Poll-topper Elisha McCallion in fight for Seanad seat

However the Derry Sinn Féin activist faces a fierce battle to take a seat in the upper house of the Oireachtas.

Mrs. McCallion topped the poll with 95,000 votes, 7,000 votes ahead of the nearest challenger Niall Ó’Tuathail of the Social Democrats. The quota is 113,501.

But the former Mayor and Foyle MP was the only Sinn Féin candidate in a 35 strong field that included 15 members of Fine Gael and seven members of Fianna Fáil, all of whom are transferring strongly along party lines as the count progresses.

After the completion of the twenty-first count in the Printworks in Dublin Castle Mrs. McCallion has yet to receive a single transfer.

And she has now been passed by Fine Gael councillor Micheál Carrigy, who received only 47,000 first preferences but is now on 108,000 votes, and Senator Aidan Davitt of Fianna Fáil, who received only 78,000 first preferences but is now on 97,000 votes. Nine seats are available.

The count continues at 6.50 p.m.

Meanwhile in the election to the National University of Ireland constituency Derry journalist and university campaigner Garbhán Downey received 305 votes with the quota set at 9,530.

Mr. Downey was excluded after Count 5 on Tuesday having amassed 334 votes in the election.

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