The predictability often attached to the Galway East constituency was in danger of being thrown to the four winds – before a late count restored the outgoing order.

For some considerable time at the count centre in Headford, Fianna Fail’s Anne Rabbitte was facing the possibility of losing her seat before party colleague Donagh Killilea rowed in with the massive transfer that ultimately saved her.

It was a day of high drama in the Galway East constituency as the main talking point was the performance of Louis O’Hara of Sinn Fein who polled more than 7,100 first preferences – which, in reality, should have been enough to guarantee him a seat.

The 21 year old son of Athenry-based solicitor Joe O’Hara even exceeded his own expectations in terms of his first preference vote – and, for a long time, was in contention for an unlikely seat.

But the elimination of Donagh Killilea was his undoing as Rabbitte secured her return to the Dáil.

Indeed, there was no appearance from the Portumna politician all day before she ultimately surfaced in the count centre at around 9pm when it was obvious that her Galway East seat was safe.

O’Hara’s strong showing was always going to be the only shock on the cards as Sean Canney topped the poll, as expected, to retain his independent seat in the constituency.

There was an internal battle between Fine Gael’s outgoing Ciaran Cannon and Cllr Pete Roche for the second seat – but the gap between them widened as the counts progressed.

It was a good debut performance for Roche but, equally, it consolidated Cannon’s position as an established Fine Gael representative in the constituency.

Anne Rabbitte’s position was more precarious – and even those close to her were conceding that her seat was in danger.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Fianna Fáil’s Anne Rabbitte is back in contention to retain her seat following an unprecedented transfer of more than 2,500 votes from party colleague Donagh Killilea.

Her hopes of retaining that seat looked dead and buried when she was languishing 2,320 votes behind Sinn Fáin’s Louis O’Hara and it seemed an impossible task to make up the ground – even with a party running mate being eliminated.

But she has made significant ground on O’Hara and now just lies 123 votes behind as Fine Gael’s Pete Roche has now been eliminated.

It is widely speculated at the count centre in Headford that Roche’s transfers will ultimately elect Rabbitte given the fact that her mother hails from Abbeyknockmoy, which is also Roche’s home country.

For some considerable time during this count, it looked as if the Athenry-based O’Hara was in line for a seat but it now seems that he will come up just short of the target.

Pete Roche’s transfers should elect sitting TDs Ciarán Cannon (PD) and Sean Canney (Ind) as well as leaving Rabbitte safe for the third seat. If she were to hold on, it would mean that all three sitting TDs will be returned in Galway East – as was widely predicted.

Photo: Pete Roche with family and supporters after his elimination.

Number of seats: 3
Electorate: 69,233
Total poll: 42,858
Spoiled votes: 338
Total valid poll: 42,520
Quota: 10,631

SIXTH COUNT
Distribution of Killilea’s votes
Sean Canney (Ind) +1,1119,896
Louis O’Hara (SF) +358 8,799
Anne Rabbitte (FF) +2,555 8,676
Ciaran Cannon (FG) +311 7,425
Pete Roche (FG) +581 6,973
Roche eliminated

FIFTH COUNT
Distribution of Madden’s votes
Sean Canney (Ind) +454 8,785
Louis O’Hara (SF) +792 8,441
Ciaran Cannon (FG) +578 7,114
Pete Roche (FG) +212 6,392
Anne Rabbitte (FF) +178 6,121
Donagh Killilea (FF) +105 5,171
Killilea eliminated.

FOURTH COUNT
Distribution of Reid and Spelman transfers
Sean Canney (Ind) +189 8,331
Louis O’Hara (SF) +355 7,649
Ciaran Cannon (FG) +210 6,536
Pete Roche (FG) +90 6,180
Anne Rabbitte (FF) +123 5,943
Donagh Killilea (FF) +62 5,066
Eoin Madden (GP) +670 2,647
Madden eliminated

THIRD COUNT
Distribution Ward’s votes
Sean Canney (Ind) +248 8,142
Louis O’Hara (SF) +117 7,294
Ciaran Cannon (FG) +19 6,326
Pete Roche (FG) +50 6,090
Anne Rabbitte (FF) +44 5,820
Donagh Killilea (FF) +58 5,004
Eoin Madden (GP) +35 1,977
Peter Reid (Soc Dem) +25 892
Marian Spelman (Lab) +27 890
Reid and Spelman eliminated

SECOND COUNT
Distribution of O’Reilly, MacCanna votes
Sean Canney (Ind) +79 7,894
Louis O’Hara (SF) +69 7,177
Ciaran Cannon (FG) +9 6,307
Pete Roche (FG) +6 6,040
Anne Rabbitte (FF) +14 5,776
Donagh Killilea (FF) +14 4,946
Eoin Madden (GP) +18 1,942
Peter Reid (Soc Dem) +19 867
Marian Spelman (Lab) +18 863
Martin Ward (Aon) +88 670
Ward eliminated.

FIRST COUNT
Sean Canney (Ind): 7,815
Louis O’Hara (SF) 7,108
Ciaran Cannon (FG) 6,298
Pete Roche (FG) 6,034
Anne Rabbitte (FF) 5,762
Donagh Killilea (FF) 4,932
Eoin Madden (GP) 1,924
Peter Reid (Soc Dem) 848
Marian Spelman (Lab) 845
Martin Ward (Aon) 582
David O’Reilly (Ind) 246
Deaglan MacCanna (Ren) 126
O’Reilly, MacCanna eliminated

The fifth count has been completed for the Galway East constituency –  It was the distribution of the Green’s Eoin Madden’s votes and Sinn Fein’s Louis O’Hara, as expected, was the main beneficiary and it would be something of a shock if he didn’t go on to capture a seat.

Predictions that he may not have been transfer-friendly have proven unfounded as he received a significant boost from the Green Party candidate to now put him more than 1,300 ahead of third-placed Ciarán Cannon who is now expected to take the third seat ahead of party colleague Cllr Pete Roche.

But the big shock is Fianna Fáil looking like relinquishing a seat in what has traditionally been an FF stronghold but outgoing TD Anne Rabbitte has too much ground to make up. She is trailing O’Hara by more than 2,300 votes and would need a huge transfer from Donagh Killilea in order to survive.

After the fifth count, Donagh Killilea was eliminated and his 5,171 are being distributed. Poll topper Sean Canney will benefit hugely from this given that they are both Belclare natives and could even reach the quota of 10,631.

The biggest cheer of the day was reserved for the arrival of Sean Canney and his wife Geraldine to the count centre at Presentation College, Headford.

Number of seats: 3
Electorate: 69,233
Total poll: 42,858
Spoiled votes: 338
Total valid poll: 42,520
Quota: 10,631

FIFTH COUNT
Distribution of Madden’s votes
Sean Canney (Ind) +454 8,785
Louis O’Hara (SF) +792 8,441
Ciaran Cannon (FG) +578 7,114
Pete Roche (FG) +212 6,392
Anne Rabbitte (FF) +178 6,121
Donagh Killilea (FF) +105 5,171
Killilea eliminated.

FOURTH COUNT
Distribution of Reid and Spelman transfers
Sean Canney (Ind) +189 8,331
Louis O’Hara (SF) +355 7,649
Ciaran Cannon (FG) +210 6,536
Pete Roche (FG) +90 6,180
Anne Rabbitte (FF) +123 5,943
Donagh Killilea (FF) +62 5,066
Eoin Madden (GP) +670 2,647
Madden eliminated

THIRD COUNT
Distribution Ward’s votes
Sean Canney (Ind) +248 8,142
Louis O’Hara (SF) +117 7,294
Ciaran Cannon (FG) +19 6,326
Pete Roche (FG) +50 6,090
Anne Rabbitte (FF) +44 5,820
Donagh Killilea (FF) +58 5,004
Eoin Madden (GP) +35 1,977
Peter Reid (Soc Dem) +25 892
Marian Spelman (Lab) +27 890
Reid and Spelman eliminated

SECOND COUNT
Distribution of O’Reilly, MacCanna votes
Sean Canney (Ind) +79 7,894
Louis O’Hara (SF) +69 7,177
Ciaran Cannon (FG) +9 6,307
Pete Roche (FG) +6 6,040
Anne Rabbitte (FF) +14 5,776
Donagh Killilea (FF) +14 4,946
Eoin Madden (GP) +18 1,942
Peter Reid (Soc Dem) +19 867
Marian Spelman (Lab) +18 863
Martin Ward (Aon) +88 670
Ward eliminated.

FIRST COUNT

Sean Canney (Ind): 7,815
Louis O’Hara (SF) 7,108
Ciaran Cannon (FG) 6,298
Pete Roche (FG) 6,034
Anne Rabbitte (FF) 5,762
Donagh Killilea (FF) 4,932
Eoin Madden (GP) 1,924
Peter Reid (Soc Dem) 848
Marian Spelman (Lab) 845
Martin Ward (Aon) 582
David O’Reilly (Ind) 246
Deaglan MacCanna (Ren) 126
O’Reilly, MacCanna eliminated