected.

Lynn Boylan (SF)

Ms Boylan was the first of two Sinn Féin candidates elected to the European Parliament this week.

While not an incumbent, she has been an MEP before, but lost her seat in the 2019 election. Since then, she has been a senator and the party’s spokesperson on climate justice.

Ms Boylan was one of two Sinn Féin candidates who ran in the election in Dublin, and she benefited from transfers from running mate Daithí Doolan. Throughout the count, she was in strong contention for one of the four seats, though her election was not a sure thing.

She took the third seat in the constituency and, like the other new MEPs, was elected on the 19th count.

Aodhán Ó Riordáin (Lab)

Mr Ó Riordáin was the final candidate to be elected to the European Parliament in Dublin and, like the others, got in on count 19.

The Labour TD has been a member of the Dáil since 2011, but was a senator from 2016 to 2020.

He will be a member of the Prog­ressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats group in the parliament, and has called for a housing commissioner to be set up in Europe.

As the counts went on in the RDS, Mr Ó Riordáin was trailing Independent Ireland candidate Niall Boylan by 2,500 votes in count 18.

The elimination of the Green Party’s Ciarán Cuffe and People Before Profit’s Bríd Smith proved crucial for Mr Ó Riordáin, securing him enough transfers to be elected.

Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan (Ind)

The incumbent MEP topped the polls during the first count in the Midlands-North West constituency and secured his seat in the European Parliament after count 19.

It was quite the achievement for the politician because he will now serve as an MEP for his third consecutive term.

When he first ran in 2014, Mr Flanagan said it would be on an anti-EU platform, but has since changed his stance.

While his prospects looked strong throughout the count in Castlebar, it was the transfers from Aontú’s Peadar Tóibín that enabled him to exceed the quota.

He was first elected to the Dáil in 2011, having previously served on Roscommon County Council.

Barry Cowen (FF)

The Laois Offaly TD was elected to the European Parliament on count 20 and was the second candidate to secure a seat in Midlands-North West.

The Fianna Fáil MEP was a TD between 2011 and 2016 and was re-elected to the Dáil in 2020. Mr Cowen is also one of four candidates whose election will trigger a by-election for their seat in the Dáil.

During his election campaign, the newly-elected MEP controversially picked himself as the “lead candidate” of his party, which ran three candidates in Midlands-North West.

When taking his seat, Mr Cowen will be a member of the Renew Europe group.

Nina Carberry (FG)

Ms Carberry was one of the so-called celebrity candidates on the ballot papers for the European elections.

The former champion amateur jockey secured her place in the European Parliament without reaching the quota on count 21.

Ms Carberry is also known for having won RTÉ’s Dancing With The Stars. Although she had no previous political experience, the Fine Gael MEP received 10.9pc of the first preference votes.

With her fellow Fine Gael MEP colleagues, she will join the European People’s Party group which is a centre-right group and the largest in the parliament.

Maria Walsh (FG)

The Boston-born incumbent won the Rose of Tralee in 2014, representing Philadelphia after living there for three years. Her family moved to Shrule, Co Mayo, in 1994.

She entered politics five years after her Rose win, announcing her candid­acy for the European Parliament under the Fine Gael banner.

Ms Walsh became the youngest MEP in the European Parliament in 2019, earning just over 10pc of first preferences in Midlands-North West.

She was elected yesterday without reaching the quota alongside Ms Carberry, for Fine Gael, which clinched two of the five seats on offer.

Ciaran Mullooly (II)

Mr Mullooly retired as RTÉ’s midlands correspondent in 2021 after 25 years with the national broadcaster.

He began his journalism career with the Longford Leader, and after his retirement worked in tourism with Longford County Council. He has volunteered in the local area for more than three decades, including with Tidy Towns.

Mr Mullooly announced his candidacy for Independent Ireland earlier this year and earned 57,297 first-preference votes.

Séan Kelly (FG)

Incumbent Séan Kelly topped the poll in Ireland South, and has served as an MEP since 2009.

He entered politics following a lengthy career as a teacher and as an influential figure in the GAA, where he served as chairman of the East Kerry and County Kerry boards, and became the 34th president of the GAA in 2003.

He earned 92,579 first preferences in his first European election and has topped the poll on numerous occasions. Mr Kelly is a member of the EPP group and leader of Fine Gael in the European Parliament.

Billy Kelleher (FF)

Former junior minister Mr Kelleher first ran for election to the Dáil in 1992, losing out by just 25 votes in Cork North Central, and instead taking a seat in the Seanad.

He was first elected to the Dáil in 1997 and retained his seat during each consecutive general election, also serving as a junior minister in the Department of Enterprise during his time in office.

Mr Kelleher was elected to the European Parliament for Ireland South in 2019 and was returned to Brussels last weekend alongside running mate Cynthia Ní Mhurchú.

Michael McNamara (Ind)

The election of TD Michael McNamara to the European Parliament will prompt a by-election in Clare, where he first took a seat in the Dáil in 2011 as a Labour candidate.

Mr McNamara, who is a barrister, lost the Labour whip when he voted against the government three times in 2015. He later lost his seat in the 2016 general election, but regained it as an independent in 2020.

He previously ran for Europe in Midlands-North West as an Independent in 2009, polling at just under 3pc of the vote share.

He was elected this week on count 20 with 8.2pc of first-preference votes.

Cynthia Ní Mhurchú (FF)

A barrister who is remembered for introducing Riverdance during the Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin in 1994, Ms Ní Mhurchú is a former radio host with RTÉ.

She also presented the Irish-language broadcast Cursaí and the Lotto draw on RTÉ during the 1990s.

Ms Ní Mhurchú was a barrister for 27 years and specialised in family law. She was a first-time candidate for Europe and received 55,209 first-preference votes.

Kathleen Funchion (SF)

The election of Kathleen Funchion to the European Parliament will also trigger a by-election in Carlow-Kilkenny, where she has served as a TD since 2016.

She was previously elected to Kilkenny Borough Council in 2009, the first Sinn Féin representative in Kilkenny since 1923.

Ms Funchion ran for the Dáil three times before her election in 2016.

She worked with the Siptu union as a workers’ rights advocate.

Ms Funchion attracted 50,580 first-preference votes in Ireland South and was elected on count 20 alongside Mr McNamara and Ms Ní Mhurchú.