Voter turnout picks up in many areas

There are clear blue skies over Co Cavan this morning, but all predictions are that this might be the calm before the storm, both figuratively and politically.

But with the advance of Storm Ciara, expected to hit Ireland at full force on Sunday, and heavy rainfall forecast for much of later today, voter uptake has been relatively mixed for many parts of a constituency shared also with Co Monaghan and a portion of north Co Meath.

In the erneside town of Belturbet for instance, in the first two hours of opening, turnout at booth 1 which covers part of the main urban area is at around 5%, while other boxes are down near 1%.

In Cavan Town the turnout over 13 booths was 6.08%.

Elsewhere, in the town of Virginia, Co Cavan’s fourth largest town according to the last census, turnout for both urban and rural is currently at just over 7%.

In the same Municipal District area, voter turnout in the town of Ballyjamesduff, at the St Clare’s NS Polling Station at 10am turnout was running at just short of 6%.

At St Anne’s NS in Bailieborough finally, across eight booths, turnout was similar.

In neighbouring Co Monaghan meanwhile the average voter turnout at 10am at St Louis Girls NS covering Monaghan Town Urban was 7.2% across five booths there, and in Castleblayney Boys National School turnout was again averaging around the 6%.