Sinn Fein is on course to take six seats on the new 32-member amalgamated Waterford city and county council which incorporates five separate electoral divisions. That is a trebling of their existing representation – of a single member on the City and Co. Council. The only danger to that achievement comes from former Sinn Fein member Joe Kelly who is standing as an Independent in Tramore/City West.

With 80% of boxes tallied a shock is on the cards in the Tramore/City West area where Independent Ann Marie Power has outvoted two of her former colleagues from Fine Gael.

Ann Marie Power was expelled from Fine Gael last August after a disciplinary hearing following her failure to support Cllr. Lola O’Sullivan as Mayor of Tramore.

Latest results show outgoing Co. Council member, Power with 6.64% of the first preference vote ahead of Lola O’Sullivan and Maxine Keoghan who has seen her vote totally collapse.

Cllr. Hilary Quinlan (FG) who has been a consistent poll topper for Waterford City Council  and who was appointed to the board of Irish Water has also seen his first preference vote slump.

The tally ahs been completed for City South and it looks like a runaway victory for Sinn Fein’s John Hearne who took the seat vacated by David Cullinane when he became a Senator. John Hearne is likely to have 19.5% of the first preference vote. His closest rival is John Cummins the Fine Gael Mayor of the city on 10.7%