Heydon best vote-gatherer

The biggest vote-getter in the country in Election 2011 was FG's first-timer in Kildare South, Martin Heydon, who brought in 33.3 percent in first preferences of the constituency poll. He's pictured here with his sister Rosemary, who managed his campaign.

He performed better than SF's Pearse Doherty (33%), and FG's Michael Noonan (30.8%).

Labour's Jack Wall, pictured here with KFM's Clem Ryan, also made the top ten, gathering 27.8 percent of the Kildare South first preferences and coming 7th on the table.

The third seat was filled by FF's Sean O Fearghaill just before midnight last night, on the 7th count. He had achieved 11.8 percent of first preferences.

O Fearghaill takes last seat

Sitting FF TD Sean O Fearghaill has won the last seat in Kildare South, after receiving the bulk of transfers from his eliminated party colleague Sean Power.

This enabled him to beat Independent Paddy Kennedy by 997 votes. Kennedy had previously led O Fearghaill following strong transfers from Martin Heydon FG and Jason Turner SF.

O Fearghaill joins Heydon and Jack Wall of Labour in representing the constituency in the next Dail.

Kennedy gets big boost from Heydon

More than a thousand of Martin Heydon's surplus votes have transferred to Paddy Kennedy, independent.

He now could be in the shakedown for the last seat, depending on how the votes of fellow Newbridge-based candidate Jason Turner SF transfer.

Jack Wall's surplus is now being distributed,

Heydon, Wall, elected

Martin Heydon FG and Jack Wall of Labour have been elected on the first count to represent Kildare South in Dail Eireann.

Heydon polled 12,753 of the 38,270 valid poll for the constituency. Wall polled 10,645. The quota was 9,568.

Heydon's surplus is currently being distributed.

The other votes were Cummins (Green) 523, Kennedy (Independent) 2,806, O'Fearghaill (FF) 4,514, Power (FF) 3,793, and Turner (SF) 2,308.

Views from the count

Heydon to be elected first count, topping poll

The first count result in Kildare South is expected to have Martin Heydon FG being elected and topping the poll with a substantial surplus. Jack Wall of Labour is also expected to be elected on the first count.

With a quota expected to be around 9,500, the local FG candidate (talking to Clem Ryan of KFM above) will have around 12,500 first preference votes.

There's also strong suggestions that Heydon's surplus might bring Independent candidate Paddy Kennedy back into the frame. The belief is, if Sean Power can stay ahead of Kennedy, the independent's transfers will bring the Newbridge-based FF TD in to the last seat, against his party colleague Sean O Fearghaill.

The first count will be announced around 2.30pm.

Heydon leads poll in Kilcullen area

With all the boxes in Kildare South now open, FG candidate Martin Heydon has polled the strongest in the Kilcullen boxes, getting 40 percent of the Kilcullen first preferences according to the tally.

Jack Wall, Labour, got 28 percent of the 1,746 votes cast in the town, followed by Sean Power FF with 11 percent.

Jason Turner, Sinn Fein, garnered 111 votes, or 6 percent, from the Kilcullen boxes, from Sean O'Fearghaill FF with 107 votes. Independent Paddy Kennedy polled 77 firsts in Kilcullen.

In polling stations around Kilcullen, Martin Heydon got 53 percent in Gilltown, and 52 percent in both Usk and Ballyshannon.

On a constituency level, the tally shows FF at 22 percent (a -28% swing), FG at 53 percent (+16%), Greens 1 percent (-5%), Independent 10 percent (+9%) Labour 23 percent (+7%) and SF 16 percent (+7%).

FG leader whips into Kildare South

At the end of a whistle-stop tour across KIldare, FG Leader Enda Kenny hit Newbridge last night, where he was welcomed by local Kildare South candidate Cllr Martin Heydon.

After meeting up at the Constituency Office where they talked to local reporters, the FG pair canvassed potential voters in the Dunnes Stores Shopping Centre.