Live blog from the count centre in Cavan GE2020
The Celt news team will bring you live updates from the count centre in Cavan throughout the day and late into the night. Stay tuned!
12/02/20 @ 1:22pm: Just in case you are still hungry for election news/analysis... check out the Celt's election post-mortem podcast for Cavan and Monaghan right here:
For all the action from day two of the count - we have started a new blog:
10:47pm: Over 66% turnout in Cavan and Monaghan; the Celt news team is signing off for the night, back in the morning from 9:30am. Thanks for tuning in. Oiche Mhaith
10:43pm: Matt Carthy (SF) talks to the Celt immediately following his election. First media interview after topping the poll in Cavan and Monaghan
10:40pm: Huge celebrations as Matt Carthy SF tops the poll and is elected on the first count.
10:38pm: Reaction from Heather Humphreys as she is elected on the first count - to take the second seat.
10:32pm: Results of the first count from Cavan Monaghan in black and white
Electorate: 110,190
Total Poll: 72,878
Invalid Ballot Papers: 695
Valid Poll: 72,183
Quota: 12,031
Matt Carthy (SF) 16,310
Tate Donnelly (GP) 2,501
Joseph Duffy (Ind) 159
Robbie Gallagher (FF) 5,062
Heather Humphreys (FG) 12,808
Sandra McIntyre (FG) 1,301
Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú) 3,840
T.P. O'Reilly (FG) 5,124
Brendan Smith (FF) 7,354
Emmett Smith (SPBP) 830
Niamh Smyth (FF) 5,745
Pauline Tully (SF) 10,166
Liam van der Spek (Lab) 983
10:29pm: Matt Carthy (SF) and Heather Humphreys (FG) elected on the first count in Cavan Monaghan. Count suspended until 10am tomorrow morning when Matt Carthy's surplus will be distributed
10:18pm: Sinn Féin lining up, getting ready for celebrations, with tri-colour in hand. Michelle Gildernew (Fermanagh South Tyrone) is among them.
10:16pm: One of the spoilt votes
10:10pm: Fine Gael's T.P. O'Reilly is also in the count centre. He's hoping transfers will go his way to keep him in contention for the last seat.
10pm: Word on the ground now is first count expected around 10:15pm; following which count staff will proceed to distribute Matt Carthy's surplus, before calling it a night.
9:50pm: It's official - Cavan Monaghan is now the only constituency out of 39 nationally NOT to have returned its first count.
9:40pm: News from the spoiled votes station - over 50 votes not correctly stamped at the polling stations - also one ballot paper says 'Paul Quinn RIP, a loving son, not a political football'.
9:38pm: Biggest shout out of the day goes to Vanessa Flood living in Denn (whose vote is still in Longford!) who was the only person to take the hint from his blog and send food into the Celt newsteam. Vanessa is editor Linda's little sister.
9:26pm: Leo Varadkar is elected on the fifth count in his constituency; while Joan Burton has lost hers
9:24pm: Couple of the missing tallies appeared. Here is the most up to date figures we have - still missing two boxes
9:23pm: Fire alarm's just gone off - nobody seems in a panic to get out.
9.17pm: The pace of counting has been slowed this year, some say, by the addition of 25 extra boxes. There are the same number of count staff, and the same systems in place. We're still waiting here for the spoiled votes to be adjudicated on completely by the parties, with the results of the first count expected not long after that.
9:13pm: Independent Cllr Brendan Fay gives his interesting views to Seamus Enright on the situation in Cavan Monaghan
9:11pm: Damian McCarney chats to Sarah O'Reilly from Aontú
8:45pm: Just spotted Sarah O'Reilly from Aontú in the canteen; count staff are currently adjudicating on spoiled votes.
8:20pm: Damian McCarney caught up with Emmett Smith of Solidarity People Before Profit
8:16pm: Seamus Enright chats to Des Cullen from Labour
8:12pm: Robbie Gallagher and Seamus Coyle discussing the outcome at the Cavan Count.
8:07pm: Linda O'Reilly's car is in for the NCT at 10am in the morning - at this rate, we reckon she'll have the result of her NCT sooner than the result of this election in Cavan Monaghan. First counts now delivered in 32/39 constituencies. Still no sign of a lot of Cavan candidates here - Brendan Smith, Niamh Smyth, TP O'Reilly, Sandra McIntyre and Sarah O'Reilly have not been seen in the count centre so far today.
8:03pm: Checking and rechecking going on here as the count staff meticulously go through the ballot papers before delivering the result of the first count.
7:53pm: While we are all waiting (not so patiently) for the result of the first count, here's some video footage of Thomas Lyons' interview with outgoing Minister Heather Humphreys who looks set to take the second seat here on the first count
7:46pm: Damian McCarney catches up with Emmett Smith of Solidarity People Before Profit
7:37pm: First counts have been returned in 29/39 constituencies nationwide with SInn Féin taking 14 out of the first 15 seats filled. Still no result of the first count in Cavan-Monaghan.
7:33pm: News reaching the count centre here that Transport Minister Shane Ross has lost his seat in Dublin Rathdown - having been excluded on the fifth count.
7:31pm: Fianna Fáil's Robbie Gallagher (FF) is the latest candidate to arrive at the count centre; he's deep in conversation with SInn Féin's Matt Carthy
7:15pm: Damian McCarney catches up with Tate Donnelly of the Green Party who's hoping he will prove transfer friendly.
7:06pm: Outgoing Minister Heather Humphreys is in the house and she was chatting to reporter Thomas Lyons.
6:25pm: Word now is no first count result for another couple of hours. Somebody please send takeaway.
6:17pm: Thomas Lyons catches up with Fine Gael's Joe O'Reilly who was taken off the ballot paper in Cavan in favour of T.P. O'Reilly. Asked if the party made a mistake by changing candidates, he said that he debated the strategy for two months with head office and said that the numbers are there for anyone to see.
6:08pm: Multi-media student Harmony Steele has joined the Celt team. She's going to be helping us out with some camera work. All being from print backgrounds, the help is most welcome!
5.55pm: SINN FEIN MUST NOW FILL POLL TOPPING MATT CARTHY'S VACANT EUROPEAN SEAT
Sinn Fein’s Matt Carthy is a man in demand following his poll topping performance in Cavan-Monaghan, but so too is the seat he is set to leave vacant in Europe as a departing MEP. However, it’s not all straight forward for either him or the party as many of the candidates lined up to replace also look set to claim a seat in their respective constituencies in the next Dail.
READ AND WATCH: http://www.anglocelt.ie/news/roundup/articles/2020/02/09/4185506-sf-look-to-fill-carthys-european-seat/
5:29pm: Crowds starting to swell here again in the count centre in Cavan in anticipation of the first count result. Emmett Smith (SPBP) and former candidate, Senator Joe O'Reilly (FG) are among the latest arrivals. Latest update from the returning officer is that the first count is likely to be announced between 6-6:30pm. Joe Smith will give a 15-,minute warning.
5:13pm: ‘THEY THREW EVERYTHING BUT THE KITCHEN SINK AT US’- TULLY SF
Sinn Fein candidate Pauline Tully, who looks on course to claim a seat in this General Election, has cast aspersions on the emergence of a video of her campaign van allegedly playing ‘Celtic Symphony’ by the Wolfe Tones, as potential political dirty tricks.
“I didn’t say that song was played,” she told The Anglo-Celt. “I don’t know how that song to that tweet appeared. You just look at the coverage that we have received from the media the past week and the attacks from other parties, particularly Fianna Fail, anything was possible.”
Ms Tully, a local secondary school teacher who served 13 years on Cavan County Council previously, added: “They were throwing everything but the kitchen sink at us because they were afraid of us, and it backfired. The result today shows it backfired, and I think they need to start talking about polices rather than throwing stuff at us.”
Regarding the election, she meanwhile stated that she and running mate Matt Carthy ran as a “team”, in a strategy that considered simply retaining the seat left vacant by the retiring Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin as being short of what they hoped to achieve.
“This was about Sinn Fein. This was not about Matt Carthy or Pauline Tully, this was about getting two Sinn Fein TD’s elected in this constituency. That was our focus.”
4:56pm: Tummies are a rumbling here. We're praying for a break after the first count. #starving!
4:51pm: Fine Gael's Sean McKiernan tells the Celt that his party's candidates in Cavan were victims of the rising popularity of Sinn Féin, particularly among younger voters.
4:47pm: A bit of video from Seamus's interview with Pauline Tully,
4:33pm: Seamus Enright catches up with Sinn Féin's Pauline Tully who looks set to take the third seat in Cavan Monaghan!
4:17pm: Damian McCarney speaks to Liam's van der Spek
3:52pm: Sinn Féin's Brian McKenna from Monaghan is warning against the party going into a coalition government
3:50pm: Not election related but the bingo in Lavey this evening has become the latest casualty of Storm Ciara.
3:47pm: With 96% of the national tally complete, here is the picture so far, according to Gavan Reilly:
SF 24.1% FF 22.2% FG 22.1% Greens 7.4% Labour 4.1% SD 3.0% SolPBP 2.8% Other parties 3.3% Inds 12.1%
3:44pm: Seamus Enright chats to Tate Donnelly from the Green Party
3:40pm: Update from the count centre. Tallymen say they miscalculated the quote earlier. It now looks as if the quota will be around 11,737 - meaning both Matt Carthy (SF) and Heather Humphreys (FG) are expected to be deemed elected following the first count.
3:34pm: A closer look at the complete tally shows that Sinn Féin's Pauline Tully topped the poll in County Cavan with 8,700 or 22.5% of the vote; second was Fianna Fáil's Brendan Smith on 6,738 or 17.4% of the vote; third is T.P. O'Reilly (FG) on 4,718 votes or 12.2% of the votes; fourth is NIamh Smyth (FF) 4,382 or 11.33% of the vote and fifth was Heather Humphreys (FG) on 3,735 or 9.7% of the vote.
In Monaghan, poll topper was again Sinn Féin and Matt Carthy with 12,193 or 39% of the vote; second is Heather Humphreys (FG) on 8,661 or 27.7% of the vote; third is Fianna Fáil's Robbie Gallagher on 4,400 or 14.1%; in fourth position is the Green Party's Tate Donnelly on 1,320 votes or 4.2% of the vote; coming in fifth is Niamh Smyth (FF) on 1,251 or 4%; followed by Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú) on 1,037 or 3.3%
3:18pm: Labour candidate Liam van der Spek has arrived at the count centre.
3:12pm: Word on the ground is first count result will now be around 6pm with Matt Carthy (SF) expected to top the poll and be elected on the first count.
3:02pm: Rain pelting off the roof here; quota looking like it will be over 14,000!
2:55pm: First count about to commence in Cavan Monaghan.
2.46pm: HUGE SWING LEFT SINCE 2016
This 2020 election in Cavan-Monaghan will be remembered for the massive swing in voter sentiment away from the main two parties and left towards Sinn Fein and others.
To quote the famed coinage commonly attributed to Manchester United's former manager Sir Alex Ferguson, we’re entering ‘Squeaky Bum Time’ for several candidates with 93% of boxes open and things looking like its to play for with the final two seats.
READ: https://www.anglocelt.ie/news/roundup/articles/2020/02/09/4185496-huge-swing-left-since-2016/
2:37pm: Fine Gael's Paddy Smith sums it up here in the count centre 'It's ladies' day!' in reference to the fact that it looks like three of the five seats in this constituency will be filled by female candidates!
14.21: The complete tally is in - 256 boxes out of 260 (two boxes each in Cavan and Monaghan were missed in the tally):
Matt Carthy (SF) 15743 (22.5%)
Heather Humphreys (FG), 12396, (17.72%)
Pauline Tully (SF), 9930, (14.19%)
Brendan Smith (FF), 7056, (10.09%)
Niamh Smyth (FF), 5633, (8.05%)
TP O’Reilly (FG), 4939, (7.06%)
Robbie Gallagher (FF), 4917 (7.03%)
Sarah O’Reilly (Aontú), 3721, (5.32%)
Tate Donnelly (Greens), 2434 (3.48%)
Sandra McIntyre (FG), 1265, (1.81%)
Liam Van Der Spek, 987, (1.41%)
Emmett Smith (Sol-PBP), 780, (1.11%)
Joseph Duffy (Ind), 160, (0.23%)
2:14pm: Joe Smith has just announced that the count staff are about to open the postal vote.
2.01pm: With 93% of boxes opened, here is the current state of play.
Matt Carthy (SF) 15,117 (22.86%)
Heather Humphries (FG), 11825, (17.88%)
Pauline Tully (SF), 9303, (14.07%)
Brendan Smith (FF), 6580, (9.95%)
Niamh Smyth (FF), 5343, (8.08%)
TP O’Reilly (FG), 4636, (7.01%)
Robbie Gallagher (FF), 4579 (6.92%)
Sarah O’Reilly (Aontú), 3547, (5.36%)
Tate Donnelly (Greens), 2286 (3.46%)
Sandra McIntyre (FG), 1140, (1.72%)
Liam Van Der Spek, 902, (1.36%)
Emmett Smith (Sol-PBP), 738, (1.12%)
Joseph Duffy (Ind), 145, (0.22%)
1:53pm: Final tally figures from Meath East courtesy of our sister paper the Meath Chronicle
TALLY LATEST: With 100% of boxes open we have the latest figures ...
Joe Bonner (Ind) 7.16%
Thomas Byrne (FF) 14.45%
Regina Doherty (FG) 10.28%
Deirdre Geraghty Smith (FF) 4.62%
Annie Hoey (Lab) 2.19%
Andrew Keegan (SPBP) 1.39%
Sharon Keogan (Ind) 5.65%
Sean McCabe (GP) 7.73%
Seamus McDonagh (WP) 0.39%
Helen McEntee (FG) 18.48%
Darren O'Rourke (SF) 24.45%
Emer Toibin 3.87%
1:50PM: Final tally figures from Laois Offaly courtesy of our sister paper the Offaly Independent
1:43pm: Linda O'Reilly talks to SInn Féin's Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin about the party's successful campaign in GE2020
1:28pm: PEOPLE HAVE NO APPETITE FOR ELECTION RE-RUN- FF DIRECTOR OF ELECTIONS
The Fianna Fail director of elections in Co Cavan does not believe there the appetite nationally for a second election any time soon, and the onus now will be on the the parties with the largest vote share to compromise on forming a coalition.
“To paraphrase something that has been said the whole election- the people have spoken. [Fianna Fail] will rely on the PR [system] to see how the transfers go.”
Asked if he expects another election within months from now, Mr O’Reilly dismisses the notion, stating: “I don’t think, again referring to the people, that the people have an appetite for another election, either within four months to further out.”
Michael Smith, Director of Elections for Fine Gael in Cavan, says the country has seen such a swing in voter preference before, but not to such an extent.
“Gradually if you go back to maybe pre-seventies when Fianna Fail and Fine Gael were over 80 per cent of the vote, but I think from when the Progressive Democrats came forward there has been signs of a little break-up. There was a big one then in 2011 when Labour had a huge left wing vote. It was the first left wing surge and ever since that I think that vote is still hovering around. Sinn Fein have picked that up this time, but much more, especially in Cavan-Monaghan.”
WATCH: https://youtu.be/QD4Knwx_gzs
1:26pm: Sinn Féin Director of Elections and outgoing TD Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin's tells the Celt's Thomas Lyons that it's great to be handing on the baton to not just one SF TD but two! The team is certainly confident of two seats.
1:20pm: Linda O'Reilly and Sean McMahon look at the state of play with 70% of boxes tallied.
1:13pm: SF CLLR WARNS OVER PARTY PLAYING MINORITY GOVERNMENT ROLE
Brian McKenna of Sinn Fein believes that his party should be remain cautious if, after this General Election, the position on offer is a minor player in a coalition government.
The North Monaghan local elected representative, and seasoned election campaigner, points to the situation where minority parties have historically fared poorly in subsequent elections.
"Labour, the Green Party… there is a history of them all down the years. A smaller party in a government like that usual get the blame for everything, so I’d be hesitant with jumping into coalition.”
READ OR WATCH: http://www.anglocelt.ie/news/roundup/articles/2020/02/09/4185492-sinn-fein-should-be-hesitant-over-coalition-role/
1:05pm: Here's the picture with 70% of boxes tallied
1pm: A frisson of excitement there as returning officer Joe Smith tapped the microphone. It turns out, he was just testing it out. The waiting game continues…
12:47pm: With 66% of the boxes open, here's the up to date tally:
Matt Carthy (SF) - 11,573 (24%) - 1st place
Tate Donnelly (GP) - 1,657 (3.5%)
Joseph Duffy (Ind) - 106 (0.22%)
Robbie Gallagher (FF) 3,273 (6.84%) - 7th place
Heather Humphreys (FG) 9073 (19%) - 2nd place
Sandra McIntyre (FG) 474 (1%)
Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú) 2,723 (5.7%)
T.P. O'Reilly (FG) 3,650 (7.6%) - 6th place
Brendan Smith (FF) 3,833 (8%) - 5th place
Emmett Smith (SPBP) 466 (1%)
Niamh Smyth (FF) 4,315 (9%) - 4th place
Pauline Tully (FF) 6,235 (13%) - 3rd place
Liam van der Spek (Lab) 499 (1%)
12:45pm: Linda O'Reilly's getting hangry. We're waiting for the count staff to break for tea so we can go get refuelled ourselves.
12:34pm: Reporter Thomas Lyons has joined the party here in the media gallery; and he's brought coffee! Word is first count at 7pm. Looking like Sinn Féin's Matt Carthy will top the poll.
12:17pm: QUESTIONS RAISED OVER MICHEAL MARTIN'S FUTURE AS FIANNA FAIL PARTY LEADER
There are questions being raised already about Michael Martin’s future as leader of the Fianna Fail based on this General Election showing in Cavan-Monaghan, with Cathaoirleach of Monaghan County Council Seamus Coyle pulling no punches when stating his party has “a lot of soul searching” going forward.
READ OR WATCH: http://www.anglocelt.ie/news/roundup/articles/2020/02/09/4185491-questions-over-fianna-fail-leaders-future/
11.59am: Some interesting trends in other constituencies. According to the Mayo News, this is the state of play there with 95% of boxes opened:
Rose Conway-Walsh 23%, 13,693
Michael Ring, 21%, 12,709
Dara Calleary 15% 8,869
Lisa Chambers 10%, 5,959
Michelle Mulherin, 9%, 5,276
Alan Dillon, 8%, 5,018
Saoirse McHugh, 6%, 3,632
Paul Lawless, 5%, 2,706
Joe Daly, 1%, 657
Gerry Loftus, 1%, 579
Daithi O Fallamhain, 1%, 408
Less than 1%
Kamal Uddin, 240
Stephen Manning 157
Gráinne de Barra 102
Seán Forkin 60
Our sister paper the Meath Chronicle has the following from Meath East, where Sharon Keogan (Cavan native) is running:
Joe Bonner (Ind) 9.49%
Thomas Byrne (FF) 13.75%
Regina Doherty (FG) 9.97%
Deirdre Geraghty Smith (FF) 4.04%
Annie Hoey (Lab) 1.99%
Andrew Keegan (SPBP) 1.51%
Sharon Keogan (Ind) 5.36%
Sean McCabe (GP) 7.73%
Seamus McDonagh (WP) 0.46%
Helen McEntee (FG) 17.28%
Darren O'Rourke (SF) 25.07%
Emer Toibin 3.36%
More to follow.
11:51: Seamus Enright catches up with the FF and FG directors of election. FF's Brendan O'Reilly feels there is no appetite for a second election any time soon.
11:41am: Linda O'Reilly and Paul Fitzpatrick analyse the latest tally figures.
11.23am: Here's the latest state of play with approximately 60 boxes opened from 260.
11:10am: Just had a gander at the boxes tallied so far in Cavan-Ballyjamesduff. Sinn Féin's Pauline Tully has almost 40% of the vote with Brendan Smith (FF) the next nearest candidate on around 20%
10.50am: Paul Fitzpatrick here. With the Cavan v Laois match called off due to a waterlogged pitch, the toy department has the day off but like the intrepid journo that I am, I have made my way here on the promise of some drama and our esteemed editor’s sandwiches (the #GE2016 packed lunches are still spoken about in our newsroom).
My first impression? There is definitely an air of tension in the room. The tallymen (is that term PC now?!) are busy working away and the politicos are leaning across the barrier taking stock, against a murmur of quiet chat that would set you in mind of the lads who stand at the back of the chapel.
SF’s Matt Carthy, on to the wireless as I was driving in, told RTE’s Sean O’Rourke that he himself was doing “extremely well” in the boxes opened in his own area and that not bringing in his running mate Pauline Tully would make the day a failure.
10:27am: Seamus is on the camera; packed count centre here and an even fuller carpark (Linda's parked on double yellow lines and hoping not to get a ticket). Very confident Sinn Féin team here in the count centre in Drumalee - both Matt Carthy and Pauline Tully are here and looking quietly confident for Sinn Féin to take two seats in Cavan-Monaghan. The only other candidate who appears to be here at this stage is the Green Party's Tate Donnelly.
10:21am: Now that we have all the channels up and running (website, Facebook, Twitter, Soundcould and Youtube), me thinks it's time for coffee!
10:10am: Linda O'Reilly and Seamus Enright talk through the early picture emerging from the ballot boxes:
9am: They're nothing if no punctual in Cavan! Counting is underway.