Cynthia Ní Mhurchú to focus on 'backbone of rural Ireland' should she become an MEP

Fianna Fáil candidate for Ireland South in the European elections, Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, has said businesses and farmers will be her priority if she is elected to the European Parliament.

The lawyer and mediator, who is known for presenting the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest alongside Gerry Ryan when Riverdance had its debut, arrived at Nemo Rangers GAA Club on Tuesday where votes continue to be counted.

Ms Ní Mhurchú has polled strongly with a first preference count of 55,209 and is in the mix to win a seat in Ireland South, alongside party colleague Billy Kelleher.

Describing businesses and farmers as “the backbone of rural Ireland”, Ms Ní Mhurchú said she will strive to improve issues in rural towns and villages across the Ireland South constituency if she secures a seat.

“There are so many things that could be improved and enhanced in all the rural towns and villages I was in,” she said.

“I am absolutely truly concerned about rural towns and how they are failing and how local businesses are failing and I’m very concerned about farmers and farming families being able to continue on the land because they are the backbone - those businesses and farmers are the backbone of rural Ireland and we have to support them and I will be doing that in Europe.” 

Speaking about her success in the European elections, she said she is “very humbled” by the number of first preference votes she received which she said is “a huge testament” to her campaign.

She commended her campaign team and the work they have done on the ground, as well as Fianna Fáil councillors across Ireland South who she said have been rooting for her throughout her campaign.

“I have enjoyed the campaign so much. It has been so positive, so beneficial, not just to me but to voters spreading positive politics, to the campaign team, to Fianna Fáil, to those councillors who really rooted for me,” she said.

Ms Ní Mhurchú said that while her vote was primarily driven by the regions of Carlow and Kilkenny, where she said people came out in their droves to vote, that her vote had across-the-board appeal in Ireland South.

After two full days of counting, Ireland South became the first European Constituency in the country to return an MEP on Monday evening.

Fine Gael MEP Seán Kelly was elected after he exceeded the quota of 114,761 on the first count, winning 122,777 votes out of a total poll of 713,323.

His surplus of 8,016 votes were distributed in the second count which saw Independent candidate Ciarán O’Riordán eliminated from the race on 2,485 votes.

A third count saw Independent candidate Christopher Doyle eliminated from the running for a seat.

The fourth count saw The Irish People (TIP) candidate Ross Lahive eliminated.