Counting Underway Of Ballots Cast In Dublin Bay South By-Election.

Friday, 9 July 2021 09:07

It's the first election day count since the start of the pandemic

Counting is about to get underway in the Dublin Bay South by-election.

Boxes opened in the last few moments to decide who'll replace former Minister Eoghan Murphy in the Dáil.

Our Political Correspondent Seán Defoe is at the RDS:

"It's the first election day count since the start of the pandemic - a very different one too.

Social distancing in force, a reduced number of tally-ers and the whole of the RDS being used for just one constituency count.

The mood around the hall is it'll look like a three horse race after the first count - with Fine Gael's James Geoghegan, Labour's Ivana Bacik and Sinn Féin's Lynn Boylan all likely bunched close enough, somewhere in the 20s.

Then we'll bed in for a long day of eliminations and transfers to see who'll win the seat in Dublin Bay South"

About a quarter of boxes tallied in Dublin Bay South and here's how they're set.

Lots of strong SF boxes already done with Fine Gael's best areas still to come. pic.twitter.com/XKSRChZqau
— Seán Defoe (@SeanDefoe) July 9, 2021

The fully tally, as at 12.15pm, indicates a clear lead for Labour's Ivana Bacik

Labour's Ivana Bacik is set to win the Dublin Bay South by-election.

Tallies show Bacik is on course to top the poll finishing comfortably ahead of Fine Gael's James Geoghegan.

Our Political Correspondent Seán Defoe reports

Ivana Bacik's campaign manager Duncan Smith says there's a strong Labour background in the constituency:

Speaking on Friday afternoon, the Sinn Féin leader has conceded the Dublin Bay South by-election to Labour.

Ivana Bacik is projected to top the poll and win a seat in the Dáil.

Sinn Féin's Lynn Boylan polled third - failing to increase the party's vote from the 2020 election.

Party leader Mary Lou McDonald conceded Labour will win the seat

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