Fine Gael's Mairead McGuinness was the first Irish MEP elected this Monday, topping the poll in the Midlands-Northwest constituency.

McGuinnness, the outgoing first vice-president of the European Parliament and member of the agriculture committee, was elected on the first count declared at the count centre in Castlebar.

With results from around Europe pointing to a fragmented parliament, McGuinness said: "An early and critically important issue for the new parliament will be to successfully complete negotiations for the new Common Agriculture Policy for the period beyond 2020."

Sitting members

Coming in second place is Luke Ming Flanagan, followed by Matt Carthy of Sinn Féin.

Both are also sitting members of the European Parliament's agriculture committee.

Maria Walsh of Fine Gael was fourth.

The second count is likely to see many Fine Gael transfers from McGuinness to Walsh.

Independent Peter Casey and the Green Party's Saoirse McHugh are further behind than expected after exit polls and would require large amounts of transfers to contend the fourth and last seat in the constituency.

Former agriculture minister Brendan Smith of Fianna Fáil was in seventh position.

Ireland South

Sitting Fine Gael MEP Sean Kelly topped the poll in the first count, but fell just short of the quota in Ireland South.

Fianna Fáil TD Billy Kelleher came second, followed by independent TD Mick Wallace and Sinn Féin's MEP Liadh Ní Riada.

Green Party senator Grace O'Sullivan came fifth in this five-seat race.

Fine Gael's sitting MEP Deirdre Clune and Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Andrew Doyle are next, with a large gap of 24,000 votes to the advantage of Clune.

Northern Ireland

Outgoing MEP Diane Dodds of the DUP was the first candidate elected in Northern Ireland after the third count, followed by Alliance Party leader Naomi Long and Sinn Féin's Martina Anderson later on.