Who was elected in your area?: Carrigaline

Mon, 10 Jun, 2024 - 15:44

Concubhar Ó Liatháin

THE Carrigaline Electoral Area had the distinction of returning the councillor with the highest first-preference vote in this year’s local elections when Seamus McGrath, the Fianna Fáil leader in Cork County Council and brother of the Finance Minister Michael McGrath, polled 5,191 votes, more than 3,000 above the quota, to be elected on the first count.

And while it was a huge personal endorsement for the Fianna Fáil man’s campaign and his work during the 2019-24 term, the party may be looking ruefully at the surplus and that of his running mate, Audrey Buckley, and wondering if they had run an additional candidate, could they have won a third seat.

There was no talk of that on Saturday night, at around 11.30pm, when Seamus McGrath was elected.

“It’s been a long day,” he remarked.

“I’m genuinely humbled by the support I’ve received and I obviously want to thank whoever supported me for putting their trust in me once again.”

Earlier in the day, before the votes had begun to be counted, but after the tallies had signalled that he would be returning with a surplus, he did not rule out giving consideration for a Dáil run in the near future.

Cllr Seamus McGrath at the count centre County Hall, Cork. Picture Dan Linehan

Also elected in that first count was Independent candidate Ben Dalton O’Sullivan who was keen to emphasise that he had run a no-poster campaign and still managed to be elected with a first- preference vote of 2,315, well over the quota of 2,057.

“I’m absolutely delighted with the result,” he said.

“I didn’t expect it, but I’m really delighted to be back on Cork County Council to work for the people of Carrigaline.”

The third seat was filled in the early hours of Sunday, when Jack White of Fine Gael was elected, thanks to a generous donation from the surplus of the Fianna Fáil polltopper.

It was almost noon yesterday day when the next seat was filled. Audrey Buckley of Fianna Fáil, the outgoing chairwoman of the municipality’s district council, who was grateful to finally get over the line, thanks to a telling chunk of transfers from Fine Gael’s Jack White.

It was one of a number of examples where transfers between representatives of the Government parties helped each other over the line.

This was a phenomenon virtually unknown between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in previous elections.

The final seats were filled quickly in the end.

Una McCarthy’s election came on the seventh count and that left Eoghan Fahy of Sinn Féin well ahead of any other challengers to take the final seat in the final count.

After eight counts, the first newly-minted councillor in Carrigaline was elected, and the one Sinn Féin councillor to be elected in all of the county’s electoral areas said that he was delighted to be elected following a tough campaign.

“I’m absolutely ecstatic, one of the best days of my life — other than my son being born, today is one of the best days I’ve ever had,” he said.

“It’s remarkable to have a Sinn Féin councillor back in the area.

“It’s well needed and I’m very proud of my team.”

RESULTS

Carrigaline Electoral Area

(six seats)

Elected