Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister, Michelle O'Neill, has arrived at the count centre in Trim to congratulate newly elected Johnny Guirke. Photo: Joe Conlon

#GE2020 MEATH WEST: Live General Election updates from Trim

by Ann Casey & John Donohoe

 

Blaithnid Ni Chofaigh and Damien English on the broadcasting balcony after tonight's result.

10.55pm - Deputy Peadar Toibin is elected having reached the quota with 11,410 votes, and Damien English is deemed elected as the next closest candidate, with 9,558. Shane Cassells has lost his seat, finishing with 8,224 votes.

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Peadar Toibin being prepared for an RTE interview tonight.

10.45pm Deputy Shane Cassells has conceded defeat before the final counts are announced.

In a Facebook post from the count centre, he says: "Wasn't to be today. Thank you to all who supported me throughout the campaign and congrats to those elected. Beidh la eile."

The Cassells family at the count centre tonight.

10.15pm Sitting Fianna Fail TD Shane Cassells arrives at the count centre with his family as the count comes to a crunch and the next few hours will tell his fate. He is in a battle with Damien English for the last seat. The next count  - the distribution of Ronan Moore's votes, will probably see Peadar Toibin elected, with either English or Cassells eliminated. English is 1,055 votes ahead of Cassells, but where will Moore's 4,569 go?

 

10pm ..... Fifth Count Results announced by Returning Officer Des Foley saw the elimination of Ronan Moore after a good showing for the Social Democrats...

Toibin, Peadar + 639   9,714

Cassell, Shane  +333 7,644

English, Damien + 1897 8,699

Moore, Ronan  +428  4,569

 

 

 

9pm results of fourth count...

Toibin, Peadar  + 459 9,075

Cassell, Shane + 194 7,311

English, Damien   + 289 6,802

French, Noel       + 173  3,534

Moore, Ronan + 1,096  4141

French eliminated

Noel French eliminated .....

 

Just before 8pm, the results of the third count

 

Toibin, Peadar  + 367 8,616

Cassell, Shane +191 7,117

English, Damien   + 909 6,513

French, Noel       + 3553,361 

Moore, Ronan + 114 3,045

McMenamin, Dr Seamus + 156 2,380

McMenamin elimated

 

18.30 results of second count

Toibin, Peadar  +927     8,249

Cassell, Shane + 184      6,926

English, Damien  + 105   5,604

French, Noel       + 54 3,006

Moore, Ronan + 555 2,931 

McMenamin, Dr Seamus + 289 2,224

Reilly, Sarah  +80  1,897

Malone, John +81 290

Malone and Reilly eliminated

5pm Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister, Michelle O'Neill (below), has arrived at the count centre in Trim to congratulate newly elected Johnny Guirke. 

 

4.25 Johnny Guirke declared elected on first count with 12,652 first preference votes

Blathnaid Ni Chofaigh interviews Johnny Guirke for RTE following his election as Meath West TD on the first count.

 

First Count 

Quota 10,377

Guirke 12,652

Toibin 7,322

Cassells 6,742

English 5,499

French 2,952

Moore 2,376

McMenamin 1,935

Reilly 1,817

Malone 209

3.30 Adjudication of 'doubtful papers' begins. Official first count resuts now expected around 4pm.

3.25 Johnny Guirke arrives to jubilant Sinn Fein supporters at the count centre singing 'Oro Se do Bheata Abhaile'.

2.25... The Sinn Fein team celebrating Johnny Guirkes's massive showing didn't forget the late Joe  Reilly who built up the party support in Meath over a 30 year period.

1pm .. Fianna Fail grandee Donie Cassidy, former Westmeath TD and senator, arrives to see how Shane Cassells is faring. Among Johnny Guirke's supporters is Caoimhne Ni Shluain, who looks set to become an MEP if everyone else on Cavan-Monaghan's Matt Carthy's substitute list becomes a TD today, including Darren O'Rourke in Meath East and Pauline Tully in Cavan-Monaghan.

Busy broadcasting for RTE is the Nationwide team of Anne Cassin and Blathnaid Ni Chofaigh, who is from just out the road in Rath Chairn.

12.57 Returning officer Des Foley announces that the reconciliation has taken place, and that the counting is about to start, with the votes of Guirke, Toibin and Cassells being counted first and other candidates as counters return from lunch.

12.35  ... there's a howling wind blowing through the rafters of Trim GAA club ... nothing to the howling that may be heard later!

12.15pm ...There is a break in proceedings as tally people go for lunch following their hard work totting the boxes, and the count staff prepare for the busy day ahead.

Deputies Peadar Toibin and Damien English are mingling with supporters, with Deputy Toibin in a bouyant move, but Fine Gael sources concerned for Minister English's seat - although Fianna Fail believes Shane Cassells in grave danger. 

Also floating are Ronan Moore of the Social Democrats, Noel French of Fine Gael, the Green's Seamus McMenamin.

Cllr French was thankful to those who put the trust in him, but said it was not be, and he wished all the best to the candidates that emerge successful.

12 noon; With all the boxes now open in the Trim GAA Centre, Sinn Fein's Cllr Johnny Guirke looks set to top the poll and be elected on the first count with 30 per cent of the vote.

Tallies suggest that Aontu's Peadar Toibin will take 17 per cent, while Fianna Fail's Shane Cassells is on 16 per cent and Damien English is on 13th per cent. Ronan Moore of the Social Democrats and Seamus McMenamin of The Green Party are both on five per cent while Fine Gael's Sarah Reilly is on four per cent and John Malone of Renua is on one per cent.