What's the state of play in the Kildare North count

After the delayed first count in the now enlarged Kildare North constituency it looks like one of the longest Dáil careers is coming to an end as the oldest TD from the outgoing Parliament Bernard Durkan (FG) is going to get pipped for the final seat by his neighbourhood young guns, county councillors Naoise O’Cearuil (FF) and Joe Neville (FG).

As expected outgoing Minister for Transport James Lawless (FF) topped the poll with 8,734 first preferences, albeit 771 short of quota for confirmed election.

Another first timer Social Democrat Cllr Aidan Farrelly looks well set to replace his retiring party boss Catherine Murphy with a splendid second place on 7,611, while Réada Cronin (SF) will follow him in with a healthy 6,806 votes on the first count.

The ambitious cllr O’Cearúil is sitting in the fourth seat at present on 5,872 votes, with Joe Neville in the jump seat on 5,533, while his senior party colleague Durkan is 900 further adrift on 4,632, requiring some transfer magic in the later counts to overwhelm this gap.

Yet, hope springs, as Fine Gael have run a third candidate in this constituency, and Evie Sammon’s 3,111 on eventual elimination in the later counts might have enough for a Durkan salvation.

Following the Green trend nationally, Senator Vincent P Martin polled less than half what he did last time, with just over 2,000 first preferences, behind Labour’s Angela Feeny in seventh on 3, 337 votes, who is herself 1, 300 behind Durkan.

‘Tis many a slip twixt cup and lip, as they say. Plenty of drama in this fight yet.