GALWAY EAST – KEAVENEY IN DRIVING SEAT

Date Published: 27-Feb-2011

BY DECLAN TIERNEY

The omens are looking good for Colm Keaveney to take the first Labour seat in the Galway East constituency.

At the moment the eighth count is taking place which is the distribution of Independent Timmy Broderick’s votes.

There are indications that Keaveney is benefiting more than Fine Gael’s Tom McHugh who is already 265 votes behind his Tuam rival.

Tallymen have confirmed that Keaveney is getting a sizable chunk of Broderick’s transfers – maybe even two to one compared to Tom McHugh who has admitted that he faces an uphill battle in order to win the fourth seat.

The elimination of Timmy Broderick is likely to elect Micheal Kitt of Fianna Fail, Paul Connaughton jnr and Ciaran Cannon of Fine Gael and it will then depend on the size of the surpluses if there are to be any more counts in Galway East.

It was an intriguing contest with many twists and turns but the most amazing being the survival of Keaveney when he came within 278 votes of being eliminated.

But Labour colleague Lorraine Higgins proved to be the surprise package and delivered an incredible 2,440 votes in his direction to elevate him up the field and put him in the driving seat.

Even Keaveney’s supporters were convinced that there was no seat and some had even left after the final tally figures were completed.

But he produced a Lazarus like revival that very few saw coming but all credit to Higgins for delivering solid number twos to her party colleague.

.