LATEST Longford #LE24 | Full recount underway in Ballymahon as Gerald Farrell facing elimination by a single vote

A full recount is underway of votes in the Ballymahon Municipal District as outgoing councillor Gerald Farrell (Independent) was facing elimination by a single vote following the completion of the fourth count. The recount will begin tomorrow morning. 

Heading into count four and the distribution of Niall Dowler’s 489 votes, just 48 votes separated five candidates Gerald Farrell (Independent) 590, Sean Mimnagh (Fianna Fáil) 612, Colm Murray (Fine Gael) 615, Martin Skelly (Fine Gael) 637 and John Rooney (Sinn Féin) 638.

By the end of the count Farrell was the lowest of the eight remaining candidates on 627, trailing Mimnagh (FF) by one vote, with Murray in sixth on 654, Skelly fifth on 664 and Rooney fourth on 678.

The three ahead of this group of five are Fianna Fáil's Mick Cahill and Pat O’Toole on 994 and 908, respectively, along with Mark Casey (Independent) on 744. 

There are still five seats to be filled (Paul Ross is already elected) in Ballymahon MD with the group of five, now separated by 51 votes, are in a fierce dogfight to capture the final seats up for grabs.