Seán Kyne is elected as a Teachta Dála (TD) for Galway West after the final count shows him overtaking Noel Thomas. Reports say Kyne trails early in the counting process but steadily narrows the gap over successive counts. On the last count, his transfers from lower-priority ballots and later counting stages allow him to pass Thomas, resulting in Kyne winning the seat. The election outcome is therefore determined not by an initial lead, but by the order of eliminations and vote transfers that occur through the multi-count system used for the constituency. Multiple outlets describe the decisive moment as Kyne “leapfrogging” Thomas on the final count. Overall, the available coverage focuses on the late-stage shift in vote totals and confirms that Thomas does not retain enough support through the subsequent counts to stay ahead once Kyne’s final gains are included.