Substrate
world

Counting begins in two Irish by-elections for vacant seats

Vote counting started Saturday in Dublin Central and Galway West after polls closed Friday. The contests will fill two seats in the Irish parliament.

The Bbc
1 source·May 23, 11:13 AM(6 days ago)·1m read
Counting begins in two Irish by-elections for vacant seatsThe Bbc
Audio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
Developing·Limited corroboration so far. This page will refresh as more sources emerge.

Counting is under way at two by-elections in the Republic of Ireland to fill vacant seats in the Irish parliament. Galway West is filling the seat left by its former representative after that individual was elected president.

All ballot boxes have been tallied in Dublin Central. The Social Democrats candidate holds 19.6 percent of first-preference votes, ahead of the Sinn Féin candidate at 17.7 percent, according to tallies. Tallies provide an early indication of the first count, but subsequent vote transfers will determine the final winner.

In Galway West, nearly half the ballot boxes have been opened.

Key Facts

Dublin Central tallies
Social Democrats at 19.6 percent, Sinn Féin at 17.7 percent
Galway West tallies
Independent Ireland at 21.3 percent, Fine Gael at 20.2 percent
Vacancy reasons
One seat vacated for World Bank role, one after presidential election

Story Timeline

2 events
  1. Friday

    Voters cast ballots in Dublin Central and Galway West.

    1 sourceThe Bbc
  2. Saturday morning

    Counting began in both constituencies.

    1 sourceThe Bbc

Potential Impact

  1. 01

    Final results will determine which parties hold the two seats in parliament.

  2. 02

    Vote transfers may alter the current tally leads in both constituencies.

Transparency Panel

Sources cross-referenced1
Confidence score65%
Synthesized bySubstrate AI
Word count105 words
PublishedMay 23, 2026, 11:13 AM
Bias signals removed1 across 1 outlet
Signal Breakdown
Editorializing 1

Related Stories

WHO Chief Visits DRC as Ebola Death Rate Reaches 30-50%The Guardian
world16 min ago

WHO Chief Visits DRC as Ebola Death Rate Reaches 30-50%

World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to support containment of a new Ebola outbreak. The agency revised the death rate to 30-50% based on confirmed cases and recorded 10 confirmed and 223 suspected d…

SK
The Guardian
2 sources
Greek National Charged in UK With Aiding Iran-Linked Intelligence Servicewesternjournal.com
world16 min ago

Greek National Charged in UK With Aiding Iran-Linked Intelligence Service

A 46-year-old Greek man living in Germany was charged under the UK National Security Act with assisting an intelligence service believed to be Iran by targeting a journalist at Iran International.

Reuters
BBC News
2 sources
Journalists in Gaza to Receive 2026 Golden Pen of Freedom Awardstraitstimes.com
world2 hrs ago

Journalists in Gaza to Receive 2026 Golden Pen of Freedom Award

Three international news agencies will accept the award on behalf of their local staff still reporting from the territory. The World Association of News Publishers cited the journalists' continued coverage under extreme conditions.

Al-Monitor
AF
2 sources