A landslide in Donegal constituency as Catherine Connolly takes 75% of vote

Independent candidate Catherine Connolly topped the poll in the Donegal constituency by a sizeable margin.

Galway West TD Connolly will be officially declared as the 10th President of Ireland and was helped on her way by a significant backing from the Donegal constituency.

Just before 5pm at the Aura Leisure Centre, local returning officer James Canny, the County Registrar, confirmed the numbers from the Donegal constituency.

Connolly claimed 75pc of the vote, taking 33,286 votes with Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys on 9,316 votes (21pc). The since-departed Fianna Fáil candidate Jim Gavin got 1,774 votes (4pc) in the constituency.

The turnout in Donegal was higher than expected with a total poll of 50,810 representing a 39.76pc turnout of voters from an electorate of 127,789.

There was a large amount of spoiled votes, 6,434.

Returning officer James Canny

Across the Donegal constituency, there was widespread support for Connolly.

Humphreys ‘won’ in just three of the 267 boxes: Carnowen (45-41); Drumucklagh-Craigadoes (68-58); and Glenmaquin (59-56).

In 67 of the boxes, the number of spoiled votes was greater than the votes for Humphreys.

Sinn Féin, the largest opposition party, joined Labour, the Social Democrats, People Before Profit and the Green Party in backing Connolly’s bid for the Áras.

Read next: 'Very concerning': Significant number of spoiled votes in Donegal constituency

“There is an alternative to Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, and this first test for us is really encouraging,” Donegal TD and Sinn Fein Chief Whip Padraig Mac Lochlainn said.

“We united together, Sinn Féin 100% Redress, Independents across Donegal, as was the case across the country, and it looks like it's going to be 75% or so she has taken, which is a massive vote across Donegal.”