Dublin Central: the story of the count

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald once again topped the poll in Dublin Central, but the real story of the constituency was Gerard Hutch, the criminal also known as ‘The Monk’ who missed out on the final seat.

Ms McDonald was elected on the third count on Saturday, with almost 20 per cent of first preference votes. She was followed by the Social Democrats’ Gary Gannon and Fine Gael’s Paschal Donohoe early on Sunday.

Labour senator Marie Sherlock took the final seat in the four-seat constituency with Hutch, who received 9 per cent of first preferences, falling short after transfers played out.

Former Green Party TD Neasa Hourigan was eliminated following the seventh count, with Ms Sherlock benefiting greatly from her transfers as well as Mr Gannon’s and Mr Donohoe’s surplus.

Mr Hutch received 57 per cent of Independent Malachy Steenson’s transfers but failed to garner much else from centre-left candidates or from Fianna Fáil’s Mary Fitzpatrick.

Speaking ahead of the eleventh and final count, Mr Hutch thanked the people who had voted for him and said they wanted change, adding “all types of change”.

He also spoke briefly with Ms Sherlock inside the RDS ahead of the final count and wished her well in her new role.

Ms Sherlock, who is a first-time TD, said the Labour Party had been “crystal clear” they would not be going into Government just to “make up the numbers”.

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“Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have been treating this conversation like a three-handed reel, one steps out and another steps in and we will not be going in to make up the numbers,” she said.

Ms Sherlock added her party would talk to other parties they share values with. “If we can form a common platform, then of course we can have a bigger conversation then,” she said.

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Similarly, Mr Gannon said the Social Democrats would not be entering Government to “make up the numbers” and they had made their red line issues “very clear right from the start”.

“When and if the Social Democrats go into Government, it’s going to be a Government of change, that can actually transform this country,” he said.

Mr Donohoe said the “centre has held up” in Irish politics while acknowledging there were “great challenges” within the country.

Ms McDonald said there had been “an incredible performance” by all of her party’s candidates over a short number of weeks.

“We have achieved a result that many people, a few weeks ago, would have thought impossible,” she said.

The Sinn Féin leader’s running mate, Janice Boylan, Independent Clare Daly and People Before Profit’s Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin were all eliminated before Mr Steenson, who secured five per cent of first preference votes. Voter turnout in the constituency, which covers East Wall, North Strand, Summerhill, Ballybough, Sheriff Street, Cabra, Glasnevin and parts of Drumcondra, was 52 per cent.