Micheál Martin hopeful Fianna Fáil could secure an additional seat on Cork City Council

Tánaiste and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said he believes the party might be able to secure an additional seat on Cork City Council following this year's local elections.

Mr Martin made the comments while speaking to reporters outside his polling station, St Anthony’s School in Ballinlough, after casting his vote in the local and European elections this morning.

Difficult

Asked if he believes the party could replicate its success in the 2019 locals, Mr Martin acknowledged that could be a difficult feat, but contended that Fianna Fáil had put its best foot forward in this year’s campaign.

“We did exceptionally well in the last occasion in the modern era, about 27%. Now, that will be hard to achieve on this occasion.

“We’re first place in local authorities in terms of the number of seats, so we’re certainly aiming to retain our seats and gain some new seats in areas where perhaps we didn’t perform as well in the last local elections.

“Here in the South East ward, with Mary Rose Desmond and Terry Shannon, we have two exceptional councillors and across the city with Seán [Martin] and David Boyle in the South Central ward and then of course in the city South West and across the northside. So we have a very strong team in Cork and we could perhaps gain a seat across the city with some new exciting candidates and we’re looking forward to the outcome of that,” he said.

All seven incumbent Fianna Fáil councillors in the city - the Tánaiste’s brother Seán Martin, Terry Shannon, Mary Rose Desmond, Tony Fitzgerald, John Sheehan, Fergal Dennehy and Colm Kelleher – have all sought reelection.

In addition, there are five non-incumbents running – David Boyle, Olga Shevchenko, Terry Coleman, Shane Ryan and Margaret McDonnell.

European elections

Speaking today, Mr Martin also commended the Fianna Fáil candidates contesting the European elections and said the Ireland South constituency – which takes in all of Munster as well as four counties in south and east Leinster – could make for an “interesting result” for the party.

“I think with Billy Kelleher and Cynthia Ní Mhurchú we’ve had a very strong team.

“Billy has been an exceptional worker as an MEP over the last five years.

“He’s been very, very present about the place and about the region and then with Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, she’s been an indefatigable candidate.

“She’s been non-stop, tremendous commitment to the campaign – I have to pay tribute to her energy and to her work ethic in this campaign.

“She left it all on the pitch, so to speak, along with Billy Kelleher, so I think Ireland South could be a very interesting result for us,” he said.

Asked if he felt the local elections can act as any sort of barometer as to how the party might fair in the next general election, Mr Martin said he doesn’t believe so.

“I don’t because experience has told us that there can be little relationship between the two.

“I mean, if you look at the local elections [2019] we did very well and we didn’t do as well in the general election.

“What the local elections can do for you is introduce a new generation of politicians who in turn then could become Dáil candidates.”