Live Election Blog - Local Elections Meath 2024
9:30AM: Good morning from the Count Centre in the Trim GAA Centre here in Meath where The Meath Chronicle news team will be bringing you live reports from Local Election 2024.
The sorting of votes got underway at 9am when tallymen (and women) kicked into action to get a flavour of some early trends in the race for 40 seats across six Municipal Districts - Navan, Kells, Trim, Ratoath, Laytown Bettystown and Ashbourne
A total of 92 people have put themselves forward for election to Meath County Council with 40 seats up for grabs.
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FINAL TALLY KLAXON!!!
19.44: RATOATH
100% of Boxes Open
Gillian Toole (Ind) 22 per cent
Maria Murphy (FG) 14 per cent
Caroline O'Reilly (FF) 12 per cent
Brian Fitzgerald (ind) 11 per cent
John Donohoe (FF) 7 per cent
Nick Killian (Ind) 7 per cent
Fionnan Blake (SF) 6 per cent
Gerry O'Connor (FG) 6 per cent
Eilish Balfe (Lab) 3 per cent
Ruadain Bonham (Green) 2 per cent
Jean Murray (NP) 2 per cent
Trish Murtagh 2 per cent
Fergus O'Riordan (FG) 2 per cent
Others 1 per cent
19.40: NAVAN
100% of Boxes Open
Eddie Fennessy (SF) 14 per cent
Emer Toibin (Aontu) 13 per cent
Francis Deane (Ind) 10 per cent
Padraig Fitzsimons (FF) 8 per cent
Alan Lawes (Ind) 7 per cent
Linda Nelson Murray (FG) 7 per cent
Tommy Reilly (FF) 7 per cent
Yemi Adenuga (FG) 6 per cent
Kashif Ali (FF) 6 per cent
Ross Kelly (FG) 4 per cent
Caoimhe Ni Shluain (SF) 4 per cent
Jose Cyriac (Aountu) 3 per cent
Seamus McMenamin (Green) 3 per cent
Niamh Carroll (FF) 2 per cent
Frances Murphy (SF) 2 per cent
David O'Shea (IFP) 2 per cent
Others 1 per cent
19.29: KELLS
100% of Boxes Open
Sarah Reilly (FG) 14 per cent
Eugene Cassidy (FG) 12 per cent
Sean Drew (FF) 10 per cent
Mike Bray 9 (FF) per cent
Michael Gallagher (SF) 8 per cent
David Gilroy (Ind) 8 per cent
Oliver Figgy Curran (SF) 6 per cent
Peter Caffrey (SF) 6 per cent
Paul McCabe (FF) 5 per cent
Seamus McGee (FG) 5 per cent
Peter Devin (Aontu) 5 per cent
Paddy Rennick (FF) 5 per cent
Cormac Corr (Ind) 4 per cent
Colm Mac an tSionnaigh (Ind Ireland) 2 per cent
19.16 TRIM
100% of Boxes Open
Noel French (Ind) 33 per cent
Joe Fox (FG) 16 per cent
Aisling Dempsey (FF) 9 per cent
Dave Boyne (Aontu) 8 per cent
Padraig Coffey (FF) 7 per cent
Ronan Moore 7 (Soc Dem) per cent
Trevor Golden (Ind) 4 per cent
Luba Healy 4 (FG)per cent
Daith McEvoy (SF) 4 per cent
Niamh Souhan (FG) 4 per cent
Aoife Drew (SF) 3 per cent
Tracy McElhinney (Lab) 1 per cent
19.11: LAYTOWN BETTYSTOWN
100% of Boxes Open
Sharon Tolan (FG) 13 per cent
Stephen McKee (FF) 13 per cent
Geraldine Keogan (Ind) 13 per cent
Paddy Meade (FG) 13 per cent
Wayne Harding (FF) 9 per cent
Maria White (SF) 8 per cent
Carol Lennon (Ind) 7 per cent
Seamus Lynch (SF) 6 per cent
Tom Behan (FF) 5 per cent
Elaine McGinty (Lab) per cent
Peter Whelan (Aontú) 5 per cent
Cathal Mac Reamoinn (Green) 3 per cent
Declan O'Neill (FG) 3 per cent
Raymond Westlake (Ind Ireland) 2 per cent
Other 1 per cent
19.05 ASHBOURNE
100% of Boxes Open
Joe Bonner (Ind) 25 per cent
Amanda Smith (Ind) 14 per cent
Suzanne Jamal (FG) 12 per cent
Alan Tobin (FG) 10 per cent
Conor Tormney (FF) 7 per cent
Helen Meyer (SF) 5 per cent
Bryan Mallon (FF) 5 per cent
Paul Nolan (Soc Dem) 4 per cent
Maria Ui Ruairc (SF) 4 per cent
Brandon Scott (Aontu) 5 per cent
Jean Murray (NP) 2 per cent
Sivakumar Murutadoss (Ind) 2 per cent
Others 1 per cent
18.20: In the trenches...Cllrs Nick Killian (Ratoath) and Noel French (Trim) at the Trim Count Centre today
18.15 The latest tally for the NAVAN electoral area shows Sinn Fein's Cllr Eddie Fennessy topping the poll at 16 per cent, with Aontu's Cllr Emer Toibin at 13 per cent and Independent Francis Deane on nine per cent.
Cllr Yemi Adenuga (FG), Cllr Padraig Fitzsimons (FF), Cllr Alan Lawes (Ind) and Linda Murray Nelson (FG) are all on seven per cent and Fianna Fail's, Ali Kashif, is on six per cent.
18.10: A Sample Tally of the European Election votes for Midlands North West here in Trim was conducted by William Bligh.
The tally of 2,179 votes showed:
Nina Carberry (FG) 21.2 per cent
Peadar Toibin (Aontú) 17 per cent
Barry Cowen (FF) 9.7 per cent
Luke Ming Flanagan (Ind) 8.8 per cent
Lisa Chambers (FF) 3.9 per cent
Chris McManus (SF) 1.9 per cent
Maria Walsh 4.6 (FG) per cent
Niall Blaney (FF) 1.8 per cent
Pauline O'Reilly (Green) 2 per cent
Rory Hearne (Soc Dems) 3.3 per cent
Ciaran Mullooly (Ind Ireland) 3.4 per cent
17.20: Nearing the finishing line in Trim now as some LEA have most of their boxes opened. Navan has only had an extra box or two added since last update, so will return to that.
There are now 93 boxes open in LAYTOWN BETTYSTOWN and a clear picture emerging Sharon Tolan (FG) on 15 per cent. Stephen McKee (FF) is 12 per cent and Geraldine Keogan (Ind) also on 12 per cent. Paddy Meade (FG) on 10 per cent and Maria White (SF) on nine per cent.
In TRIM, 87 per cent of boxes are open and Noel French (Ind) is at 33 per cent. Joe Fox (FG) is next at 18 per cent, Padraig Coffey (FF) and Aisling Dempsey are both on eight per cent and Aontu's Dave Boyne is on seven per cent.
In ASHBOURNE 85 per cent of boxes are open and Joe Bonner (Ind) has carried 26 per cent of the vote. Amanada Smith (Ind) is at 14 per cent, Suzanne Jamal (FG) 12 per cent, Alan Tobin (FG) as at 11 per cent and Conor Tormey (FF) is at seven per cent
In RATOATH 74 per cent of boxes are opened and Gillian Toole (Ind) is on 21 per cent, Maria Murphy (FF) is on 15 per cent, Brian Fitzgerald (Ind) and Caroline O'Reilly (FF) are on 12 per cent each and John Donohoe (FF) is on 8 per cent. Gerry O'Connor has seven per cent.
In KELLS, we have 60 per cent of boxes open, with Eugene Cassidy at 19 per cent of the vote, Sarah Reilly (FG) at 14 per cent of the vote, Sean Drew (FF) 13 per cent, Michael Gallagher (SF) 12 per cent and Paul McCabe (FF) 8 per cent as is Oliver 'Figgy', Curran (SF).
16.35: In ASHBOURNE 82 per cent of boxes are open with Joe Bonner a runaway success on 27 per cent, followed (Ind) Amanda Smith 14 per cent by FG pair Suzanne Jamal and Alan Tobin (11 per cent) and Conor Tormey (FF) on 8 per cent.
In KELLS FG's Eugene Cassidy leads with 19 per cent of the vote with 51 per cent of boxes opened with party colleague Sarah Reilly on 15 per cent, FF's Sean Drew on 14 per cent and Michael Gallagher at 14 per cent. Oliver Figgy Curran (SF) is on 9 per cent along with FF's Paul McCabe with Cormac Corr (Ind) on 5 per cent as is Peter Devin (Aontú).
In NAVAN it remains a very tight affair with 62 per cent of boxes open - Emer Toibin (Aontu) on 13 per cent with Francis Deane (Ind) and Eddie Fennesy (SF) on 11 per cent each. Alan Lawes (Ind) is on 9 per cent with FG's Yemi Adenua a point behind on 8 per cent.
With 80 pr cent of the boxes open in the LAYTOWN/BETTYSTOWN Electoral area, Cllr Sharon Tolan (FG) is ahead at 17 per cent, according to tallies.
Cllr Stephen McKee (FF) is at 14 per cent, while Cllr Geraldine Keogan (Ind) is at 12 per cent and Sinn Fein candidate, Maria White is at 10 per cent.
Independent councillor, Gillian Toole, has moved into the lead in the RATOATH electoral area with 69 per cent of the boxes opened.
Cllr Maria Murphy (FG) is at 16 per cent, Cllr Caroline O'Reilly (FF) is at 13 per cent and Cllr Brian Fitzgerald is at 12 per cent.
With 72 per cent of the boxes for the TRIM electoral area now opened, Cllr Noel French (Ind) continues with his substantial 32 per cent lead. Cllr Joe Fox (FG) is at 21 per cent and Padraig Coffey (FF) is at 10per cent.
Aontu's Dave Boyne is on seven per cent, while Cllr Niamh Souhan (FG) and Cllr Aisling Dempsey are both on six per cent.
16.30: With 69 per cent of the boxes open the Trim Count Centre the following were topping the poll in their electoral areas....
ASHBOURNE: Cllr Joe Bonner (Ind) 27 per cent
KELLS: Cllr Eugene Cassidy (FG) 19 per cent
NAVAN: Cllr Emer Toibin (Aontu) 13 per cent
LAYTOWN BETTYSTOWN: Cllr Sharon Tolan (FG) 17 per cent
RATOATH: Cllr Gillian Toole (Ind) 19 per cent
TRIM: Cllr Noel French (Ind) 32 per cent
LIVE:
15.48: Independent Cllr Joe Bonner heads the poll in ASHBOURNE with 32pc of the vote, acc to tallies with 64pc of boxes open.
Cllr Amanda Smith (Ind) is at 17pc, while FGg's, Cllr Alan Tobin is at 13 per cent, Fianna Fail's Cllr Conor Tormey is at 8 pc and SF's Cllr Heen Meyer is at 6 pc.
15.40: In KELLS with of 47pc of the boxes open, Cllr Eugene Cassidy (FG), is topping the poll with 18pc of the vote, according to tallies.
FF's Cllr Sean Drew and FG's Cllr Sarah Reilly are both on 15pc, while Cllr Michael Gallagher (SF) is on 11pc and Oliver 'Figgy' Curren is on 10pc..
15.26: In NAVAN with 53 per cent of the boxes open, Cllr Emer Toibin (Aontú) has moved into the lead with 13 per cent of the vote and Cllr Francis Deane (Ind) and Cllr Eddie Fennessy (SF) both at 1l per cent, according to tallies.
Independent Cllr Alan Lawes is at nine per cent and Cllr Yemi Adenuge is at eight per cent.
15.24: In LAYTOWN/BETTYSTOWN, with 64 per cent of the votes tallied, Fine Gael's Cllr Sharon Tolan remains in the lead at 21 per cent.
Fianna Fail's Cllr Stepehen McKee is at 13 per cent, Sinn Fein's Maria White is at 12 per cent and Independent, Carol Lennon is at 11 per cent.
POLL TOPPERS...
15.20: With half the boxes open at the county centre in Trim, the following are topping in the poll in their electoral areas:
Ashbourne - Joe Bonner (Ind) 33 per cent
Laytown/Bettystown - Cllr Sharon Tolan (FG) 21 per cent
Kells - Cllr Eugene Cassidy (FG) 18 per cent
Navan - Cllr Francis Deane (Ind) and Cllr Emer Toibin, both 13 per cent
Ratoath - Cllr Maria Murphy (FG) 21 per cent
Trim - Cllr Noel French (Ind) 35 per cent
14.52: With half of the boxes now open in Trim, tallies show Independents in the lead with 30.4 per cent of the vote.
Fine Gael is at 25.5 per cent, Fianna Fail at 19.5 per cent and Sinn Fein at 13.3 per cent.
13.52: With 45 per cent of the boxes open in the Laytown/Bettystown area, Fine Gael's Cllr Sharon Tolan is topping the poll at 19 per cent with Fianna Fail's, Cllr Stephen McKee at 16 per cent according to tally figures.
Sinn Fein's Maria White is at 11 per cent and Labour's Cllr Elaine McGinty is at 10 per cent.
13.23: Click the link below to watch Ann Casey and Gavan Becton discuss the latest on the local elections.
12.33: With 18 per cent of the boxes tallied in KELLS, 2019 poll topper, Sean Drew (FF) is at 24 per cent and Sinn Fein's Oliver 'Figgy' Curran is at 18 per cent and Cllr Sarah Reilly (FG) is at 17 per cent.
Independent Corma Corr is at eight per cent, Cllr Eugene Cassidy (FG) is at four per cent, Aontu's Peter Devin is at at six per cent and Cllr Michael Gallagher is at five per cent.
12.25: Tallies in RATOATH with 28 per cent of boxes opened are showing sitting Cllr Maria Murphy (FG) at 32 per cent and Cllr Caroline O'Reilly (FF) on 20 per cent with Independent councillor, Brian Fitzgerald, at 12 per cent.
Fianna Fail candidate, John Donohoe is at nine per cent and Sinn Fein's Fionann Blake is at five per cent, with sitting Independent councillor, Gillian Toole at six per cent.
12.24: With 14 boxes opened in LAYTOWN/BETTYSTOWN and 32 per cent of the total, Sharon Tolan (FG) is at 19 per cent, Stephen McKee (Fianna Fail) 16 per cent, Maria White (Sinn Fein) 11 per cent and Carrol Lennon (NP) at 10 per cent. Geraldine Keogan (NP) 6 per cent.
12.05pm: The early tallies in ASHBOURNE show Independent Cllr Joe Bonner at 42 per cent, Fine Gael's Cllr Alan Tobin at 19 per cent and Cllr Conor Tormey at 14 per cent.
Sinn Fein's Cllr Helen Meyer is at five per cent, Cllr Suzanne Jamal (FG) is at one per cent and former FG councillor, now an Independent, Charles Bobbett is at two per cent.
11.57: Tallies for the NAVAN area show Independent councillor Francis Deane ahead at 15 per cent and sitting Sinn Fein councillor, Eddie Fennessy at 14 per cent.
Fine Gael's Cllr Yemi Adenuga and Fianna Fail's Cllr Padraig Fitzsimons are on nine per cent each while Aontu's Cllr Emer Toibin is on 11 per cent and Independent councillor Alan Lawes is on four per cent.
11.52: With 18 per cent of the votes tallied, some clear leaders are beginning to emerge, although with more than 80 per cent still to be tallied the final results are anyone's guess.
In TRIM, Independent candidate Noel French is well ahead at 32 per cent. French is a sitting councillor who stood for Fine Gael in 2019, topping the poll that year with almost a triple quota.
Fine Gael's Joe Fox, also a sitting councillor is on 18 per cent and running mate Cllr Niamh Souhan is on seven per cent.
Aontu's Dave Boyne is on eight per cent and sitting Fianna Fail councillor, Aisling Dempsey and her running mate, Padraig Coffey are both on eight per cent.
Social Democrat councillor, Ronan Moore is on four per cent.
11.32. With 45 local election boxes opened (18pc), the following tallies show Fianna Fail (23pc), Fine Gael (24pc), Sinn Fein (15pc), Social Democrats 4pc, Aontu 6pc, Greens 2pc, Non Party (27pc).
One of the tally team who had hoped they might have a clear picture by 3pm, revoking that optimism.
11.31: Wasn't a major election issue but a debate is needed on the diminishing size of Kit Kats
11.20: Speaking to Noel French running as an independent candidate for the first time said that he found it difficult to engage with constituents with just 3 to 5 per cent of doors opened to him. In a lot of cases people just took the leaflet, said thanks and ended the encounter. In an interesting aside he said that video doorbells were the curse of candidates. They can see you but you can't see them. Independent Cllr Gillian Toole running in the Ratoath MD is appalled at the poor turnout in the electorate staying at home.
11am: While many of the candidates were tossing and turning in their beds in the early hours of this morning worrying about election results, Navan independent candidate Alan Lawes was being much more productive.
The Johnstown based councillor and homeless campaigner was out running at 5.30am in preparation for his fund raising marathon which takes pace in August,
He was one of the few in the packed count centre in Trim that was looking bright-eyed and bushy-tailed after the gruelling election campaign.
10.50: We'll be live streaming the counts with Meath Co Council tomorrow in Simonstown.
10.46am: Sinn Fein's Oliver 'Figgy' Curran is doing extremely well in Kells Town according to early tallies.
Fianna Fail's sitting councillor, Sean Drew was tallied as topping the poll in one box opened at St Colmcille's National School, with Curran close behind.
Drew was tallied at 140 while Curran was at 138 and sitting Fine Gael councillor, Sarah Reilly was at 50.
The votes in that box for the remaining candidates were negligible.
10.45: Joined here at Trim Count Centre by Paul Murphy and Ann Casey.
10.30: You couldn't quite call it a tally, but some sampling of ballots in the EU Election showing strong support for Nina Carberry (FG), Barry Cowen (FF) not far behind, Peadar Toibin, Luke 'Ming' Flanagan (Ind) and Michelle Gildernew (SF).
10.25: A tally one of the Navan boxes showed that Sinn Fein's Cllr Eddie Fennessy and Independent Cllr Francis Deane were running neck and neck followed closely by Cllr Emer Toibin Aontu, FF Cllr Padraig Fitzsimons and then FG Cllr Yemi Adenuga.
9.45: Boxes opening for Ashbourne, a lot of namechecks for Joe Bonner (Ind). Not very surprising. Joe topped the poll in Ashbourne in 2019.
There are people here looking closer at the European Election ballots and very early (for what it's worth) indications are positive for the main parties with Nina Carberry, Barry Cowen and Michelle Gildernew preferences emerging.
Ratoath native Carberry had been quite busy in her native county canvassing in the fortnight so probably not all that surprising she will do well here.
9.35: So what's happening? Well, the boxes are being opened, they are pretty stuffed considering the length of the papers. 28" for the European Elections and only marginally smaller for some of the local electoral area papers.
The papers must be folded out and shown to the tallypeople who then get to see where the first preference votes are going.
Conveniently (for us), the tally teams from across the political parties are working together to provide updated tallies.
9am: Boxes opened...