Sean Defoe

So the electorate here has also fallen by more than 5,000 since the last general election, following a recent electoral commission campaign to remove duplicate entries, as well as voters who had emigrated or died.

So that leaves an electorate of almost 58,000 people here.

If turnout remains around 40%, the ballot poll is expected to be in the region of 23,000 votes, meaning the winning candidate will likely need somewhere around 11,500 votes after transfers to take the seat here.

The contest, Sean, is widely seen, as we know now, as a two-horse race between Social Democrats Daniel Ennis and Sinn Féin candidate Janice Boylan.

Both parties are expressing confidence to me this morning, even though it's early days.

Both seem to be confident that they can take the seat.

They're telling me that they got their vote out yesterday, despite the low turnout.

But, as I say, turnout appears to be low, but it has held up in those areas such as Cabra, Glasnevin, Drumcondra, districts expected to be in favour of Janis Boylan and Daniel Ennis.

There will also be major attention, as you mentioned, on independent candidate Gerry de Moncouch.

He came close, of course, to winning his seat in the last general election.

However, the relatively low turnout in the north inner city could damage his prospects.

So tallies from that area of the inner city will be watched very closely throughout the morning.

In total, Sean, there's 14 candidates here are contesting and counting is expected to continue throughout the day.

The Dublin South West by-election, I remember that went on to about nine o'clock a few years ago.

I expect we'll get a full result here around eight or nine tonight.

OK.

Yeah, Barry, thanks a minute for that.

We'll cross to you later on in the show as well to see what those early tallies are telling us.

Well, those two parties who look to be in the shake-up in Dublin Central are with me in studio, Lynne Boylan, Sinn Féin MEP and Kino Callaghan, Deputy Leader of the Social Democrats, as well as Craig Hughes, the Political Editor with the Irish Daily Mail.

Lynne, you obviously were in that 2021 by-election, so I'm sure you can feel for the candidates this morning and the nerves that are floating out there.