A full recount has been called in Ireland South which is expected to leave the constituency without representation in Europe until mid-July.
The recount is predicted to take 28 working days.
After a recheck of the votes of out-going MEP Liadh Ní Riada and Green Party candidate Grace O'Sullivan changed the outcome by just one vote, Sinn Féin pressed ahead with a recount.
The process, which is expected to take around 28 working days, will not begin until Tuesday.
Returning officer Martin Harvey has confirmed a total recount in #IrelandSouth pic.twitter.com/BbocrZSXN6
— Elaine Loughlin (@Elaine_Loughlin) May 30, 2019
Speaking afterwards returning officer Martin Harvey said: "We will have the gardaí looking after the hall until next Tuesday morning at 9am when we reconvene here and we start counting afresh.
"Unfortunately it will take time, what we are proposing is to count from Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm or 6pm, we won't count at weekends, if we did we wouldn't be able to get the staff to do that, so that's where we are.
"This is democracy in action and in progress and we will do what's necessary," he said.