Final Irish MEPs Elected as Midlands-North-West Count Concludes

In a significant political development, final Irish MEPs have been elected for the European Parliament. The final count in the Midlands-North-West constituency concluded early this morning, marking the end of a meticulous five-day process in Castlebar, Co Mayo. 

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Final Irish MEPs Elected in Midlands-North-West

Barry Cowen of Fianna Fáil secured his position as an MEP shortly after 1:30 am, joining Independent Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan, whose election came during the 20th count the previous night. Additionally, Fine Gael’s Nina Carberry and Maria Walsh, alongside Independent Ireland’s Ciaran Mullooly, were declared elected. These candidates were confirmed without reaching the quota following the distribution of Flanagan’s surplus votes. 

Fianna Fáil’s Tánaiste Micheál Martin, who attended the count alongside Taoiseach Simon Harris, expressed satisfaction with his party’s performance. Despite this, Fianna Fáil’s strategy of running three candidates was scrutinised, with some suggesting it hindered their chances of securing an additional seat. 

In the meanwhile, Kathleen Funchion of Sinn Féin, Michael McNamara of Independent, and Cynthia Ní Mhurchú of Fianna Fáil won the final seats in the Ireland South constituency. This outcome led to the unseating of Independents4Change MEP Mick Wallace. As MEPs, this region will be represented by Seán Kelly of Fine Gael and Billy Kelleher of Fianna Fáil. 

After losing her seat, Green Party member Grace O’Sullivan looked back on her time as a member of the European Parliament, describing it as “the honour of my life” and saw her loss as “just the latest chapter in a long story.”