LE2024: Sitting Independent candidates set to sweep the boards after Saturday tally

With a final tally at the Trim Count Centre, three sitting independent councillors look set to sweep the boards in their electoral areas.

Trim's Noel French who topped the poll with almost double the quota in 2019 for Fine Gael has held onto his phenomenal vote, this time as an independent, with a tally of 33 per cent.

Meanwhile in Ashbourne, Cllr Joe Bonner, has a clear lead with 25 per cent and in Ratoath Cllr Gillian Toole has put in a very impressive showing with 22 per cent of the vote.

Fine Gael's Cllr Sarah Reilly looks set to top the poll in Kells with 14 per cent, according to the tallies, while Sharon Tolan is on top in the Laytown Bettystown area at 13 per cent.

In Navan, Sinn Feins Cllr Eddie Fennessy topped the poll at 14 per cent ahead of Aontu's Emer Toibin who took 13 per cent.

Some new faces are inevitable, and among those who will be battling to take a seat for the first time are Linda Nelson Murray (FG), Kashif Ali (FF) and Caoimhe Ni Shluain (SF) in Navan,

John Donohoe (FF) in Ratoath, Oliver 'Figgy' Curran in Kells, Carol Lennon (Ind) and Maria White (SF) in Laytown/Bettytown and Padraig Coffey (FF), Enfield, with one or two others also likely to be in the mix.

A tally of the Meath votes for Europe show Nina Carberry (FG) at 21.2 per cent, Peadar Toibin (Aontú) at 17 per cent, Barry Cowen (FF) 9.7 per cent and Luke Ming Flanagan (Ind) 8.8 per cent.

All these figures are, of course, only a tally and the actual counting of votes does not actually start until tomorrow at 9pm - the County Council election count is in Simonstown GFC, while the European Count is in Castlebar.