LIVE ELECTION BLOG: From the Meath Count Centre in Trim

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Early tallies from Trim GAA Centre are throwing up some surprises across the county with Independent Alan Lawes and Emer Toibin polling strongly in Navan, along with Cllr Tommy Reilly of Fianna Fail and Independent Cllr Francis Deane.

All of these figures have to be treated with caution as only around 15 per cent of boxes were opened.

The Trim area tallies show Fine Gael's Niamh Souhan and Fianna Fails Vera Kelly after boxes from the Enfield area were opened.

Independent Joe Bonner, Lisa Mellor of Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein's Darren O'Rourke were ahead in the early Ashbourne tallies and in the Laytown Bettystown area Independent Cllr Sharon Keogan, Annie Hoey, Labour, Cllr Wayne Harding and Cllr Stephen McKee FF and Cllr Paddy Meade and Sharon Tolan FG are all doing well.

In Kells sitting councillors, Sarah Reilly and Sean Drew are doing well as are Fine Gael's Peadar Farrelly and Fianna Fail's Mike Bray.

Cllr Damien O'Reilly of Fianna Fail, Independent, Cllr Gillan Toole and Independent Brian Fitzgerald are all polling well in the Ratoath area.

More follows..

 

Update 1pm .......

 

With 30 per cent of the boxes opened, it still looks as if there will be a raft of new faces on the next county council.

Emer Toibin of Aontu, is doing well in Navan at 12 per cent, while independent Alan Lawes is on 10 per cent.

Ronan Moore of theSocial Democrats doing very well in Trim where Fine Gael is polling very strongly and looks likely to retain its three seats.

Labour's Annie Hoey could create an upset in Laytown-Bettystown, where she is currently on 11 per cent.

Independent Sharon Keoghan could pull off two seats, as she is at 11 per cent in Laytown-Bettystown, where she is outgoing; and on seven per cent in Ashbourne.