Longford Westmeath General Election 2024 latest: ‘Athlone has got a TD’ roars jubilant Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran as he is elected on 14th Count

Former Minister of State Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran has reclaimed the Dáil seat he lost at the 2020 General Election. Jubilant Boxer roared ‘Athlone has got a TD’ after his jubilant supporters carried him shoulder high at the Longford Westmeath Count Centre in TUS Athlone. 

Boxer picked up 195 votes from the distribution of Sorca Clarke’s surplus during Count 14 to give him 10,450 votes and put him over the 10,315 quota. 

WATCH: Jubilant Sinn Féin TD Sorca Clarke gives her reaction after taking the second Longford-Westmeath Dáil seat

Since Boxer’s surplus was materially affecting the contest, the Returning Officer announced that she would be eliminating Paul Hogan of Independent Ireland and the distribution of his 4,484 votes between three candidates during the 15th and final count will determine the identity of the final two TDs to represent Longford Westmeath in the 34th Dáil. 

There are three candidates still standing and two seats to be filled with Robert Troy of Fianna Fáil expected to be elected for the 4th consecutive election and Micheál Carrigy of Fine Gael will be elected to the Dáil for the first time, with outgoing Fianna Fáil TD Joe Flaherty set to lose his seat. 

Robert Troy, Fianna Fáil (+37) 9,527

Micheál Carrigy, Fine Gael (+79) 8,917

Joe Flaherty, Fianna Fáil (+73) 6,374

Robert Troy is 788 votes shy of the 10,315  quota. 

WATCH: Longford Fine Gael Senator Micheál Carrigy on his feelings and emotions as he edges closer to a Dáil seat

The story so far…………….

ELECTED (quota 10,315)

Peter Burke (Fine Gael), 1st Count 10,864

Sorca Clarke (Sinn Féin), 13th Count 10,878

Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran (Independent), 14th Count 10,450

Eliminated Candidates 

Donal Jackson (Independent) 2nd Count

Charlotte Keenan (Independent) 2nd Count

Paul Bradley (Independent) 2nd Count

Carol Okeke (Green Party) 3rd Count

Dympna Cunniffe (Fianna Fáil) 4th Count

Tanya Cannon (Fine Gael) 5th Count

Margaret Alacoque Maguire (Ireland First) 6th Count

Dave Smyth (People Before Profit Solidarity) 7th Count

Louise Heavin (Independent) 8th Count

Fidelma Bennett (Labour) 9th Count

Laura O’Neill (Aontú) 10th Count

Gerry Warnock (Independent) 11th Count

Barry Campion (Sinn Féin) 12th Count 

Paul Hogan (Independent Ireland) 14th Count