Strong showing again from Independents while several new faces set to win seats
With all boxes tallied, the Independent vote, as in 2019, is holding up very strongly in Roscommon, and outperforming the main parties with a 35% share of the vote.
Fianna Fail has garnered 25% of the vote, Fine Gael are on 18% with Sinn Fein on 13%.
An official first count is not expected for several hours.
In the six seat Roscommon electoral area, it looks very probable that Fianna Fail will hold on to their three seats.
With more than 1200 first preference votes, Larry Brennan is set to join his colleagues on the council, outgoing Fianna Fail councillors Paschal Fitzmaurice, who is set to top the poll again with almost 1900 votes or 18% of the vote, and Marty McDermott currently coming in second on more than 1600 votes ((15%).
Earlier tallies had suggested outgoing Independent councillor Tony Waldron was in a spot of bother but has gained significant momentum over the last number of hours to put himself firmly back in contention.
He has polled an impressive 1400 votes, with 13% of the vote, and is in third place.
Outgoing Independent Ireland councillor Nigel Dineen, in fourth on 13%, has garnered more than 1300 votes and looks safe.
Fine Gael newcomer Gareth Scahill, on 1173 votes, will be hoping to fend off his Fine Gael colleague Robert McConn, on 745 votes, and Sinn Fein’s Christine McDonagh on 654, for the final seat.
It’s an Independent tour-de-force in the six seat Athlone Local Electoral Area with the three outgoing councillors Emer Kelly, Tony Ward and Laurence Fallon looking safe, along with Fine Gael councillor John Naughten.
It’s a particularly impressive performance from 24-year-old Ms Kelly, who was co-opted onto the council in 2021, replacing Ivan Connaughton.
With 1,948 votes (20%), she looks set to top the poll ahead of long serving councillor, Tony Ward on 1,787 votes.
On 18%, Cllr John Naughten has also polled well again with 1,737 first prerfence votes.
Cllr Laurence Fallon’s work on the Lough Funshinagh crisis has served him well, and has significantly increased his first preference vote to 1,203 (12%).
Outgoing Cllr John Keogh, on 933 votes, will be hoping that sufficient transfers will help him secure the fifth seat.
A battle for the sixth and final seat looks primed between three candidates. Fianna Fail candidate James Murray on 550 votes, 18-year-old Sinn Fein candidate Sam Brooks on 512, and Fine Gael’s Dominic Connolly on 481.
It will be interesting to see how much Mr Connolly, a former councillor, will benefit from the surplus of his colleague Johh Naughten.
It is looking very likely that we will see three Independents elected here: sitting councillors Valerie Byrne, who is set to top the poll with more than 1500 votes or 14% of the vote, Tom Crosby on 1057 (9%), along with newcomer Micheal Frain on 1,357 votes (12%).
It may have been a difficult day for Sinn Fein nationally but one positive story in Roscommon has been the performance of Leah Cull, their Arigna based first-time candidate.
With 12% of the vote, she has polled an impressive 1,410 first preference votes and, in second place, looks very likely to take a seat
Another newcomer, Fianna Fail newcomer Sean Moylan has also put in a very credible display with 1,274 votes (11%), and is set to become another new face on the county council.
The battle for the final and sixth seat appears to be between new Fine Gael candidate Dympna Daly Finn on 8%, her colleague and outgoing councillor Liam Callaghan on 6%, and Paul Forde, the Independent Ireland candidate on 7%.
About 150 votes separate the three candidates.
