Sinn Fein’s Chris MacManus becomes third MEP to lose seat

Chris MacManus has become the third MEP to lose his seat in the European elections, as Sinn Fein hopes Michelle Gildernew can reclaim the spot in Midlands-North-West.

It comes after days of counting resumed at 9am on Thursday at the TF Royal Theatre in Castlebar, Co Mayo.

Mr MacManus was eliminated after count 17 at 11am.

The pack leader is left-wing independent Luke “Ming” Flanagan, who predicted he would breach the quota to be re-elected to the parliament.

He quickly emerged as the front runner in the field of 27 candidates, and following Mr MacManus’s elimination, remained ahead of the next three candidates who are in a tight grouping.

They are Fine Gael candidate and former jockey Nina Carberry, Fianna Fail representative Barry Cowen, and Maria Walsh – who is seeking a return to Strasbourg for Fine Gael.

Independent Ireland candidate and former RTE correspondent Ciaran Mullooly is currently in line for the fifth seat.

Earlier in the counting, Ms Gildernew almost ruled herself out after saying she was “not overly optimistic” about catching Mr Mullooly.

But Sinn Fein later insisted it still had a “fighting chance” for that final spot.

Unpredictable transfers, which political commentators said were not following traditional patterns, were adding to the drama of who would claim the final seats.

Ms Gildernew, a former MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, is hoping to benefit from transfers following Mr McManus’s elimination – which will help close the gap significantly.

In Ireland South, Sinn Fein TD Kathleen Funchion leaped ahead of a chasing pack after attracting 60% of her running mate’s transfers on Wednesday.

And in Dublin, Lynn Boylan’s election as a Sinn Fein MEP was aided by an earlier 63% of transfers from an eliminated hopeful representing the party.

As an example, a similar portion of Mr MacManus’s transfers to Ms Gildernew, who fell to the bottom of the rankings after count 17, would put her ahead of Mr Mullooly in the unlikely event that he not received any lift at all in the next count.

Speaking following his elimination, Mr MacManus said: “I left nothing on the pitch. Me and my team worked as hard as we could over the last number of weeks during the actual campaign.”

He added: “Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be for us today.

“But more importantly for me now, I’m hopeful my transfers will work to ensure that Michelle Gildernew is there right til the end and in the mix for a possible seat.”

Pressed on whether he believed his transfers would be enough, Mr MacManus said there were also more than 110,000 other votes which may be distributed if Aontu leader Peadar Toibin and Fianna Fail candidate Lisa Chambers were eliminated.

He added: “The numbers are maybe not in Michelle’s favour, but I wouldn’t be writing her off just yet.

“There’s at least another three counts to go.”

Asked if he would consider running in a general election, he said: “I don’t think it’s the last time you’ll see my MacManus name on a ballot paper.”

Green representative Ciaran Cuffe and independent Clare Daly were the first two MEPs to lose their seats, both in Dublin