Counting of Donegal votes underway 25.05.07

Counting gets underway at 9am this morning at the Mount Errigal Hotel, Letterkenny, to determine who will represent the people of Inishowen and the rest of Donegal North East in the 30th Dáil.
	Voting was described as "brisk" in the constituency last night as rain earlier in the day gave way to drier conditions several hours before polling ended at 10.30pm. One of the most senior voters to turn out at Scoil Iosagain, Buncrana, was 91-year old James McGrory. Born in the year of the Easter Rising - 1916 - the nonogenarian said it was important for him to use his vote.
Braving less than favourable weather conditions in his hometown yesterday to exercise his franchise as well as his "oul stiff legs", he said: "You couldn't let an election pass without voting."

Meanwhile, some candidates made appearances at polling stations while others drove around the peninsula with loud hailers in a last-ditch appeal for first preferences. A total of 57,244 people were eligible to vote in Donegal North East compared to a Donegal South West figure of 60,828.
By afternoon yesterday, polling was swift with a stream of voters at stations including Muff, Burnfoot and Buncrana. Despite the poor weather earlier in the day, turn-out for Donegal was expected to surpass the 62% average in 2002. As one of the closest fought election battles in recent memory comes to a conclusion, an anxious day lies ahead for this constituency's eleven candidates.
Return to > News