SF's Tully loses seat

Since getting elected she served as Sinn Féin Spokesperson on Disability and Carers and TD for Cavan-Monaghan.

Sinn Féin's Pauline Tully is the first major casualty from this 2024 General Election in the Cavan-Monaghan constituency.

It's a dramatic change from looking safe mid-evening, when Sinn Féin still had a chance of claiming three seats, but Fianna Fáil's Robbie Gallagher proved crucial in what has now transpired.

From Kilnaleck, the mum of two got elected in 2020 when Sinn Féin swept through with two seats.

However, this time out, she failed to get the necessary transfers after Gallagher's elimination to stay ahead of her party colleague Cathy Bennett.

Neither did Tully manage to creep back in front of Aontú's Sarah O'Reilly who surged on the back of TP O'Reilly and Carmel Brady's votes.

Since getting elected she served as Sinn Féin Spokesperson on Disability and Carers and TD for Cavan-Monaghan.

She was also a member of the Oireachtas Committee of Disability Matters.

Deputy Tully previously was elected to Cavan County Council in 1999 for the Ballyjamesduff Electoral Area, and retained the seat until 2012 when she resigned.

She was a teacher of Maths and History in Cavan Town's Breifne College.

Compared to 2020 when Tully was elected on Count 2, earning 10,166 first preferences along the way, 2024 she saw her personal first preference vote fall by some 36 per cent (6,455).

With Tully out, Sinn Féin look destined to retain their two seats in Cavan-Monaghan with her transfer expected to put Matt Carthy over the quota.

Speaking to the Celt earlier, Director of Elections for Cavan-Monaghan, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, acknowledged it was always a “far out reach” to run and try to return three candidates.

“We've never run three candidates before. It's a whole new challenge. In 2020 I was Director of Elections and we ran two and secured two. That was a breakthrough in and of itself. This time we very boldly set to try and get three elected, a totally new ball game, and I think we've accounted for ourselves very well.”