Updated 00.45

Sinn Féin's Lynn Boylan has won a European seat in the Dublin constituency.

She became the first of 11 MEPs to be elected just after midnight on Sunday.

Sinn Féin's Lynn Boylan has been elected in the Dublin constituency Pic: Fergal O'Brien

Elsewhere, the first results in Ireland South and Midlands North West will not be announced until tomorrow.

Figures from the European Parliament show just over half of those eligible to vote cast a ballot Friday.

Meanwhile, over 80% of the country's new Councillors have now been elected, and a battle is underway between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to be the largest party on local authorities.

European elections

In the Ireland South constituency, Fine Gael is still in with a chance of winning two seats, but it isn't possible to say which of the three candidates will get those. Counting will resume there at 9 O'clock this morning.

Fianna Fail's Brian Crowley from Cork is hotly tipped to top the poll here, and is widely expected to exceed the quota in the first count which is estimated to be around 136,000.

Sinn Fein's Liadh Ni Riada is also is also polling well and if the exit poll is to be believed she'll take the second seat.

The third seat looks likely to go to Fine Gael's Sean Kelly from Kerry - the fourth and final seat will be a battle.

A close race anticipated in the other euro constituency of Midlands North West – where four candidates will be elected.

Experts are predicting a clear victory for Luke Ming Flanagan, but even the candidates themselves admit there’ll be a dogfight for the bottom two seats.

High turnout

Latest estimates from the European Parliament suggest 51.2% of registered Irish voters cast a ballot in the European elections. 

That's the lowest turnout here in a European election since 1999.

Figures from the European Parliament

The numbers put us in the top ten of European countries voting.

Local elections

Counting continues in most local electoral areas, though some 800 of the 949 new councillors have already been elected.

Labour continues to feel the drubbing but is now fighting it out for some final seats.

The Sinn Féin surge has seen the party elect almost 140 councillors, and Independents and others also have a big presence.

But Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are now engaged in a fight to see who will hold the most local authority seats, the opposition party now holding 221 seats while the government party are on 190.