Lowry takes first seat in North Tipp - topping poll for seventh time

Topping the poll for the seventh time - Michael Lowry is an unstoppable political force in Tipperary and has taken the first seat in the hard fought North Tipperary constituency in the 2024 General Election.

With the results of the first count and a quota to be elected of 11,442, Tipperary's Returning Officer James Seymour announced Deputy Lowry's victory at 10:30pm on Saturday night with a first preference vote of 12,538 and a surplus of 1,096.

First elected to the Dáil in 1987 as a member of Fine Gael and first running as an Independent in 1997, Michael Lowry (70) was never in question to take the first seat in Tipperary, but the impressive magnitude of his victory further cements his stature as the most successful politician ever to emerge from the Premier County.

Described today by his Roscrea Lowry Team member, Cllr. Shane Lee, as a "political genius", the sitting Independent TD topped the poll in the new North West Kilkenny portion of the constituency and was comfortably home and hosed in Thurles, the town where was educated by the Christian Brothers, on Saturday night and the only candidate in Tipperary elected.

After 37 years working in every corner of County Tipperary and consistently defying his detractors, Deputy Lowry's support never wavered, despite radical electoral boundary changes in several elections - with an estimated 5,300 votes potentially lost by once again dividing Tipperary into separate north and south three seater constituencies for this general election.   

With staff starting into the second count of North Tipperary's 160 ballot boxes beginning now, attention turns to the second seat, which is anticipated to be claimed by sitting Labour TD, Alan Kelly with a first preference vote of 7,072.

It is a safe bet to say Fianna Fáil will take the third seat, but which of party colleagues Ryan O'Meara from Cloughjordan and Roscrea's Michael Smith it will be is the question on everyone's mind in the Thurles count centre.

Second, third, fourth and even fifth preference votes could play a major role in deciding who will benefit most from eliminations and and all eyes will be on how the dispersion of votes will fall as lower polling candidates are eliminated and surplus votes are distributed from elected candidates.

Ryan O'Meara performed very well in Nenagh, coming in closer than most anticipated behind Alan Kelly, while Michael Smith, current Cathaoirleach of the Thurles Municipal District, is anticipated to benefit strongly from the Thurles area but faces an uphill battle to claw back over 800 votes and pass out his party colleague. 

Fine Gael's Dr. Phyll Bugler is less than 500 votes behind Michael Smith, while Thurles Independent Jim Ryan topped the poll in his hometown - a very impressive result for the outspoken Councillor running against the might of the Lowry machine on his home turf and transfers could potentially bring him back into the race.

Counting will resume in Thurles tomorrow morning at 10:30am.