Politics

Galway County Council: Fianna Fáil takes 15 seats

All four Fianna Fáil candidates in the Tuam area were successful

Fri May 31 2019 - 11:46

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael won 15 and 11 seats respectively on Galway County Council and so will the two parties will dominate the next session.

Fine Gael’s Jimmy McClearn declared himself the “father of the house” after being re-elected in Loughrea on the first count. He is the longest serving member, having been first elected in 1991, although the Killimor native lost his seat for one term. His party colleague Michael ‘Moegie’ Maher topped the poll in Loughrea with 2,152 votes.

All four Fianna Fáil candidates in the Tuam area were successful, with the last remaining seats on the local authority being filled on Monday morning. Fine Gael’s Pete Roche topped the poll in Tuam and was followed home by Fianna Fáil’s Donagh Killilea. His Fianna Fáil colleagues Mary Hoade and Colm Keaveney retained their seats while newcomer Joe Sheridan from Milltown polled well to be the third elected in the seven-seat area. Andrew Reddington of Fine Gael was elected for the first time with party colleague Tom McHugh losing his seat by 10 votes as Independent Karey McHugh claimed the final seat on Galway County Council.

Shane Curley of Fianna Fáil took the third of the five seats in Loughrea. Ivan Canning, brother of Galway hurler Joe, reclaimed his seat on the third count – just in time for the Fianna Fáil politician to dash across the road and see he county’s senior hurlers draw with Wexford. Independent Pat Hynes claimed the last seat, being reelected without reaching the quota after the eighth count.

READ MORE

Independent Jim Cuddy retained his seat on the fourth count in the Athenry-Oranmore electoral area. The former Progressive Democrat paid tribute to Independent TD Noel Grealish for supporting him.

The retired garda became the third member elected in the seven-seat Athenry-Oranmore area along with James Charity (Independent) who topped the poll and 20-year old student Albert Dolan, who won a seat for Fianna Fáil. Independent Gabe Cronnelly retained his seat on the ninth count, with the distribution of his former Sinn Féin colleague Louis O’Hara’s vote helping his cause.

Shelly Herterich Quinn was also elected for Fianna Fáil in this area as were Fine Gael duo David Collins and Liam Carroll.

Martina Kinane retained her seat despite having her area moved from Athenry-Oranmore to Gort-Kinvara. The Fianna Fáil councillor was elected on the eighth count. The other four seats have been filled by Ms Kinane’s running mate Gerry Finnerty, Fine Gael duo Joe Byrne and PJ Murphy and Independent candidate Geraldine Donohue.

Independent Tom Welby became the first of the 949 councillors to be elected to a county council on Saturday after topping the poll in Connemara North.

Mr Welby retained his seat on Galway County Council when his 2,140 votes exceeded the quota of 1,455. The Oughterard-based councillor said he retained his seat without using posters and paid tribute to all those who supported him.

In the same local electoral area, Fine Gael’s Eileen Mannion was elected after Mr Welby’s surplus was distributed. And, after the third count, Fianna Fáil’s Gerry King and SeamusWalsh were also elected.

In Ballinasloe, Fianna Fáil’s Michael Connolly and Independent candidate Tim Broderick comfortably exceeded the quota and were both elected on the first count, with Sinn Féin’s Dermot Connolly taking a seat on the seventh count. Independents Aisling Dolan and Declan Geraghty were elected on the eighth count along with Peter Keaveney of Fine Gael, who survived the switch from the Tuam area.

In the five-seat Conamara South electoral area, Fine Gael’s Padraig Mac An Iomaire was the first man home, passing the quota on the third count. He was followed on the fourth count by Noel Thomas (Fianna Fáil), Dáithí Ó Cualáin (Fianna Fáil), Alastair McKinstry (Green Party) and Tomás Ó Curraoin (Independent).

(First preference votes: candidates elected in bold)

Athenry-Oranmore: 7 seats

James Charity (Ind) - 1,792 (elected count 1)
Albert Dolan (Fianna Fáil) - 1,720 (elected count 1)
Jim Cuddy (Ind) - 1,457 (elected count 4)
Gabe Cronnelly (Ind) - 1,226 (elected count 9)
David Collins (Fine Gael) - 1,163 (elected count 10)
Liam Carroll (Fine Gael) - 885 (elected count 10)
Shelly Herterich Quinn (Fianna Fáil) - 745 (elected count 10)
Josette Farrell (Ind) - 647
Michael Hannon (Fianna Fáil) - 753
Helen Jennings (Fine Gael) - 734
Kenneth Keavey (Green Party) - 497
Amanda McManus (Renua Ireland) - 183
Louis O'Hara (Sinn Féin) - 507
Marian Spelman (Labour Party) - 206

Ballinasloe: 6 seats

Tim Broderick (Ind) - 2,362 (elected count 1)
Michael Connolly (Fianna Fáil) - 2,168 (elected count 1)
Dermot Connolly (Sinn Féin) - 1,387 - (elected count 7)
Peter Keaveney (Fine Gael) - 1,632 (elected count 8)
Declan Geraghty (Ind) - 1,541 (elected count 8)
Aisling Dolan (Ind) - 1,082 (elected count 8)
Harriett Bruce (Ind) - 311
Ken Campbell (Social Dems) - 407
Aidan Donohue (Fine Gael) - 845
Michael Finnerty (Fine Gael) - 697
Mike Kelly (Fianna Fáil) - 511
Kenneth O'Brien (Fianna Fáil) - 308

Conamara North: 4 seats

Thomas Welby (Ind) - 2,140 (elected count 1)
Eileen Mannion(Fine Gael) - 1,400 (elected count 2)
Gerry King (Fianna Fáil) - 1,350 (elected count 3)
Seamus Walsh (Fianna Fáil) - 1,012 (elected count 5)
Críostóir Breathnach (Ind) -163
Josie Conneely (Ind) - 625
Tom Healy (Sinn Féin) - 583

Conamara South: 5 seats

Padraig Mac An Iomaire (Fine Gael) - 1,408 (elected count 3)
Noel Thomas (Fianna Fáil) - 1,211 (elected count 4)
Dáithí Ó Cualáin (Fianna Fáil) - 1,166 (elected count 4)
Alastair McKinstry (Green Party) - 985 (elected count 4)
Tomás Ó Curraoin (Ind) - 971 (elected count 4)
Máirtín Lee (Fianna Fáil) - 1,016
Ann Flaherty (Fine Gael) - 872
MacDara Hosty (Fianna Fáil) - 678
Kevin O'Hara (Sinn Féin) - 509
Críostóir Breathnach (Ind) - 113
Patrick Feeney (Ind) - 32

Gort-Kinvara: 5 seats

Joe Byrne (Fine Gael) - 2,571 (elected count 1)
PJ Murphy (Fine Gael) - 1,615 (elected count 2)
Martina Kinane (Fianna Fáil) - 1,479 (elected count 7)
Gerry Finnerty (Fianna Fáil) - 818 (elected count 8)
Geraldine Donohue (Ind) - 537 (elected count 8)
Kevin Fahey (Fianna Fáil) - 812
Fionn Kiely (Fine Gael) - 597
Cormac Mac Gowan (I4C) - 429
Hubert Geoghegan (Ind) - 407
Declan Diviney (Ind) - 390
Emma O'Connell (Renua Ireland) - 322

Loughrea: 5 seats

Michael 'Moegie' Maher (Fine Gael) - 2,152 (elected count 1)
Jimmy McClearn (Fine Gael) - 2,041 (elected count 1)
Shane Curley (Fianna Fáil) - 1,581 (elected count 2)
Ivan Canning (Fianna Fáil) - 1,564 (elected count 3)
Pat Hynes (Ind) - 948 (elected count 8)
Pat Flanagan (Fianna Fáil) - 738
Joe Campbell (Aontú) - 661
Annemarie Roche (Sinn Féin) - 332
Eoin Madden (Ind)- 321

Tuam: 7 seats

Pete Roche (Fine Gael) -2,430 (elected count 1)
Donagh Mark Killilea (Fianna Fáil) - 1,521 (elected count 5)
Joe Sheridan (Fianna Fáil) - 1,544 (elected count 7)
Mary Hoade (Fianna Fáil) - 1,455 (elected count 7)
Andrew Reddington (Fine Gael) - 1,389 (elected count 7)
Colm Keaveney (Fianna Fáil) - 1,219 (elected count 7)
Karey McHugh (Ind) - 929 (elected count 7)
Tom McHugh (Fine Gael) - 1,258
Billy Connelly (Ind) -1,118
Shaun Cunniffe (Ind) - 862
Martin Ward (Aontú) - 467
Stiofán De Lundres Ó Dálaigh (Sinn Féin) - 403
Thomas (TP) Niland (Ind) - 241
Dermot Ryan (Ind) - 18