Four seats with six still in the race

100% per cent of votes tallies in Cavan-Belturbet

After the formality of seeing Fianna Fáil's Áine Smith and Independent Brendan Fay get elected in the first count in Cavan-Belturbet MD, all attentions will turn to the six candidates still in with a chance of claiming one of the final four seats remaining.

Where their surplus will go, if any, and transfers thereafter are divvied out will grab everyone's attention.

Only the postal votes have yet to be counted.

According to the tallies, with all boxes opened, Fianna Fáil's John Paul Feeley sits on 9.9%, Sinn Féin's Damien Brady (10%), and Fine Gael's Peter McVitty (9.5%) and Niamh Brady (10.2%), with the next nearest beyond that being Patricia Walsh (FF- 9.7%) and Michael 'Bricker' Wall (Sf- 8.7%).

Brady (FG) surged from a low base out early in the day to overtake her running mate, the more experienced McVitty.

She is looking to take the seat her mother Madeleine Argue retired from at the end of the last council, a position held for almost 25 years, and longer considering the length of time Brady's grandfather, the late former Senator Andy O'Brien devoted to public service.

A leading Fine Gael organiser and member of Cavan County Council and Cavan Urban District Council for over 40 years, Mr O'Brien served as well as Senator (1969-1987) and as a chair of Cavan VEC also.

McVitty has been on the council himself for the same length of time as Brady mother Madeleine,.

He shares a local voter area with Brady (SF) who lost his seat in 2019, and has worked hard to win it back.

Feeley, the poll-topper five years ago, has seen his voter share diminished by the popularity of Smith, a school teacher co-opted to the seat vacated by her late father in the last council term.

Just behind him is Walsh, who won her seat back in 2019, having lost it in 2014, and both only just ahead of Wall (SF) who garnered a sizeable vote despite being a first time runner.