LIVE UPDATES: Roscommon/South Leitrim Election Count

THANKS FOR FOLLOWING US TODAY, WE ARE NOW WRAPPING UP FOR THE NIGHT It's been a dramatic day with the victory of Luke 'Ming' Flanagan the main talking point. Although he was tipped to poll strongly, his eventual achievement of being the first to pass the quota was truly remarkable. Fine Gael held onto their two seats, which they had narrowly secured in 2007, this time with a lot more comfort. Fianna Fail though saw their vote collapse while Sinn Féin polled well, but the Ming tide swept up the protest vote. Labour too were never going to be a threat with Ming polling so well. 1.35 It's all over bar the hollering. Feighan and Naughten elected and join Flanagan in the Dáil. Sixth Count results Distribution of Kenny's votes Quota 11,877 Ivan Connaughton + 749 = 7,034 Frank Feighan + 2027 = 13,266 Denis Naughten + 707 = 12.122 Naughten and Feighan elected. 1am We are waiting the distribution of Kenny's sizeable vote. But surely it's just a formality? Naughten and Feighan to return to Dáil Éireann along with Ming? 12.15pm Flanagan carried aloft from the count centre on the shoulders of jubilant turbary rights supporters. 12midnight Fifth count result Distribution of Flanagan's 227 surplus Connaughton + 31 - 6,285 Feighan + 109 - 11239 Kenny + 66 - 6108 Naughten + 66 - 11415 Martin Kenny now eliminated and his votes being distributed 11.10 Fourth count result Ming Flanagan is elected!! More to come Connaughton + 398 - 6,254 Feighan + 1128 - 11,130 Flanagan + 171 - 12,149 Kelly + 516 - 6,042 Naughten + 731 - 11,349 Non-transferable - 320 Ming Flanagan elected, exceeding quota of 11,877 Ming's surplus of 272 now being elected In his acceptance speech, Flanagan called for a 50% cut in TD salaries and said he would do so.. 10.30pm Third count result Distribution of McDermott's vote Connaughton + 447 - 5856 Feighan + 445 - 9902 Flanagan + 1197 - 10448 Naughten + 1189 - 10618 Kelly + 277 - 4894 Kenny + 157 - 5526 Non transferable - 140 Now proceeding to elimination of John Kelly 9.45pm Second count - Apologies for delay - issues with broadband at count centre. Who said rural broadband wasn't an election issue? Elimination of Kearns, Kilraine and McDaid Feighan 9457 Naughten 9429 Flanagan 9251 Connaughton 5379 Kenny 5369 Kelly 4617 McDermott 3882 McDermott eliminated 7.10pm - The first count in Roscommon South Leitrim is now in: Total Poll - 48,035 Spoiled - 531 Valid Poll - 47,544 Quota - 11,877 Denis Naughten (FG) - 9,320 Frank Feighan (FG) - 8,983 Luke 'Ming' Flanagan (Ind) - 8,925 Martin Kenny (SF) - 4,637 John Kelly (Lab) - 4,455 Ivan Connaughton (FF) - 4,070 John McDermott (HAC) - 3,770 Gerry Kilraine (FF) - 3,033 Gareth McDaid (Green) - 220 Sean Kearns (Ind) - 91 As a result, Kilraine, McDaid and Kearns have now been excluded. 5.45pm - Predictions of an early first count have proved wide of the mark, with the analysis of doubtful votes taking much longer than anticipated. Luke 'Ming' Flanagan has paid tribute to his campaign team, saying that he and his followers showed the big party machines how it's done. Meanwhile, Fianna Fail Director of Elections for this constituency, Mary Devine O'Callaghan, said despite the fact that her party's candidates won't be elected on this occasion, she is quite sure the names Gerry Kilraine and Ivan Connaughton will be to the fore in Fianna Fail politics in years to come. She said: "The result is disappointing - we're in difficult times and people are hurting. That's the nature of politics, there are winners and losers. It's Fine Gael's day today." She said she has no doubt Fianna Fail will regroup and come back stronger after this election. 3.50pm - Fine Gael's Frank Feighan has arrived at the count centre, safe in the knowledge that he will retain his seat. 3.42pm - A ripple of excitement spreads through the room as news arrives of a famous victory for St Brigid's in the All-Ireland Club Football Championship semi final. Now there will be another big day out for the people of South Roscommon at Croke Park on March 17! 3.30pm - Candidate watch: Luke 'Ming' Flanagan was at the count centre all morning and was in flying form. Labour's John Kelly has just arrived. Sinn Fein's Martin Kenny and Roscommon Hospital Action candidate John McDermott are also currently "on the ground" at Dr Hyde Park centre. No sign of Fine Gael candidates Denis Naughten and Frank Feighan as yet . 3pm - The counting resumes. It appears that the main unanswered question at this stage is not who will be elected but rather the order in which Denis Naughten, Luke 'Ming' Flanagan and Frank Feighan will be confirmed as members of the next Dail. 2.30pm The vote-counters break for lunch. They will be back at 3pm. First count is expected between 3.30 and 4pm. 1.05pm Final tallies: Connaughton FF 4,054 Feighan FG 8,823 Flanagan Ind 8,202 Kearns Ind 10 Kelly Lab 4,377 Kenny SF 4,558 Kilraine FF 2,967 McDaid Green 229 McDermott HAC 374 Naughten FG 9,738 Quota expected to be around 11,600 12.10pm - So far 112 boxes have been opened and it's looking like Fine Gael's two sitting TDs in this constituency will be re-elected, with Independent Luke 'Ming' Flanagan ahead of Sinn Fein's Martin Kenny in the race for the third and final seat. Current standings, with percentages of the vote counted so far: Denis Naughten (FG) - 7,450 (22.2%) Frank Feighan (FG) - 6,427 (19.2%) Luke 'Ming' Flanagan (Ind) - 5,534 (16.5%) Martin Kenny (SF) - 3,769 (11.2%) Ivan Connaughton (FF) - 3,068 (9.1%) Gerry Kilraine (FF) - 2,566 (7.6%) John McDermott (Hospital Action) - 2,416 (7.2%) John Kelly (Lab) - 2,035 (6%) Garrett McDaid (Greens) - 174 (0.5%) Sean Kearns (Ind) - 76 (0.2%) 11.35am In Roscommon / South Leitrim 105 boxes have been counted, with a quota predicted to be just over 12,000. The first count is now expected to be at 4pm, not 6pm as estimated earlier. Current standings are as follows: Denis Naughten (FG) - 7,124 Frank Feighan (FG) - 5,784 Luke 'Ming' Flanagan (Ind) - 5,213 Martin Kenny (SF) - 3,611 Ivan Connaughton (FF) - 2,984 Gerry Kilraine (FF) - 2,422 John McDermott (Hospital Action) - 2,339 John Kelly (Lab) - 1,816 Garrett McDaid (Greens) - 155 Sean Kearns (Ind) - 63 11.20 94 boxes counted (61.44%) the tallies so far show no change with Naughten and Feighan (FG) and Flanagan (Ind) in the top three spots followed by Sinn Fein's Martin Kenny. The numbers so far - Denis Naughten 6,555 Ivan Connaughton 2,713 Frank Feighan 5,124 Luke Ming Flanagan 4786 Sean Kearns 56 John Kelly 1,657 Martin Kenny 3,156 Sean Kilraine 1,979 Gareth McDaid 129 John McDermott 2,179 11am With 83 boxes opened, the two Fine Gael candidates are now out in front. Deputy Frank Feighan has overtaken Independent Luke 'Ming' Flanagan in second place, with 4483 first preferences to Flanagan's 4336. Deputy Denis Naughton remains on course to top the poll, with 6042 firsts. The other candidates' numbers so far: Ivan Connaughton (FF) 2485, Sean Kearns (Ind) 48, John Kelly (Lab) 1505, Martin Kenny (SF) 2795, John Kilraine (FF) 1711, Garreth McDaid (Greens)115, John McDermott (Ind/Hospital Action) 1917. The first count is expected at 6pm. 10.40am Some 64 boxes (41% of the total) have now been opened and it looks as if Deputy Denis Naughten and Luke 'Ming' Flanagan will take two of the three seats in Roscommon/South Leitrim. So far, Naughten has received 4687 first preferences, with 3378 going to Flanagan. Fine Gael's Deputy Frank Feighan is leading the race for the final seat, with 2445 votes so far. He is followed by Sinn Fein's Martin Kenny (2080) and Fianna Fail's Ivan Connaughton (1929). 10am With 24 boxes opened, the first tallies are in. Deputy Denis Naughten is leading the way in the three-seat constituency with 1796 first preferences, followed by Independent Luke 'Ming' Flanagan on 1296 and Fine Gael's Frank Feighan on 894. Fianna Fail's Ivan Connaughton recieved 801 first preferences, with Sinn Fein's Martin Kenny and Fianna Fail's Gerry Kilraine on 620. The boxes are from South Roscommon, Mid Roscommon and Castlerea. Turnout has been estimated at 80%. 9am Count staff begin to open boxes at the Dr Hyde Centre in Roscommon.