Independent Ireland’s Noel Thomas tops poll in Galway West

Independent Ireland councillor Noel Thomas topped the poll in the Galway West by-election but the overall result remained unclear ahead of what is expected to be a lengthy count.

The former Fianna Fail representative, who left the party in 2024 after stating that Ireland should stop accepting asylum seekers because “the inn is full”, got 10,007 first preference votes.

He was followed by Fine Gael senator Sean Kyne on 9,647 votes and Labour councillor Helen Ogbu on 5,462.

Fianna Fail councillor Cillian Keane was on 4,192 votes, Galway mayor Mike Cubbard on 3,396, the Social Democrats’ Mide Nic Fhionnlaoich on 3,354, Sinn Fein’s Mark Lohan on 3,208, and independent councillor Thomas Welby on 3,138.

The total valid poll is 47,893 after 283 spoiled votes were excluded and the quota to be deemed elected is 23,947.

The counting of votes at the count centre at Galway Lawn Tennis Club finished at around 9.30pm on Saturday after the fourth count.

Taoiseach and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin paid tribute to Mr Keane and said he was a councillor for just two years and came fourth.

He said that by-elections “don’t necessarily correlate to general election outcomes” but said they can be platforms for candidates.

“We would prefer higher results and higher percentage outcome and we will examine that and certainly the fuel issue has been an issue that has impacted and the cost of living is a very big issue out there,” he said.

He said difficulties with transport and delivering key infrastructure had been an issue for people on doorsteps and that Mr Kyne and Mr Thomas, formerly of Fianna Fail, had raised their profiles in the 2024 general election.

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said the party was “disappointed” with the result and that it was “not our day” in Galway West.

Speaking at the count centre, she said Mr Lohan had fought a “strong” and “honourable” campaign, and that she wanted to assure people they met while canvassing that they would “fight their corner”.

She said: “We fought a strong campaign, Mark is an outstanding person, articulate, accomplished, he’s been an activists and an advocate all his life, and he’ll continue to be just that.

“Politics as in sport – sometimes it’s just not your day.”

Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns said they “had a great showing” for Ms Nic Fhionnlaoich, who is a first-time candidate, adding that “we’re really happy with how the results are looking there too”.

Sheila Garrity got 1,421 votes, the Green Party’s Niall Murphy got 1,199 votes, Aontu’s Orla Nugent got 1,167 votes, and AJ Cahill of The Irish People got 890 votes.

People Before Profit’s Denman Rooke (540 votes), and independents Neill Bairead (112 votes), John O’Leary (13 votes), Patrick Feeney (39 votes), and Michael Ryan (108 votes) were eliminated and their votes were to be distributed.

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