It was a busy weekend of voting and counting at the weekend as Local Elections and European Elections were combined throughout the country, and Limerick residents had the added complication of a third ballot paper for the election of the new Directly Elected Mayor.
In North Cork, voting took place in three LEAs, Kanturk, Mallow and Fermoy, and counting for all three took place in Mallow Youth Centre last Saturday and Sunday. In Kanturk, the 2FF/2FG combination was maintained, with Fianna Fáil’s Bernard Moynihan topping the poll, though his colleague Ian Doyle had a tough battle with Aontú’s Becky Kealy before finally squeaking home. Fine Gael’s John Paul O’Shea was very close to the quota on first preference votes, and he sailed over the line on the second count. Next came Fine Gael’s Trish Murphy who comfortably retained her late father Gerard’s seat, but there was to be no easy election for Ian Doyle, as Becky Kealy was uncomfortably close to him as the counts progressed. She fell just short, however, so it’s a case of ‘as you were’ in the new Kanturk line-up.
In Mallow, Fine Gael’s Tony O’Shea topped the poll and was elected on the first count, as were Fine Gael’s Liam Madden and Labour’s Eoghan Kenny. The Fianna Fáil duo of Gearóid Murphy and Pat Hayes took the final two seats, though Sinn Féin’s Melissa O’Brien made a valiant effort to snatch the last seat on offer.
In the Limerick elections, the Cappamore/Kilmallock LEA saw veteran councillor Brigid Teefy (Independent) comfortably elected on the first count, as was Cappamore’s Mar-tin Ryan (Fianna Fáil). The other seats were filled by Independent Eddie Ryan, Galbally, Fine Gael’s Noreen Stokes of Pallas-green, Kilmallock’s PJ Carey (Sinn Féin), along with Fine Gael duo Greg Conway (Kilmallock) and Tommy O’Sullivan, Kilfinane.
In Adare/Rathkeale, Fine Gael pair Stephen Keary of Croagh and Adam Teskey (Reens) were both elected on the first count. The other seats were filled by Bridie Collins (Fianna Fáil), Independent Ireland pair John O’Donoghue (Athlacca) and Tommy Hartigan of Pallaskeny, and Fianna Fáil’s Ger Ward, Kilcornan.
In Newcastle West, Independent Jerome Scanlon of Feohanagh, Liam Galvin (Fine Gael), Abbeyfeale and Newcastle West’s Michael Collins (Fianna Fáil) were all elected on the first count. Also returned were Tom Ruddle (Fine Gael), Newcastle West, Francis Foley (Fianna Fáil), Abbeyfeale, and Cllr John Sheahan (Fine Gael).