Voting gets underway on Mayo's islands

VOTING in the general election has just got underway on Mayo’s three inhabited offshore islands of Clare Island, Inishturk and Inishbiggle.

There are 121 voters on Clare Island, 29 voters on Inishbiggle and 50 registered voters on Inishturk, the most remote of the three communities.

Island voters generally vote ahead of the mainland to ensure that the ballot boxes are back on the mainland in time for the count.

The boxes will be stored in garda stations before being taken to the count centre in Castlebar on Saturday morning.

Polling station on the Mayo islands will remain open until 3 p.m. except in the case of Inishturk when they will close at 2.30 p.m.