ELECTION UPDATE: Carol Nolan elected in Offaly as count five provides a major shake up

Independent Carol Nolan has become the first TD elected to the new Offaly constituency after Count Five in Birr. 

The sitting TD received 447 votes from Claire Murray's transfers which put her over the quota of 9,347 on 9.594 votes. 

Behind her there was a major shake up to the order. 

As expected, Tony McCormack received the vast majority of his party colleagues transfers with 1,310 votes coming his way. That moved him on to 7,929 votes and ahead of John Clendennen and Aoife Masterson. 

John Clendennen also moved ahead of Aoife Masterson but there are just 84 votes between the Fine Gael and Sinn Fein candidates.

Count six, the distribution of Eddie Fitzpatrick's votes, could potentially decide the outcome of the election but there are still 247 surplus votes from Carol Nolan that could come into play if the gap between Clendennen and Masterson is below that after this count. There is also the potential for Tony McCormack to have a surplus which would also have to be taken into consideration

FULL RESULT OF COUNT FIVE

Carol Nolan (IND) - 9147 - +447- 9594

Tony McCormack (FF) - 6619 + 1310 - 7929

John Clendennen (FG) - 7099 - +521 - 7620

Aoife Masterson (SF) - 7235 - +301 - 7536

Eddie Fitzpatrick (IND) - 3550 - +563 - 4113

Claire Murray (FF) - 3422 (eliminated)

Fergus McDonnell (Ind Ire) - 2194 (eliminated)

Pippa Hackett (Green Party) - 934 (eliminated)

Keisha Taylor (PBP) - 590 (eliminated)

Mike Boylan (IND) - 560 (eliminated)

Maureen Ward (Aontu) - 317 (eliminated)