Galway East: Canney and Rabbitte elected

Both Independent Sean Canney and Anne Rabbitte of Fianna Fail have been elected in the sixth count amid jubilant scenes at the Galway East count in New Inn

Canney and Rabbitte were carried shoulder high by their supporters.

Poll-topper: Sean Canney elected in the sixth count (Photo: Gerry Stronge)

It was the elimination of Colm Keaveney and the distribution of his votes with FF party colleague Rabbitte getting a whopping 3463 to put her well over the quota.

But technically Canney was the first to be elected and he ended up with the higher final vote but Rabbitte will not about this as she is elected to the Dail on her first attempt.

We are now distributing Canney’s surplus giving Paul Connaughton only the slimmest of chances of making up the difference between himself and FG party colleague Ciaran Cannon who is set to take the third and final seat.

It has been a tremendous effort on the part of the counting staff and Returning Officer Derry Buckley for the speed and efficiency at which they completed the respective counts.

It has ensured that Galway East will be completed over the  next couple of hours meaning that we will not have to return to the count centre tomorrow morning.

SIXTH COUNT

Distribution of Colm Keaveney votes

Canney Sean IND +1738 12707

Cannon Ciaran FG +401 9920

Rabbitte Anne FF +3464 12255

Connaughton Paul FG +495 8361

Canney surplus to be distributed