Boylesports bookmakers are predicting that Sinn Féin’s Joanna Byrne will top the poll in Louth, they are putting her chances of being elected at 99% and are offering odds of 1/20 on the Dail election first timer.

Next in their pecking order, with odds of 1/8 is the current Sinn Féin TD, Ruairi Ó Murchú with Labour’s outgoing TD Deputy Ged Nash in third place on 1/5.

According to Boylesports, the other two seats in the five-seater constituency will go to Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fáil) and John McGahon (FG) both on odds of 2/5.

Independent candidate Kevin Callan is currently in sixth place in the betting with even money odds with the Green's Marianne Butler on 9/4.

Fianna Fail's Alison Comyn is next at 3/1 followed by Antion Watters of Sinn Féin and Hermann Kelly of Irish Freedom Party who are both on 5/1.

Other candidates to feature in the Boyle sports predictions are 

Paula Butterly (FG) - 28/1

Michael O'Dowd (Aontú) 40/1

Albert Byrne (Independent), David Carroll (Independent), James Reneghan (People Before Profit) are all on odds of 100/1 and the rest of the pack are all being quoted at 200/1.

All of these prices were as quoted on boylesports.com at 3.00 pm today but could of course change as the evening wears on.

The counting of votes will commence in Dundalk in the moring at 8.00 am with the first results not expected until lunchtime. The only certainty of the day is that of the 24 candidates to have put their names forward, 19 will go away disappointed.

The important thing for us citizens is to vote, it is a great privelige that is denied to many millions of people around the world. If you don't use your vote you really can't complain about the outcome.