ENNISTYMON’S Martin Conway has retained his Seanad seat making him the only successful Clare candidate in the race.

The Fine Gael member secured 90 first preference votes and was elected to the Administrative Panel on the sixteenth count, on a total of 149,765 ballots.

Senator Conway has been a high-profile member of the Upper House since 2011.

Earlier today, Clare candidate Ann Marie Flanaghan, a social inclusion campaigner, bowed out on the sixth count for the Administrative Panel. Ms Flanagan, a Corofin native, polled 22 first preference votes and was on 25, 306 by count six.

The Ennistymon resident had been nominated by the Living Movement Ireland

In a Tweet following her elimination, Ms Flanagan said: “Very proud of the 1st preference, given I am an un-elected rural independent and female.”

Yesterday (Thursday), both Timmy Dooley, former Fianna Fáil TD and Michael Vaughan, prominent Lahinch hotelier, were eliminated from the race for seats on the Industrial and Commercial Panel.