Sean Defoe

What do you make of this showing?

I mean, it's always the adage that governments lose by elections, but it looks like Sean Kynan is in with a shout of winning this one, but Cillian Keane really not performing.

And what is your reading of the overall shape of the voting with independent Ireland doing well?

The Labour Party, whose seat it was, I suppose, but in a general election, you can get the last seat and still it's the same as the first seat.

It's equally valuable.

But in a by-election, there's only one to fight for.

So the incumbent party doesn't necessarily get that seat.

Eamon, thank you very much for joining us and sharing your wisdom and your knowledge of that constituency.

Sean Defoe, who's actually going to keep a weather eye on the elections right throughout the day and even tomorrow.

Sean, what are you making of all of this?

Yeah, really interesting.

What are the exceptional circumstances for Sean Cain that makes him attractive to more of the electorate than you might expect in a by-election?

I'm just looking at the field.

I mean, how many candidates are there?

One, two, three, four... 17 in Galway, 14 in Dublin.

17 in Galway.

My goodness.

How do you push your way to the top of that hill?

Okay, it is extraordinary.

And you expect, I know, the count to go on into the dead of the night or perhaps into tomorrow morning.