Galway Bay fm newsroom - A full recount of the Galway City Central electoral ward is progressing steadily this afternoon - but 12 of the 18 seats on Galway city council have already been filled.
These are six seats in the City West Ward, and a further six in City East - however, a full recount was ordered in City East last evening.
The final result for City West was announced early this morning; sitting councillors Independent Donal Lyons, Labour’s Neil McNelis, and Fianna Fail’s Peter Keane all retained their seats.
They'll be joined by newcomers Pauline O’Reilly of the Green Party and Fine Gael’s Clodagh Higgins, as well as former Fianna Fail councillor John Connolly.
The casualties in City West were Fine Gael’s Pearce Flannery and Sinn Fein’s Cathal O' Conchur.
Meanwhile, in the Galway City East Ward, a neck-and-neck race for the sixth and final seat saw a full recount ordered last evening.
However, the original result was upheld - Sinn Fein's Mairead Farrell lost her seat by a handful of votes to newcomer Owen Hanley of the Social Democrats.
Newcomer Alan Cheevers, for Fianna Fail, also took a seat - while sitting councillors Independents Declan McDonnell, Terry O Flaherty and Noel Larkin and Fianna Fail’s Mike Crowe retained their seats.
Along with Sinn Fein's Mairead Farrell, the other casualty in City East was Fine Gael’s John Walsh.
Still to be decided are the six seats in City Central, which is the subject of a recount currently underway at the count centre in Westside.
It was called by Labour’s John McDonagh after the 9th count was due to eliminate him, with just 8 votes separating him and his nearest rival the Green’s Martina O Connor.
However, Independent Mike Cubbard and Fianna Fail's Ollie Crowe had both been comfortably returned to the City Council before the recount was granted.
And we'll have live updates on the City Central recount as it happens throughout the afternoon.
