Slowest County in Ireland- Laois is the only county without a first count finished
It's official- Laois are now the 'slowest county in Ireland.'
Meath was the second lates announcing their first results for Trim shortly before 4pm on Sunday, making Laois the only county in Ireland without a first count result from any electoral district.
Many neighbouring counties are further advanced than Laois with Carlow, Offaly and Kildare already having returned several councillors by Sunday evening. Just two seat was left unfilled by 5pm in the Tullamore district.
Leitrim County Council was among the first to conclude a counts finishing at by 6am on Sunday morning.
Sorting of Laois votes in the local and European elections started at 9am on Saturday in Portlaoise at the CBS Scoil Chriost Rí sports hall.
Local election votes were transferred to the Laois County Council count centre in Kea Lew Business Park in Portlaoise at 6pm on Saturday.
Count staff concluded the sorting of one Laois municipal district in the early hours of Sunday morning after the returning officer Donal Brennan adjourned the process of the two other municipal districts at midnight.
Counting in the three municipal districts began by lunchtime on Sunday. By five hours later, by 5pm, counting was still underway in all districts.
A total of 47 candidates are competing for 19 seats.
The three electoral districts are;
- Borris-in-Ossory/ Mountmellick
- Portlaoise
- Portarlington/ Graiguecullen.
In comparison, Meath had 6:
- Navan
- Kells
- Laytown/Bettystown
- Ashbourne
- Trim
- Ratoath
It is expected that there will not be a first count result until the 6:30pm- 7pm mark.
Candidates and party members in the Portlaoise Count Centre await the first count results with baited breath, while Laois makes its mark as ‘the slowest county in Ireland’.
For more updates on Count results, keep up to date with our live blog.