Tag Archives: local elections

Results are in for the Killaloe Electoral Area first count. Joe Cooney (FG) has been comfortably elected having netted nearly 26% of the valid poll with a vote of 2,843. The quota was set at 1,585 votes, and Pat Hayes (FF) is just shy of the quota on count one with 1,490. Behind him is Michael Begley (NP) on 1,390. Tony O’Brien (FF) looks set to secure a seat with 1,294 votes. With Councillor Cooney’s surplus of 1,258 now being counted he expects his party colleagues Pat Burke (FG) and Joe Arkins (FG) to see the most benefit from it. Pat Burke currently stands at 825, and Joe Arkins at 755. The other results in show Alan O’Callaghan (FF) on 791 votes; Liam Wiley (FF) on 651; Niamh O’Brien (FN) on 731; and Donal Higgins (Lab) on 323. The valid poll in the electoral area stood at 11,181 polled, 11,093 votes were deemed valid.

Joe Cooney (FG) is the first county councillor to be elected in the County Clare Local Election. With 2,843 votes, which is expected to be the largest vote in the county, Councillor Cooney’s vote was 1,258 over the 1,585 quota. Speaking following the announcement he said, “I’d a brilliant performance. I didn’t expect a performance like that”. He put the performance down to the hard work he has done for his electorate over the past five years. “I worked hard for the people in those five years. I think the vote today is a true reflection of that,” he said. As counters begin assigning his 1,258 surplus votes, Joe believes his two party colleagues Pat Burke and Joe Arkins will net the benefit of these, “both have done well, I think they stand a great chance and I think both of them will get elected”. Announcing details of the celebrations to follow in O’Callaghan’s Mills, Cooney said, “We’ll have a …

By Nicola Corless As the final week of canvassing begins for Elections 2014, we take a look at the local candidates in the Loughrea Electoral Area Eight seats are up for grabs in the Loughrea Electoral Area, which extends from Kinvara to Kiltullagh and on to Kilreekill, Abbeygormacan, Derrrew, Kilquan and Tiranascragh. Thirteen candidates are in the running in the constituency, to represent an electorate of 37,416. In 2009, the total electorate was just shy of 31,000 for the then seven-seat constituency. Since the boundary change, Athenry has moved into the Oranmore-Athenry area and, with it, sitting Councillor in the Loughrea Electoral Area, Fine Gael’s Peter Feeney. Fine Gael is running four candidates in the new electoral area, including three sitting councillors, Michael ‘Moegie’ Maher, Loughrea; Jimmy McClearn, Killimor and Bridie Willers, Ardrahan. Joe Byrne from Kinvara is a first-time candidate but with strong family ties to the party. Fianna Fáil has put forward three candidates: Shane Donnellan from Loughrea; …

IN Ireland, the system of voting in all elections, Dáil, Seanad, Presidential, European and Local, is proportional representation, with a single transferable vote in multi-seat constituencies (three, four and five-seat constituencies at Dáil elections). Hopefully, this guide, compliments of the Citizens Information Bureau, will be a help in tracking what happens on election day and at the count the following day. The ballot paper Proportional representation means, as a voter, you can indicate your first and subsequent choices for the candidates on the ballot paper. The names of the candidates will appear in alphabetical order on the ballot paper, together with their photographs and their party emblem (if they wish). Voting by proportional representation You indicate your first choice by writing 1 opposite your first choice and 2 opposite your second choice, 3 opposite your third choice and so on. You may stop marking your paper after 1, or any subsequent preference, or you may go right down the ballot …

VOTERS  in Clare have until next Tuesday evening to ensure they are listed on the Supplementary Register for the Local and European Elections. Application forms for the supplementary register can be downloaded from www.checktheregister.ie or can be obtained from Áras Contae an Chláir and at Clare County Council Local Area Offices. The local authority has also set up a freephone number, 1800 245426, to assist people with their queries. A council spokesperson stated, “The local and European elections will take place on Friday, May 23 and people who are eligible to vote, but who have not yet registered, have an opportunity between now and 5pm on May 6 to apply to be included on the supplementary register, which allows them to vote at the forthcoming elections.” Meanwhile, the council has confirmed that the count centre for both elections is Treacy’s West County Hotel in Ennis. Almost 64%, or 56,687, of County Clare’s 88,769 voters turned out to vote in the …

By Dan Danaher FORMER Clare Labour Party activist, Paula McNamara will contest the Local Elections as an independent candidate in May. In addition to stepping down from the Labour Party’s Central Council, Paula McNamara, Magowna, Inch, resigned from the party last month. The daughter of former Ennis Hospital Development Committee chairman and Labour Party activist, the late Peadar McNamara, Paula also relinquished a number of administrative roles including PRO of the Ennis Labour Branch, county women’s’ officer, and co-treasure. Involved in numerous community projects from a young age, she hopes voters will judge her  ability to make a difference on the council on what she has achieved in the past. “I am young energetic person who likes to get things done. I hope my years of community involvement will give voters a glimpse of what I have and can achieve with their support,” she said. Revitalising Ennis town centre to make it a more attractive place for local shoppers and tourists …

A LOOP Head community activist predicts up to 10 new local elections candidates will come under his political umbrella group by the end of the month. Noel Gavin, an award-winning photojournalist with over 40 years’ experience with national and international media, is one of the Clare candidates, who has signed up to Independents Together (IT). Kilbaha-based sculptor, Jim Connolly, who established the Irish Citizens’ Party in 2012 has now formed IT, which he insists is a “unique concept in the development of democratic politics”. Keen to provide a political voice for people who feel abandoned and disillusioned by traditional party politics, the Rural Resettlement founder has already recruited two new candidates from Cork; Ross Cannon from Fermoy and Denis O’Brien from Mallow. Another high profile outgoing independent Dublin councillor, is committed to signing up to a series of “humanitarian principles, which put the quality of life of all citizens as a top priority”. In addition to the existing line-up, Mr …

FOLLOWING his “rejection” by Fianna Fáil at the party’s West Clare Electoral Area convention on Monday, Councillor Tom Prendeville has claimed that he was approached immediately after the meeting and asked if he wanted to be added to the list of candidates. The sitting Kilrush Town Councillor refused to completely rule out running as an independent candidate, labelled Fianna Fáil a rural organisation, said the late Nelson Mandela wouldn’t have been successful at the convention and maintained that he was “shafted” by Fianna Fáil party strategists. Outgoing county councillors PJ Kelly (51 votes), Pat Keane (50) and Bill Chambers (32) were selected to run for the party in next year’s expanded West Clare constituency, which will elect eight councillors. This means that, as of now, Fianna Fáil will have no Kilrush town candidate in the field for the 2014 election. It has also emerged that there is no registered Fianna Fáil member within Kilrush town. Michael O’Neill (15), Tom Prendeville …