Voting commences in Limerick for 2024 general election

POLLS have opened across Limerick as voting kicks off in the 2024 General Election.

Some 282 polling stations across the city and county opened at seven o'clock this Friday morning and will remain open until 10pm.

A total of 152,753 people are eligible to vote across the two Limerick constituencies - 77,735 in the City and 75,018 in the County.

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Seventeen candidates are battling it out for four seats in the Limerick City constituency. This area covers the city and its suburbs, and areas of north-east Limerick out to the Tipperary border.

In the rural Limerick County constituency - which covers the remainder of the county - there's 15 candidates chasing three seats.

Separately, voters in Shannon Banks, Westbury, and elsewhere in South East Clare will be electing members to the Clare constituency.

The electorate in Birdhill, Newport, Ballina and its surrounds will vote for candidates in Tipperary North.

Voters presenting to polling stations are advised to bring their polling card, which was issued in the post. If this is not available, and you’re registered to vote, you should bring along photographic ID.

Following the closing of the polls, a major operation will kick-in to bring the ballot boxes for the two Limerick constituencies to the count centre at Limerick Racecourse, Patrickswell.

The sorting of votes will commence on Saturday morning. At this time, tallies will take place which may give a good indication of which way the polls have gone locally.

Results are expected to trickle in throughout Saturday evening and into Sunday.

A full picture of how Limerick has voted is expected by Sunday.

As with every other election in Ireland, voters will use the Proportional Representation-Single Transferable Vote method. It means voters will number their candidates in order of preference.

Candidates are chasing a quota, which is 50% of the valid vote, plus one. Once a candidate passes this quota, and is deemed elected, the extra votes they have recorded will then be transferred to other candidates based on people's preferences as expressed on the ballot paper.

Conversely, as candidates with the lowest totals are eliminated, the additional preferences from their votes are transferred over to candidates who are still in the race.

If a voter only puts one preference on their ballot, their vote is deemed non-transferable.

Limerick Live will be providing extensive coverage online from Saturday morning, including a dedicated live blog on our web site, www.limericklive.ie

LIMERICK CITY (FOUR SEATS)

Esther Aherne,  Independent Ireland

Cllr Sarah Beasley,  Aontu

Senator Maria Byrne,  Fine Gael

Melanie Cleary,  Mid-West Hospital Campaign 

Cllr Frankie Daly,  Independent

Ruairi Fahy,  People Before Profit-Solidarity

Senator Paul Gavan, Sinn Fein

Michelle Hayes,  Independent

Deputy Brian Leddin,  Green Party

Dean Lillis, Independent

Deputy Willie O’Dea,  Fianna Fail

Deputy Kieran O’Donnell, Fine Gael

Cllr Elisa O’Donovan, Social Democrats

Deputy Maurice Quinlivan,  Sinn Fein

Dean Quinn,  National Alliance

Dee Ryan, Fianna Fail

Cllr Conor Sheehan,  Labour

LIMERICK COUNTY (THREE SEATS)

Jim Barrett, Independent

Cllr Bridie Collins Fianna Fail

Joanne Collins Sinn Fein

Deputy Niall Collins Fianna Fail

Richie Crehan Independent

Laura Fahy,  People Before Profit

Rob O’Donnell,  Green Party

Deputy Richard O’Donoghue,  Independent Ireland

Deputy Patrick O’Donovan Fine Gael

Donna O’Loughlin,  Irish Freedom Party

Lorraine O’Sullivan, National Alliance

Michael Ryan,  Aontu

April Sheehan Corkery Independent

Cllr Noreen Stokes Fine Gael 

Gerben Uunk, Irish Animal Welfare party