NUI GALWAY LECTURER ELIMINATED FROM SENATE ELECTION

Date Published: 28-Apr-2011

NUI Galway lecturer Donncha O’ Connell is the latest Galway candidate to be eliminated from the Seanad elections.

Former dean of the faculty of law, Donncha O’Connell was eliminated from the race at the 21st count with 2,354 votes.

There are just six candidates left in this race in which the quota is 8,400.

Green Galway Senator Niall O’ Brolchain has also been eliminated from the Seanad elections.

The city Senator, who ran unsuccessfully in the Galway West elections, was eliminated at the 16th count of the NUI Seanad elections with just 922 votes.

Ahascragh Senator Ronan Mullen is still topping the NUI Seanad poll count after the 22nd count with 8,095 votes and is certain to be elected to the Senate later today.

Meanwhile, the eleventh count for the Industrial and commercial panel, for which there are three Galway candidates has just been announced at Leinster House.

County Councillors Pat Hynes from Loughrea and Tom McHugh from Tuam are competing for one of 9 seats alongside solicitor Lorraine Higgins from Athenry.

However, the prospect of any of the three getting a seat to the Seanad looks highly unlikely at this stage.

At the first count Lorraine Higgins got 36 first preference votes, Tom McHugh has 29 and Pat Hynes has 22, putting all three further down the list of 35 candidates.

Last night, Galway senator Fidelma Healy-Eames retained her seat on the Seanad.