Total Valid Poll     43,263

Quota                         10,816

Mary Coughlan    FF      4,956

Pearse Doherty   SF       14,262    ELECTED

John Duffy    Green          527

Frank Mc Brearty   Lab    2209

Stephen Mc Cahill  Ind     1831

Dinny Mc Ginley     FG       8589

Brian O’Domhnaill    FF     4789

Thomas Pringle    Ind         5845

Ann Sweeney     Ind             255

Pearse Doherty’s surplus of 3,446 votes is now being distributed

First count details to follow

In Donegal South West, Independent Cllr Thomas Pringle’s Director of Elections is predicting that Tanaiste Mary Coughlan’s seat is gone, and the last seat is a battle between FF Senator Brian O’Domhnaill and Cllr Pringle for the last seat. It’s widely though in the count centre in Donegal Town that Pringle is in the driver’s seat to take it.

FF’s Director of Elections in the constituency Cllr Brendan Byrne says the party made a mistake runing with a two candidate strategy.  He believes a single candidate would have guaranteed a seat, but he’s by no means conceding defeat……

Meanwhile, in Donegal North East, Labour Cllr Jimmy Harte  is battling Fianna Fail Cllr Charlie Mc Conalogue for the final seat, with Mc Conalogue said to be favourite to take it. However, Fine Gael say their second candidate Cllr John Ryan is not out of the running yet.

Labour’s Director of Elections Brian Gribben says the party ran a good campaign, a nd he’s not conceding defeat……….

Padraig Mac Lochlainn SF 9337 25%

Joe Mc Hugh FG 7221 19.13%

Charlie Mc Conalogue FF 6567 17.4%

John Ryan FG 4578 12.13%

Jimmy Harte Lab 4083 10.8%

Dessie Shiels Ind 1870 4.96%

Ian Mc Garvey Ind 1332 3.5%

Dara Blaney Ind 1210 5%

Betty Holmes Ind 1133 3%

Ryan Stewart Ind 207 1%

Humphrey Murphy Green 201 1%

Final Tally

Pearse Doherty SF            14,249             33%

Dinny Mc Ginley     FG      8484             19.69%

Thomas Pringle    Ind       5804             13.47%

Mary Coughlan FF           5009            11.63%

Brian O’Domhnaill FF      4755            11.83%

Frank Mc Brearty    Lab      2176            2.05%

Stephen Mc Cahill   Ind      1812           4.21%

John Duffy   Green                  535            1.24%

Ann Sweeney   Ind                  253           0.6%

10.21 In Donegal North East – 23 boxes open in the Inishowen area. Padraig MacLoughlain, Charlie MacConolougue and John Ryan polling well – Betty Holmes the best of the independents

10:25 SW – 47 boxes open from Killybegs to Bundoran – Thomas Pringle over 4,000 – Pearse Doherty 3,100, Mary Couglan just 3,000

10:50 Crowd growing in the Aura – Letterkenny boxes starting to be opened SF still out in front at 28.2%, FF at 25, Ryan at 22.34

11.20 Charlie Joe McGinley suggests FF could be in trouble in Donegal NE

11.25 Donegal SW Coughlan will have a major fight to retain seat

11.34 Donegal NE – Figures due from Letterkenny boxes soon

11.35 DOnegal SW – Only FInn Valley boxes left to open – Doherty – 30%, McGinley – 19%, Pringle – 17%, Coughlan – 13%, O Domhnaill – 12%

12:03 First count due at 4pm

12.30 Donegal NE 117/123 SF 25% FF 18% McHugh 19% John ryan 13% Harte 11% shiels 5%

12.35 Donegal SW- 80% of boxes counted : Doherty – 32%, McGinley – 20%, Pringle – 15%, Coughlan – 12%, O Domhnaill – 11%, McCahill – 5%, McBrearty – 4%.

1.30 Bit of a lull in both centres now – votes being sorted. 1st count announcement due around 4pm

2:45  Atmosphere not what it normally is – all very efficient, but not much action

4.35: Election officials at Aura so strict with passes, it is robbing the count of its atmosphere

4.45 Getting closer – candidates called to adjudicate on spoiled votes in NE

5.35 Pearse Doherty elected – Pringle and O’Domhnaill to fight for last seat – late night expected

5.37 NE 1st count imminent

6.37 Donegal NE 1st count PMac 9278 CMc 6613 JR 4657 Harte 4090 Blaney 1228 Shiels 1876 – MacLoughlainn 200 hundred short of Quota

Voter turnout is said to be, so far, higher compared to the last General Election in 2007 – with 30 per cent of the electorate having already cast their vote by 3 o’clock this afternoon.

Voting is continuing in the General Election around the country, with polling stations set to remain open until 10pm.

At 6 o clock Turnout in Donegal South-West was said to be very high according to our figures at the minute, with an average of up to 50% plus of people having voted.

There was a particularly strong  turnout in south west Carrick with 52%,  Kilcar 45%. North West area Gweedore, Gortahork, Falcarragh was ranging between 48-50% at 6 o clock.

In Killybegs one presiding officer has said that it is the best poll in 20 years.

Turnout in Donegal North East is slightly lower at just over 40%.

Letterkenny Town was said between 39-43%, Kilmacrennan 40%,Manorcunningham 41%, and Buncrana 43%.

Todays weather is said to be a contributing factor to the high turnout so far.

Although the high unemployment rate in the County may be a factor to why voting is currently so high.

Rush now expected after tea-time. Students returning home later this evening could also swell numbers.

The budget airline Flybe is to introduce a new service at City of Derry Airport.

The Flybe website is now offering flights from City of Derry Airport to Manchester beginning on 19 May 2011.

Meanwhile, earlier this week Ryanair launched a new weekly service to Tenerife from City of Derry Airport.

The airport manager, Damien Tierney, said he was “confident” both will prove popular destinations……

The Court of Criminal Appeal in Dublin has quashed the appeal of Mary Kelly, who was convicted in 2004 of criminal damage to a US military aircraft at Shannon airport.

However, tresspassing charges have been reserved against Ms Kelly, who previously lived in Burtonport .

The average age of new mothers in Donegal is rising, according to new figures from the CSO today.

The 2008 Vital Statistics published today shows that for the first time, the number of births to women in their early thirties exceeded those to women in their early twenties.

Meanwhile, 2008 saw twice as many births as deaths.

There were 1,088 deaths in Donegal in 2008, with 735 people over the age of 75 years of age passing away.

314 people died from cancer, while 375 people died from heart disease.

There were 20 recorded suicides in the county, while 22 people died from accidents.

In Donegal there were 2,214 births in 2008; 1,141 baby boys and 1,073 baby girls.

There were 74 births recorded in Buncrana, 38 in Bundoran, 318 in Letterkenny and 866 in the rest of Donegal.

The CSO noted an “important shift” in the age structure of fertility after 1993 in Donegal.

Prior to that date, the highest fertility rate was for women aged 25 to 29. But in 2008, the highest fertility rate for women was aged between 30-34.

Mothers aged between 30-34 gave birth to 725 children in the county, while women aged between 25-29 gave birth to 562 children.