Sinn Fein’s Michelle Gildernew misses out on seat in Ireland’s European elections

The outgoing MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone missed out by almost 5,500 votes, coming sixth in the five-seater, as her party lost the seat it had held since 2014.

Fine Gael’s Maria Walsh and Nina Carberry and Independent Ireland candidate Ciaran Mullooly were the last to be elected as MEPs.

The election of the trio at 3am on Friday ends days of counting in multiple elections across the Republic.

Sinn Fein's Michelle Gildernew failed to win a seat in the constituency of Midlands-North-West

Irish voters headed to the polls last Friday to pick 949 local councillors, 14 MEPs and the country’s first directly elected mayor.

Results from the three elections have been seen as a political boon for coalition partners Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, while the largest opposition party, Sinn Fein, has initiated a review after performing well below its own expectations.

Fianna Fail has emerged as the largest party in local government after all seats in Ireland’s local election were filled.

In the local elections, both main Government parties attracted around 23% of first preference votes, representing a slight drop on their 2019 result.

Fianna Fail had 248 seats on councils, with Fine Gael close behind on 245. Sinn Fein was on 102 while 186 seats were held by independents.

Sinn Fein has increased it share of councillors, but party leader Mary Lou McDonald has admitted the result fell below their expectations.

The popular vote of 12% is a dramatic turnaround in fortunes for the main opposition party which emerged from the 2020 general election on 24.5%.

Meanwhile, Fianna Fail has doubled its presence in the European Parliament to four, with Fine Gael also on four – down one from its previous showing in 2019.

Sinn Fein has increased its European representation from one to two, while Labour holds one seat, the Independent Ireland party claimed one and two non-party aligned independents fill the remainder.

Elsewhere, in a landmark poll in Limerick for Ireland’s first directly elected mayor, independent candidate John Moran secured victory late on Tuesday afternoon.