All eyes on local and EU counts as vote may be bellwether for a general election
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Counting begins across the country on Saturday morning after voters cast their ballots in both the local and European elections on Friday.
The results of the elections will be closely watched ahead of a general election, which could be called as early as the autumn, as the results will be seen as a true barometer of public sentiment.
Turnout across the country was tracking similar to the last EU and local elections in 2019, with a strong evening rush pushing many areas over the 40% turnout mark, with one station in Donegal recording 60% turnout by 9pm.
Voter turnout for Cork county was averaging 26.8% at 5pm, and this had increased to 43.4% by 8pm, which was higher than the 42.2% recorded in 2019.
However, polling stations were recording large differences, ranging from 32% in some parts of the county to 53% in other areas.
In Cork City, turnout had reached an average of over 40% before 9pm.
Kerry was expected to hit 50% by the time polls closed at 10pm, while Dungarvan in Co Waterford had already gone over 50% with more than an hour left in voting.
Polling stations in Dublin City were recording an average turnout of 38.3% by 8.30pm which was up by around 7% on the same time in 2019.
Counting to elect 949 councillors out of more than 2,100 candidates across 31 local authorities will begin this morning, while counting in the European elections will not begin until tomorrow.
In Limerick, people also cast ballots for Ireland's first directly-elected mayor.
Voters in the European Parliament elections had to grapple with lengthy ballot papers, with 27 candidates vying for five seats in the Midlands North West constituency, and 23 candidates in contention in both Ireland South and the Dublin constituency.
With so many contenders, it is expected to be many days before the final seats are filled, and recounts or rechecks could be called if the numbers are tight.
Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald, whose party has been sliding recently in the polls, described the elections as “significant” after she cast her own ballot in Dublin.
The latest Ireland Thinks poll, carried out for the Sunday Independent last weekend, shows Fine Gael are now neck and neck with Sinn Féin with both parties on 22%.
This is down from a high of 37%, which Sinn Féin recorded in 2022.
Ms McDonald’s party will be under pressure to deliver seats in both the EU and local elections after a disastrous day out in 2019. Ms McDonald said:
With 355 candidates across the country, she strongly denied Sinn Féin had run too many people.
Earlier, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan admitted that there is some unhappiness among the public about the performance of the coalition.
However, Mr Ryan, who cast his ballot at the Muslim National School in Clonskeagh, Co Dublin, said he thinks that the public believe the three-party coalition of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and the Green Party is working.
"Now, they’re not happy with — rightly — a whole range of different things, we need to do better,” he said.
"We’ll see if that’s reflected in the count in the end.”
Tánaiste Micheál Martin cast his ballot in Cork with his wife and two sons.
Taoiseach Simon Harris was up early to vote in Wicklow, before he undertook a whistle-stop tour of the country to shore up last minute support for Fine Gael.