Transfers will be vital

With the first count expected in Donegal North East between 5pm and 6pm and shortly in Donegal South West transfers are going to be vital before the third seats are filled in both Donegal constituencies and already it looks as if Tánaiste Mary Coughlan could lose her seat in Donegal SW.

As predicted by many Sinn Féin will romp home at the top of the poll in both Donegal NE and Donegal SW with Padraig MacLochlainn set to join Pearse Doherty in the 31st Dáil.

Fine Gael have polled extremely well in Donegal North East with the showing of John Ryan impressing many at the count centre in Letterkenny today. He remains an outside bet for the third seat behind Joe McHugh, but most analysts are suggesting that Fianna Fáil's Charlie McConalogue will succeed.

Labour's Jimmy Harte isn't out of the race just yet but has a lot of ground to make up and will need huge transfers if he is to take a seat now.

Meanwhile in Donegal SW Pearse Doherty and Fine Gael's Dinny McGinley look set as predicted to take seats but there will be a battle for the last seat with Thomas Pringle looking like he will cause one of the biggest upsets in the country by taking a seat in Donegal SW.