Fianna Fail has regained its control of Galway County Council after an eight-year break, but there is little change in the share-out of power on Galway Corporation, where a recount is in progress for the north-east ward.
Fianna Fail took 16 of the 30 seats on the council, comprehensively ending the rainbow coalition's reign dating back to 1991. Outgoing chairman and PD councillor, Mr Willie Burke, who was also chairman of the Western Regional Authority, lost his seat. Waste disposal proved to be a factor in voting patterns in both the county council and Ballinasloe Urban District Council, with two "anti-superdump" Independent candidates on the UDC gaining seats.
In Galway city, a second recount was in progress in the north-east ward on behalf of the Progressive Democrat candidate, Mr Gary Creaven. A first recount was granted after only three votes separated Mr Creaven from Fine Gael's Fintan Coogan for the ward's seventh seat. Ten errors were found but when the recount failed to resolve the issue in Mr Creaven's favour, a second recount was demanded on his behalf by elected party colleague, Mr Declan McDonnell. Given that the result for the north-east ward is provisional, Galway Corporation results show Fianna Fail gaining one seat, while the Progressive Democrats held on to their four seats, performing far better than had been predicted.
Fine Gael secured four seats, while Labour, with two seats, elected its first female councillor in the borough, Ms Catherine Connolly.
Fianna Fail's biggest boost came in the Ballinasloe electoral area where the party won four out of five seats, in the process demolishing the Fine Gael challenge.
A loss for FF came however when former junior minister and ex-council chairman Mr Tommy Hussey lost his council seat in the Tuam area.
Another sitting councillor who lost his seat was Fine Gael's Mr Michael Finnerty in Ballinasloe. FG Senator Jarlath McDonagh topped the poll in the Oranmore area with party colleague Mr J.J. Mannion making an impressive table-topping debut in the Connemara area. In the Loughrea area colourful Fianna Failer Mr Michael `Stroke' Fahy swept in on the first count with over 2,000 first preference votes.
"This was a great success for FF in Galway - an awful lot of people worked very hard to make this happen," said poll-topper Mr Josie Callanan.
The Galway County Council party breakdown is as follows: FF 16; FG 9; PDs 2; Independents 3.
