MEP Clare Daly has lost her seat in the European Parliament.

She has been eliminated after the 17th count in the RDS where the Dublin constituency is being counted.

Transfers from TD Bríd Smith, who was eliminated after the 16th count, have also seen Aodhán Ó Ríordáin of Labour overtake Green MEP Ciaran Cuffe into 5th place, putting him in a battle with Niall Boylan to take the final seat.

Barry Andrews of Fianna Fáil, Regina Doherty of Fine Gael, and Sinn Féin's Lynn Boylan are well placed to take three seats.

Transfer management

After being eliminated, PBP’s Bríd Smith said the left needs to manage its transfers better.

“I would argue that the left needs to cop on and push what we’ve been pushing, which is vote left and transfer left, like Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael who have transferred very well to each other,” she said.

It's expected it could be Thursday before Ireland South has its five seats filled.

Sean Kelly visiting Nemo Rangers. Image: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo

Counting continues in County Cork with only Sean Kelly elected so far and Fianna Fáil's Billy Kelleher is in second place.

A battle royale is on the cards for the three remaining seats there, with Grace O’Sullivan, Michael McNamara, Mick Wallace, and Sinn Fein's Kathleen Funchion all in contention.

Meanwhile in Midlands North West Luke Ming Flanagan, Nina Carberry, Barry Cowen, and Maria Walsh all now look certain to take the first four seats.

Sinn Féin 'won't win the fifth seat'

Sinn Féin Michelle Gildernew said it now seems unlikely her party will take the fifth seat there.

“We’re still in the mix but I’m probably not overly optimistic that I can overtake Ciaran Mullooly at this stage,” she said.

“I think he’s probably going to scrape the last seat.

“I think we have probably resigned to the fact at this stage that we won’t win the fifth seat.”

There are just two candidates left in the race to become the first directly elected mayor in the country, with a result from Limerick expected in the next couple of hours.

Main image: Clare Daly. Image: Michael Debets / Alamy Stock Photo