Abbey’s Pete Roche to top poll in Tuam

FINE Gael’s Pete Roche is set to top the poll in Tuam electoral area with the final tallies completed late on Saturday night.

Roche has polled an impressive 2,363 first preference votes taking nearly 16% of the vote in the seven-seat constituency.

Fianna Fail took the decision to run four candidates and it’s looking like they will take three seats. It’s very close between the FF candidates. Dunmore publican Joe Sheridan has done very well, securing over 1,500 votes while outgoing Cllr Donagh Killilea has a similar number. Colm Keaveney, who lost his Galway East seat in the last General Election is at eight per cent and has polled strongly in Tuam town centre.

There are nine boxes in Tuam town centre and votes have spread among all the candidates. Independent Shaun Cunniffe is on 863 votes and will need to pick up transfers when other candidates are eliminated during the count tomorrow. Independent Karey McHugh is slightly further ahead 913.

Former Mayor of Tuam Martin Ward ran for Aontu in this election and won’t be in contention for a seat having secured 460 votes.

Independent Cllr Billy Connelly, who was co-opted to Deputy Sean Canney’s seat, has polled just over 1,100 votes and will be under pressure to retain his seat.

Mary Hoade in the Headford area is at just under ten per cent. It’s the first election for Fine Gael’s Andrew Reddington who has polled very well and has impacted on Hoade who is from a similar area in Headford. Both Reddington and Hoade are just over nine per cent with Hoade slightly ahead.

Counting in the Tuam area isn’t expected to begin until early Sunday afternoon.

The final tally is as below