Labour was the biggest winner in the election to Tipperary County Council while Independent TD Michael Lowry’s stable of councillors retained its five seats.

Sinn Féin failed to add to its two representatives on the 40-seat local authority during what was a very close contest.

One of the biggest upsets was the collapse of Fine Gael’s vote in Cashel-Tipperary. First-time candidate Matthew Fogarty was standing instead of Michael Fitzgerald, a 2019 poll-topper who was one of the State’s longest-serving councillors before his retirement at the end of the outgoing council’s term. Mr Fogarty polled just 340 votes and the seat went to another first-time candidate, Independent John O’Heney, who topped the poll and was elected on the first count.

However, Fine Gael took 10 seats, down two on 2019′s total, and finished tied with Fianna Fáil, which gained one seat, as the council’s largest party.

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Labour will be very pleased with the outcome with three councillors elected, up from one last time out. Fiona Bonfield, a cousin of local TD and former Labour leader Alan Kelly, topped the poll in Newport. First-time candidate Michael ‘Chicken’ Brennan was elected in Carrick-on-Suir and Louise Morgan Walsh was successful in Nenagh.

Mr Kelly said he would not be “shouting from the rooftops” about the outcome but he felt it was “a good, dignified result” for the party.

“The Labour Party always works harder than anybody else because it has to, and we stick to our beliefs,” he said. “We’re not populist. We don’t do the populist thing. I think populism has got an awful belt in this election.”

Independent candidates held their own, with 14 seats, and local TD Michael Lowry saw his so-called “Lowry Team” retain their five seats for a second local election in a row. “Drive for Five was our motto,” Mr Lowry said. “It has been a brilliant result.”

Asked if he would field more candidates in a future election, he said it is always “a danger to plan ahead” but that “there is a possibility”. He ruled out forming his own political party.

The number of women elected to the council increased from seven to 12.

Cahir: 4 seats

Carrick-on-Suir: 5 seats

Cashel - Tipperary: 7 seats

Clonmel: 6 seats

Nenagh: 5 seats

Newport: 4 seats

Roscrea - Templemore: 4 seats

Thurles: 5 seats

[ View 2019 Tipperary County Council results ]

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