WATCH: 'I am the first Tipperary man to head the poll in all the north Kilkenny boxes'

On Saturday night, Tipperary Independent Michael Lowry was re-elected to the Dáil for the tenth time in a row.

The Premier County TD managed to win a seat in Tipperary North after securing 12,538 votes on the first count in Thurles.

The quota for Tipperary North is 11,442. 

READ MORE: REVEALED: A history of Michael Lowry's poll performances in Tipperary General Elections

Speaking to Seán Ryan of tipperarylive.ie after the result, he said: "I am thrilled, I am absolutely delighted for my family, for my supporters. 

"It was a magnificent victory. 12,500 thousand number one votes. I came into the election having lost 5,300 to south Tipperary. Obviously, I was concerned about that. My machine, my political machine here rallied and we put the numbers together and we had a great canvass team. 

"I concentrated a lot myself on north Kilkenny...I have the distinction of being the first Tipperary man to head the poll in all the north Kilkenny boxes."

When asked, having just won his tenth election, and topped the poll for the seventh time in a row since 1997, how it keeps doing it, Deputy Lowry replied: "It has to be down the loyalty of my supporters. They have been incredible. I have had turbulent times, I have had difficult times. 

"They were always steadfast in support of me. And I really value and appreciate that. It went unnoticed at national level but I stood five candidates in the Local Elections...all of them elected in the first count so that was a huge bonus to me in the constituency."

When asked about the boundary changes making this the most difficult election campaign he had faced, he replied: "First of all, it's relief. Secondly, I am very humbled by the level of support and if you look at the tallies I got it right throughout every box. To head the poll seven times you have to do that. Your voting as to spread right around the constituency. 

"12,500 number ones is remarkable."