Counting continues for Ireland's final four MEP seats

Staff sort ballots at Nemo Rangers GAA club in Cork, during the European election

Counting continues for a fifth day in the Republic of Ireland following elections to the European Parliament.

Four of 14 seats are still yet to be filled.

Will Gildernew gain transfers in Midlands-North-West?

Sinn Féin is hopeful Michelle Gildernew could take the fifth MEP seat

There are four more seats to be announced in the Midlands-North-West constituency.

Independent Luke 'Ming' Flanagan has been re-elected to represent Midlands-North-West after the 19th count.

Independent Ireland's Ciarán Mullooly, who is in fifth place, is 3,796 votes ahead of Sinn Féin's Michelle Gildernew.

Fianna Fáil's Barry Cowen is fourth and expected to win a seat, and Fine Gael’s candidates Nina Carberry and Maria Walsh were in second and third after the 19th count.

Ireland has three EU constituencies which send 14 MEPs to Brussels.

The current Irish government has been in place since June 2020, when Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party voted to enter a coalition together.

The Green Party's Grace O'Sullivan has lost her MEP seat in the Ireland South constituency

Dublin counting is complete

Fianna Fail's Barry Andrews being elected MEP for the Dublin constituency

All four seats in Dublin have been completed, with Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Sinn Féin and the Labour Party winning seats.

It was clear early on in the count that Barry Andrews (FF) and Regina Doherty (FG) were not going to struggle to reach the finishing line.

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael council election winners

Meanwhile, counting is complete in all 31 local authorities in the council elections in the Republic of Ireland.

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael were the main winners, Fianna Fáil secured 248 seats, with Fine Gael on 245.

Independent candidates have fared well, securing 186 council seats.

The main opposition party, Sinn Féin, won 102 seats, well below its own target of 200.

The Labour Party have 56 seats and the Social Democrats 35.

The Green Party has 23 council seats, People Before Profit-Solidarity has 13 and Aontú eight.

In total there are 949 council seats.

History made in Limerick

John Moran has become Ireland's first directly-elected mayor in Limerick

Elsewhere, Independent John Moran made history, becoming the first person in Limerick to be directly elected by the people to be their mayor.

The Limerick native is a former civil servant, banker and entrepreneur.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald admitted she was "disappointed" by her party's council election performance but confirmed she has no plans to step down as party leader.

Commentators have suggested the party ran too many candidates which spread its votes too thinly.

Ms McDonald has said she will lead a full review into Sinn Féin's performance.

The party's finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty has said the leadership of Mary Lou McDonald is not in question and that he has 100% confidence in her to lead the party into a general election campaign.

He said the party was ready to put its case to voters and show the electorate that it could bring about real change, if given power.