Cork councils: Sinn Féin failed to capitalise on an impressive first preference vote in Cork city, gaining only one seat.
Fianna Fáil had been bracing itself for a loss of up to three seats and although its vote dropped from 36 per cent in 1999 to 29 per cent, the party dropped just one seat to 11. Fine Gael managed to hold its eight seats.
Labour took five seats in 1999. This time round, the party ran seven candidates and had six elected, with Ms Kathleen Lynch's brother-in-law, Mr Ciaran Lynch winning 16 per cent of the vote in Cork South Central.
For both the Progressive Democrats and the Greens, the election was disappointing. PD Alderman MáiríQuill was returned comfortably in the North East ward but Cllr Theresa O'Brien lost her seat in the South East ward to Mr Chris O'Leary of the Greens. Elsewhere, the Greens failed to build on the general election success of Mr Dan Boyle.
Sinn Féin enjoyed the greatest surge in support. Cllr Jonathan O'Brien topped the poll in the North West ward to be elected comfortably on the first count, with 17.2 per cent of the vote. Ms Annette Spillane provided the party with its other success, capitalising on transfers from the Greens and the Workers Party to win a seat in the North East ward at the expense of Fianna Fáil.
The party was in the shake-up for the last seats in three other wards, North Central, South Central and South West, but ultimately fell short by 50, 31 and 163 votes respectively. In each case, the party failed to pick up sufficient transfers.
The Socialist Party's Mr Mick Barry almost quadrupled his vote from 1999 when he polled 349 first preferences to a whopping 1,390 to take the first seat on the first count in Cork North Central where Independent Mr Con O'Leary was stepping down.
Fine Gael's Ms Deirdre Clune polled the highest of all candidates, with 2,307 votes in the South East ward.
In Co Cork, Fine Gael and Labour maintained their dominance of the 48-member local authority. Fine Gael increased its seats from 22 to 24 and Labour, from four to five, with Mr Sean Sherlock topping the poll in the Mallow electoral area.
Fianna Fáil dropped from 19 seats to 16. Much of the attention throughout the constituency focused on the performance of Sinn Féin which had realistic hopes of taking up to four seats.
Although Ms Ann O'Leary polled well in five-seater Bantry and Mr Cionnaith Ó Súilleabháin polled well in Skibbereen, it was in East Cork that the party enjoyed its only success in the county. Retired builder Mr Martin Hallinan, from Youghal, took the fifth seat on the 10th count - the first Sinn Féin member returned to Cork County Council since the 1920s.
In Bantry, Fine Gael former TD, Mr PJ Sheehan announced he was back with a bang when he topped the poll and was elected on the first count.
