Bye-election tallies suggest one candidate is leading in Dublin Central

An official first count is expected imminently.

According to multiple outlets, Daniel Ennis of the Social Democrats is leading in Dublin Central at 20% of first preference votes.

This puts him slightly ahead of Sinn Féin’s Janice Boylan at a reported 18%. It is said that there are only a couple of hundred votes between them in the tallies.

Three other Dublin Central candidates - Independent Gerard Hutch, Fine Gael's Ray McAdam and the Green Party's Janet Horner - are all said to be behind at around 11%.

As for the Galway West bye-election, tallies suggest an even tighter race, with Independent Ireland's Noel Thomas and Fine Gael's Seán Kyne reportedly each at around 20%.

Given how neck-and-neck the candidates are, and with votes to be transferred in later counts, Galway looks like it will be a long count, possibly stretching into Sunday.

It's worth noting that tallies are unofficial figures that are compiled by observers at count centres.

An official first count for both areas is not expected until this evening.

Why is the bye-election happening?

Simply, a bye-election takes place to fill seats left vacant in the Dáil between general elections.

In this case, a seat is vacant in the Galway West constituency due to Catherine Connolly being elected as President and resigning her Dáil seat for the Áras.

For Dublin Central, Paschal Donohue resigned as Minister for Finance and vacated his Dáil seat to take up a position at the World Bank at the end of last year.

How does the bye-election work and why is it important?

Voting in the bye-election works the same as a General Election, whereby there will be several candidates on the ballot paper, and voters start with '1' for their first preferred candidate, then '2' for their second choice and so on.

As the votes are counted, the quota is calculated and after the first count takes place, if no candidate reaches the quota, the candidate with the lowest number of votes will be excluded, and their next preferences will be distributed.

This process continues until one candidate reaches the quota or there are just two candidates remaining.

A bye-election can sometimes arise from broader political developments beyond the constituency where it is held.

For example, Fianna Fáil suffered double bye-election defeats in 1979, which added to internal party pressures during the leadership crisis that ultimately led to the departure of then Taoiseach Jack Lynch.

Additionally, bye-election victors will sometimes go on to hold high office. Former Taoisigh Seán Lemass, Enda Kenny and Brian Cowen all entered the Dáil via bye-elections.

Why is this happening now?

A bye-election must take place within six months of a TD dying, resigning or retiring.

Due to the next General Election not being planned until the end of the Dáil term (2029), these bye-elections are now taking place in Dublin Central and Galway West.

Who are the candidates?

Galway West

17 candidates are vying for the vacant Dáil seat.

The victor will fill the fifth constituency seat, left vacant by President Catherine Connolly, and join current sitting TDs Mairéad Farrell (Sinn Féin), John Connolly (Fianna Fáil), Hildegarde Naughton (Fine Gael), and Noel Grealish (Independent).

Dublin Central

14 candidates are running.

They are: Janice Boylan (Sinn Féin), Tony Corrigan (Independent), Daniel Ennis (Social Democrats), Colm Joseph Flood (Independent), Mannix Flynn (Independent), Janet Horner (Green Party), Gerard Hutch (Independent), Ray McAdam (Fine Gael), Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin (People Before Profit), Ruth O'Dea (The Labour Party), John O'Leary (Independent), Ian Noel Smyth (Aontú), Malachy Steenson (Independent) and John Stephens (Fianna Fáil).

The victor will fill the fourth constituency seat, left vacant by former minister Paschal Donohoe, and join current sitting TDs Mary Lou McDonald (Sinn Féin), Gary Gannon (Social Democrats), and Marie Sherlock (Labour).

Counting begins at 9am on Saturday 23 May, with results expected later that evening.

Win €/£1,000 in our FREE Win-Lose-Draw Predictor

In the age of stats geeks, AI-generated Fantasy teams and nth-degree analysis, we've stripped football knowledge down to its most instinctual form: Win, Lose or Draw.

In JOE's new Premier League Win-Lose-Draw Predictor, you can prove your footballing nous up against your mates, while also being in with a chance of winning €1,000/£1,000 each week.

And if no users predict all results correctly, EVERY player who submitted an entry will be placed into a random prize draw for the €1,000/£1,000.

Two players came within an inch of winning the jackpot last week with 9/10 right - play below for this weekend's fixtures! It takes just a few minutes to enter...

Main image via Rolling News