Tag Archives: 2016

AFTER Michael McDonagh’s votes were examined it became clear there was no need for a further recount, an exhausted Michael McNamara acknowledged this morning, as he exited the race. The gap of 85 was reduced to 81, but it wasn’t enough and a haggard looking McNamara admitted recent weeks have taken a toll on him. “I’ve been exhausted for about two weeks now. It’s hard, people who haven’t been in an election campaign mightn’t realise quite how hard it can be, physically demanding. But I’m not unique in that, no doubt there are 15 other candidates who are equally exhausted.” Reflecting on his five years in the Dáil, the Scariff man said, “I personally think the country is in a better place than it was in 2011. Not as good as I’d like but much better than it was. I’ll take pride in the fact that I supported a Government that left the country in a better place and also …

THE results of the eighth count are in, which was the distribution of Timmy Dooley’s surplus of 749 votes. No candidate was elected so Ann Norton, fancied by some in the early stages of the campaign before Harty’s entrance, has been eliminated. The full results of the eighth count are Harty (Ind) +155  10,843 Breen (FG) + 25  7,537 Carey (FG) +30  7,062 McDonagh (FF) +390  5,887 McNamara (Lab) +71   5,569 Moran (SF) +25  5,083 Norton (Ind) +53  3,205   Speaking after her elimination Ann Norton said she had a great experience in the campaign and said she will continue to lobby the county’s TDs in her role as a county councillor. “They’ll be continually hearing my voice over the next five years. ”  

  The results of the sixth count, which consisted of the distribution of Fergal Smith’s votes, were, Breen (FG)  +83  7,420 Carey (FG) +116  6,894 Colleran Molloy (FF) +56  2,880 Dooley (FF) +148  10,772 Harty (Ind) +520 10,360 McDonagh (FF) +59 5,056 McNamara (Lab) +549  5,347 Moran (SF) +293  4,957 Norton (Ind) +296 2982 As a result Clare Colleran Molloy is eliminated. Michael McNamara has now overtaken Michael McDonagh for the first time and is 289 votes ahead of him. Timmy Dooley is likely to be the main beneficiary from Clare Colleran Molloy’s exit and may be elected on the next count.

CURRENTLY in seventh position, Noeleen Moran is reluctant to concede defeat. Speaking to the Champion she said the party is increasing in popularity. “We certainly grew our vote in this election, we hope we’re still in with a fighting chance, it’s far-out chance, but we’re hanging in there.” She said there was a good reception from the Clare public in recent weeks, for a party that is only starting to make the kind of gains here that have been seen in other areas. “We had a brilliant team, we were out in the worst of weather, we got a lot of positive responses, no hostility anywhere. There was an appetite for change. We can see that things have gone towards the independents and the government have been punished for their broken promises.”  

ALL 147 ballot boxes in the Clare constituency for General Election 2016 have been opened at the Fall’s Hotel, Ennistymon. By early afternoon after all the boxes were opened tally figures show a strong lead for Fianna Fáil’s Timmy Dooley with 10,059 votes. First time candidate Independent Dr Michael Harty is coming in strong on 8,454, Fine Gael TD Pat Breen 6576, Fine Gael TD Joe Carey on 5,940, Fianna Fáil’s Michael ‘Malty’ McDonagh is on 4,750, Labour TD Michael McNamara 4,394, Sinn Féin’s Noeleen Moran 4,095, Fianna Fáil’s Clare Colleran Molloy 2,729. Independent Ann Norton 2,202, Fine Gael’s Mary Howard, 2058, Independent Ian Lynch, 1465, Green Party’s Fergal Smith, 1666, Fís Nua’s Niamh O’Brien, 1113 and both Independent Dermot Mulqueen and Independent André Sibo Hakizimana on 63 votes. Jessica Quinn