According to the Central Statistics Office, as of the 2022 census, Roscommon was home to 70,259 people. While not having the lowest population of the 15 counties that make up the European Parliament constituency of Midlands-North-West, predicting that Roscommon would be home to not one but two MEPs following the election would have been a brave call.

  On June 7th gone, 679,946 constituents of Midlands-North-West took to the polls to cast their votes and elect five MEPs.

Incumbent MEP and poll-topper, Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan (Castlerea) was home and dry from the first count. He polled 78,214 first preferences before being elected having reached the quota (113,325) on the 19th count, having gathered 118,754 votes.

First-time political candidate and former RTE correspondent, Ciaran Mullooly of Independent Ireland (a Longford native who is resident in Ballyleague) and backed by one-time ‘Ming’ ally Michael Fitzmaurice TD, was elected without reaching the quota on the 21st count with 88,177 votes, when all other candidates were eliminated and Flanagan’s surplus was redistributed.

The third MEP candidate in the race with Roscommon connections was former Irish Times columnist John Waters. Originally from Castlerea, Mr Waters secured 13,692 first preferences and was eliminated following the 11th count.

Between the 19th and the 21st and final count, five MEPs were elected, three without reaching the quota.

For the next five years, the MEPs for Midlands-North-West, in the order they were deemed elected are: Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan (Independent); Barry Cowen (Fianna Fáil); Maria Walsh (Fine Gael); Nina Carberry (Fine Gael); and Ciaran Mullooly (Independent Ireland).

Sinn Féin shock

The biggest upset was dealt to Sinn Féin. The party failed to retain MEP Chris MacManus’ seat and despite a 57% transfer of votes to his running mate Michelle Gildernew, she too failed to get elected.

Fine Gael double

No strangers to shocking the electorate in European elections, Fine Gael managed to retain two seats, including re-electing Maria Walsh MEP and getting first-time candidate and former jockey Nina Carberry over the line.

Fianna Fáil comeback

Having lost all representation in the European Parliament in the region in 2014, Fianna Fáil ran a risky three-candidate strategy but ultimately delivered a seat with Offaly TD Barry Cowen getting elected, bringing to an end (at least for now) the Cowen dynasty in Dáil Éireann but perhaps opening a new chapter for the dynastic political family in the European Parliament.

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Prior to his re-election to the European Parliament being confirmed a few days later, MEP Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan was an interested observer at the Roscommon local election count in the Hyde Centre.

Speaking to the Roscommon People, the Castlerea native discussed how although local and European politics are different worlds, the issues being dealt with on the European level often link in with major concerns at home.

“Obviously in terms of local politics you have your bread and butter issues like how much money is going towards certain things”, he explained, “and of course a major concern is around Lough Funshinagh, whether it’s going to completely flood the community if something isn’t done urgently.

“But as well, if you take an issue like Gaza; that is an international question that also plays into the immigration issue.

“Whether it’s Gaza, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine… we know the national implications. If it’s not dealt with properly, people are forced to flee their homes. And we saw how immigration became a huge issue in both elections”.

Similarly, he referenced how issues like international trade may not initially seem particularly relevant to local people, until “trade agreements allow super-trawlers to come in and destroy local fishing industries” – with the now three-term MEP further discussing the huge importance of tackling agricultural concerns.

“In my younger days, as a ‘townie’, I wouldn’t have had a massive interest in farming”, he admitted. “But I’ve worked out over time how much it can be the be-all and end-all in politics in these areas; towns like Castlerea, Ballaghaderreen, Ballyhaunis – they’d only be a quarter of the size if it wasn’t for the agricultural community.

“How we produce our food is the most important thing”, he continued. “We’ve had a famine in this country; we know what it’s like to go without food”.

Another issue touched upon by ‘Ming’ during his chat with the Roscommon People was mental health services in Ireland, particularly within the context of neurodivergence, with the politician drawing on his own experience of having been recently diagnosed with autism.

“We have a situation in Ireland where you cannot get an autism diagnosis through the public health system, you have to go private and pay for it”, he explained. “And I was conscious of this when I disclosed my diagnosis, because while it was very significant for me and, I felt, very important to do, I know it’s a total luxury for most adults in Ireland”.

He also highlighted the disproportionate way in which women are less likely to be diagnosed, because of how they are socialised to mask/conform to societal ideals: “Growing up, women are told to cop on and get on with it, because (neurodivergent stims, etc) are seen as ‘unladylike’”.

He described the lack of publicly funded and adequately provided services in Ireland as “horrific”, saying, “Imagine if you had a situation where you broke your leg and had to go to a charity to get it fixed – or worse still, that when you did, there weren’t enough people there to help, or the waiting list was months’ long.

“That’s what’s happening with neurodivergence. That’s what’s happening with mental health services. And that has to change”, he said. “Ireland is one of the richest countries in the world and we’re leaving people behind”.

The MEP continued: “I’ve to thank my youngest daughter, who’s nineteen and was also diagnosed autistic, which led to my diagnosis”, he continued. “She’s helped me realise more about this than any expert could’ve”.

‘Ming’ described the experience as having been an invaluable one in many ways because, “I thought I was very open-minded. But you always have blind spots, and the experience called me out on that and made me more aware”, he said, telling the People that prior to engaging properly with the topic, he’d had unfounded “biases”, “judgements” and “misunderstandings” around neurodivergence that he’s since been able to rectify.

He explained that it was an important lesson in being open to evolve and to listen and to learn, and also in the immense value a diagnosis can have in giving people answers and helping direct them to the resources they need – something he noticed both for himself and his family.

“It just shows you”, he said, “listen to your children. There’s a saying: ‘You’ll only be as happy as your unhappiest child’. Well, I’m quite happy now because my unhappiest child isn’t that unhappy any more”.

MEP Flanagan topped the poll in Midlands-North-West and was deemed elected on Thursday night last.

“I knew what was coming, what to expect. I’ve developed a standard strategy where I try to call to every town I can, and every business along the way, and that is always invaluable.

“Except of course this time, I wasn’t telling people about what I’d potentially do – this time, I was telling them what I had done, and what financial benefits it had for the constituency.

“As my campaign slogan said – I understand the job!”

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You knew that something big was in the offing when the new Honorary Consul for the Republic of Azerbaijan (Terry Leyden) was in attendance to ‘preside’ over the proceedings! One wag asked: “What do we call you now Terry in your new position?” Terry just laughed it off as the serious business continued all around us.

There were stories of joy and heartbreak in all three local electoral areas.

  In the Athlone Municipal District, Emer Kelly, who was standing in her first election (she was co-opted during the lifetime of the last council after Ivan Connaughton stepped down) turned in a stunning performance with almost 2,000 first preference votes. It’s really refreshing to see a young female politician making such a name for herself.

The beaming Emer arrived into the count centre on Sunday along with family and friends. There too were fellow candidates and serious vote-getters, Tony Ward and John Naughten. Between the three of them they clocked up 5,482 first preference votes. Some achievement for all three.

Sitting councillors Larry Fallon and John Keogh also polled well and were elected in later counts, but one of the most dramatic stories of the 2024 local election would come in this electoral area. But not until 3.30 am on Monday morning. More on that later.

Probably the most predictable electoral area was the Roscommon Municipal District. Most forecasts were that it would be ‘seven for six’ and this assessment was proven to be spot on as it became evident early on that Robbie McConn, even though he polled very well, was slightly behind the ‘big six’.

  Sitting councillors Paschal Fitzmaurice, Nigel Dineen, Marty McDermott and Tony Waldron polled very well and looked home and dry from early on Saturday evening.

The Castlerea area votes stayed local too. First-time candidate Gareth Scahill attracted a great vote and he was always going to be elected, with long-estabished councillor Paschal Fitzmaurice doing very well too. The Castlerea votes stayed in Castlerea.

Then we come to Larry Brennan, who was running for the third time. He tried his luck again on this occasion after Orla Leyden decided not to run. It turned out to be a good decision. Larry is a great community man and popular around the county town and beyond. He gets his chance now after a number of disappointments.

Robbie McConn (a good personal friend of mine) was just squeezed out. Although he got a very good vote, it indicated once again that there is not a big Fine Gael vote in the Roscommon town area currently. A number of Fine Gael candidates over the years have found that out. Robbie put in a huge effort but just fell short. The cruelty of it all.

In the Boyle area, there were always going to be changes, and we ended up with a cliff-hanger. At the top of the poll Valerie Byrne came up trumps once again with a very strong showing. ‘Mr Ballaghaderreen’ himself Micheal Frain finally gets his chance on the council after a number of disappointments, and he will be delighted with his personal vote. One of the new rising stars of Roscommon politics is Sinn Féin’s Leah Cull, who bucked the national trend for her party with a superb showing.

But back to the Athlone Municipal District. When I left the count centre at 11.30 pm on Sunday night, all the political analysts, tally people, party personnel and various observers were calling the final seat as being a battle between young candidates James Murray of Fianna Fáil and Sam Brooks of Sinn Féin, with veteran Domnick Connolly (now back in the Fine Gael fold) a distant third. Not one person I spoke to gave Domnick a serious chance. To be honest I didn’t think he had a hope either.

When I woke early on Monday morning and looked at my phone I couldn’t believe my eyes. He had made it! Domnick hung in there until the very end and the fact that James Murray (from his local area) was eliminated pushed him over the line. It was an incredible victory.

When preparing for this article I looked up the history of local elections in Roscommon. The first local election that I covered officially was in 1991. On that occasion Domnick took the last seat in the Roscommon area after a battle with Seamus McDermott. Now 33 years later the Fuerty man is back on the council again, having missed out in the last election.

I know Domnick for over 30 years. He is a mighty character. I rang him on Monday. We both laughed heartily first at the good of what had happened. I then said to him: “I thought you had no chance when I was here last night”. He replied: “I didn’t think I had a chance either”. As one experienced political observer remarked to me on Monday – ‘Lazarus Connolly’.

But the drama wasn’t over. In fact it played out right until 10.20 pm on Monday night. The contest in the Boyle area was so close that only three votes separated two candidates at one stage. No surprise then that a recount was called.

On Sunday evening another widely-held view was that sitting councillor Liam Callaghan was set to lose his seat. However, similar to the Domnick Connolly fightback, Liam hung in there and emerged victorious alongside newcomer Sean Moylan and veteran Tom Crosby, thus signalling the completion of the count. It had been a long weekend and the longest local election count here that I can remember.

It was a gruelling marathon for count staff, security personel, the tally people, the candidates and their families, and the media too, but when you have stories unfolding like the ones we saw over the weekend it’s a timely reminder that there is something special about how we go about elections in this country. Another weekend of drama had finally concluded.

That’s Roscommon elections for you. It’s never over until it’s over.

*A word of thanks to Brian Carroll who provided a wonderful service on WhatsApp over the weekend with up to the minute tallies, counts and all the developments from the Hyde Centre.

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Fianna Fáil performed well in last Friday’s local elections in County Roscommon, taking 7,600 votes and five of the 18 seats on Roscommon County Council.

Party bosses will be satisfied to have lost just one of the six seats won in 2019, considering the absences of three A-lister surnames who have led the Fianna Fáil tickets locally for decades: Leyden, Roscommon Town (50 years); Murphy, Strokestown (40 years); and Cummins, Boyle (25 years).

Central to this success was its sweep of three seats in the Roscommon-Castlerea area, with dominant performances from Cllr Paschal Fitzmaurice and Cllr Marty McDermott. Larry Brennan and Cllr John Keogh (Athlone EA) were both elected comfortably, and in the Boyle EA newcomer Seán Moylan had a superb performance. New Athleague candidate James Murray came close also.

Fianna Fáil’s task now is to meld these positives into a coherent platform for the General Election. With the right strategy, they will be in a strong position to win a Dáil seat in Roscommon.

Fine Gael makes progress – and gains

Fine Gael made significant progress, doubling its Council seats from two to four – its best result in Roscommon in fifteen years – and polling 6,000 first preference votes in the process. A new beginning for the party after a difficult decade, and a positive footing ahead of the General Election.

FG will be very proud of Castlerea-based Gareth Scahill’s success. West Roscommon is the county’s most competitive political environment – stomping ground of Cllrs Paschal Fitzmaurice, Tony Waldron and Nigel Dineen. Yet Scahill created a new seat among those ‘big beasts’.

The icing on the FG cake is the stunning success of Domnick Connolly in the Athlone EA. Struggling after the first count, his lifetime of activism and an extensive canvass around the district yielded big transfers. A veteran of seven elections stretching back to 1991, politics has been a long and winding road for him. Out of politics altogether for five years and out of both the Athlone EA and Fine Gael for a decade, he showed courage to put his name forward and to win.

Fine Gael will be pleased too with the very strong vote for Drum-based Cllr John Naughten, the re-election of Cllr Liam Callaghan in the Boyle EA, and the competitive performances of Arigna’s Dympna Daly-Finn and Roscommon Town’s Robert McConn. And Creagh-based solicitor Alan Harney won a Galway County Council seat in Ballinasloe, winning on the first count with 1,784 No. 1s, despite being unable to vote for himself!

Incumbency + Independence = winning formula

It’s fair to say, in a county with two of three TDs sitting as Independents, that Roscommon voters like non-party candidates. Local tallies from the European Parliament elections showed Ciaran Mullooly and Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan MEP dominating in every voting station in Roscommon.

Today it’s clear that poll-topper Flanagan will retain his seat. With votes still being counted, Mullooly is looking like a winner too. With 15 counties in the Midlands-North-West 5-seat constituency, having two Independent MEPs in the Roscommon region would be remarkable.

The Council results show that Roscommon voters like to vote Independent in the local elections also. Eight of the 18 newly-elected councillors are Independents, including new Ballaghaderreen-based Micheál Frain, who amassed 1,355 No 1s. And incumbency is a decisive advantage in Roscommon Council elections: 12 outgoing councillors sought re-election; all 12 were re-elected. Incumbency + Independence is the winning formula.

There were some big performances – Ballyforan’s Emer Kelly stormed to the top of the poll in the Athlone EA, slightly ahead of usual poll-topper Tony Ward and also Cllr Laurence Fallon, who polled strongly. Popular Independents Cllr Tony Waldron and Cllr Valerie Byrne won huge votes again, and veteran Cllr Tom Crosby dominated in his locality. Cllr Nigel Dineen scored across all of the sprawling Roscommon/Castlerea EA – remarkably topping the poll in two polling stations that are 50kms apart – Cloonfad and Ballymurray.

Leah Cull a bright star on a day of disappointment for Sinn Féin

Sinn Féin put forward six candidates – one less than FF and the same as FG – polling 4,000 votes and winning one seat.

SF’s Leah Cull (Boyle EA) shares first prize with Emer Kelly (Ind, Athlone EA) for outstanding performance in these Roscommon elections. Cllr Cull pulled a big vote, despite the wind against her party and a crowded 3-candidate SF ticket in the Boyle EA. She also had to contend with a strong local FG candidate in Arigna, Dympna Daly-Finn, who lost out on election by just three votes.

SF newcomer Sam Brooks performed well from his Taughmaconnell base, narrowly missing out on victory.

Sinn Féin will be disappointed with the results in Roscommon and throughout the country. But local elections are not predictors of General Elections: all parties and Independent candidates have a lot of work to do between now and the General Election.

The people will decide.

The post The people decided…an assessment of Election 2024 appeared first on Roscommon People.

One of the more nail-biting local electoral areas over the weekend’s count was the Athlone Local Electoral Area (LEA). In this six-seat area, three councillors were elected on the first count. In order of their election, they were: Emer Kelly (Independent), John Naughten (Fine Gael) and Tony Ward (Independent).

Later, as the counts continued, the margin between three candidates in contention for the last seat – Fianna Fáil’s James Murray, Fine Gael’s Domnick Connolly, and Sinn Féin’s Sam Brooks – remained too close to call right up until the final count was revealed.

Following the sixth count, which consisted of the distribution of John Naughten’s surplus, Sinn Féin’s Brooks was on 712 votes, Fine Gael’s Connolly on 721 votes, and Fianna Fáil’s Murray on 701 votes. The spread between these three candidates at this advanced stage was just 20 votes.

Following James Murray’s elimination on the eighth count, his transfers were going to decide whether Fine Gael’s Connolly or Sinn Féin’s Brooks took the final seat. Brooks, an 18-year-old man from Taughmaconnell in the south of the county, finished the election on a very respectable 1,078 votes.

Shortly before 3.30 am on Monday morning, Brooks conceded the election to Connolly when tallies of the transfers coming into the ninth count revealed that Murray’s transfers were breaking heavily in favour of Connolly and would push him narrowly ahead of Brooks on the final count.

Following that tense redistribution of Murray’s votes, Returning Officer Caitlin Conneely declared the results of the Athlone LEA’s ninth count. Brooks gained 76 votes from Murray’s elimination, bringing him to 1,078; however, Fine Gael’s Connolly, who was trailing Brooks by 150 votes on the seventh count, received an influx of 373 transfers, pushing him ahead of Brooks and seeing him elected with 1,116 votes without reaching the quota.

Domnick Connolly’s return to electoral politics was described by senior Fine Gael party representatives as a “Lazarus moment” – comparing Connolly’s political comeback to that of a miracle.

Earlier in the proceedings, Cllr Laurence Fallon had secured 1202 first preferences. He was subsequently elected on the third count following the distribution of Tony Ward’s surplus and surpassing the quota of 1403 votes, finishing up with 1497 votes. Meanwhile, John Keogh was the fifth candidate to be elected (seventh count). The current Council Cathaoirleach polled 931 number ones.

Sinn Fein’s Joe Harney, another first-time contender, polled a respectable 405 first preferences and considering the landslide victories of Kelly, Ward and Naughten in this LEA, it was always going to be an uphill battle for him to get elected, particularly when his running mate Sam Brooks was ahead of him by a decent margin of 110 from the outset. Mr Harney was eliminated on the sixth count, having reached 493 votes.

Emmett Corcoran

One of the more nail-biting local electoral areas over the weekend’s count was the Athlone Local Electoral Area (LEA). In this six-seat area, three councillors were elected on the first count. In order of their election, they were: Emer Kelly (Independent), John Naughten (Fine Gael) and Tony Ward (Independent).

Later, as the counts continued, the margin between three candidates in contention for the last seat – Fianna Fáil’s James Murray, Fine Gael’s Domnick Connolly, and Sinn Féin’s Sam Brooks – remained too close to call right up until the final count was revealed.

Following the sixth count, which consisted of the distribution of John Naughten’s surplus, Sinn Féin’s Brooks was on 712 votes, Fine Gael’s Connolly on 721 votes, and Fianna Fáil’s Murray on 701 votes. The spread between these three candidates at this advanced stage was just 20 votes.

Following James Murray’s elimination on the eighth count, his transfers were going to decide whether Fine Gael’s Connolly or Sinn Féin’s Brooks took the final seat. Brooks, an 18-year-old man from Taughmaconnell in the south of the county, finished the election on a very respectable 1,078 votes.

Shortly before 3.30 am on Monday morning, Brooks conceded the election to Connolly when tallies of the transfers coming into the ninth count revealed that Murray’s transfers were breaking heavily in favour of Connolly and would push him narrowly ahead of Brooks on the final count.

Following that tense redistribution of Murray’s votes, Returning Officer Caitlin Conneely declared the results of the Athlone LEA’s ninth count. Brooks gained 76 votes from Murray’s elimination, bringing him to 1,078; however, Fine Gael’s Connolly, who was trailing Brooks by 150 votes on the seventh count, received an influx of 373 transfers, pushing him ahead of Brooks and seeing him elected with 1,116 votes without reaching the quota.

Domnick Connolly’s return to electoral politics was described by senior Fine Gael party representatives as a “Lazarus moment” – comparing Connolly’s political comeback to that of a miracle.

Earlier in the proceedings, Cllr Laurence Fallon had secured 1202 first preferences. He was subsequently elected on the third count following the distribution of Tony Ward’s surplus and surpassing the quota of 1403 votes, finishing up with 1497 votes. Meanwhile, John Keogh was the fifth candidate to be elected (seventh count). The current Council Cathaoirleach polled 931 number ones.

Sinn Fein’s Joe Harney, another first-time contender, polled a respectable 405 first preferences and considering the landslide victories of Kelly, Ward and Naughten in this LEA, it was always going to be an uphill battle for him to get elected, particularly when his running mate Sam Brooks was ahead of him by a decent margin of 110 from the outset. Mr Harney was eliminated on the sixth count, having reached 493 votes.

The post ATHLONE ANALYSIS: Connolly wins cliffhanger, Emer Kelly in stunning performance appeared first on Roscommon People.

The Boyle Local Electoral Area (LEA) has been one of the hardest LEAs to predict since both outgoing Fianna Fáil councillors have stepped away from politics. Between them, Cllr John Cummins (Boyle) and Cllr Joe Murphy (Strokestown) earned 2,927 first preferences in 2019.

Sean Moylan (FF, Tulsk) and Aidan Sampey (FF, Frenchpark) polled 1278 and 429 first preferences, respectively. A marked decrease in the party’s vote from 2019, but with the exit of two huge names from the political arena this was anticipated for Fianna Fáil. Of course Moylan’s first preference vote was a very significant one.

Fine Gael adopted a cautious two-candidate strategy also, with Cllr Liam Callaghan (Tulsk) and Dympna Daly-Finn (Arigna) managing a very tight vote; it resulted in an approximate 55%/45% split in first preferences, in favour of Daly-Finn.

Despite early indications from the count floor that the next preference votes were breaking slightly in Daly-Finn’s favour, a shock 8th count result pushed Cllr Callaghan ahead of the newcomer by just three votes. This prompted a request from Daly-Finn for a recount which was granted by Returning Officer Caitlin Conneely shortly after 3 am on Monday.

The recount found no material change in the results of the poll with both Callaghan and Daly-Finn having two votes (each) excluded due to them not having been properly stamped.

This meant the margin between the two candidates remained the same and Daly-Finn was subsequently eliminated. Her elimination and transfer of votes ultimately went on to elect Cllr Callaghan without him reaching the quota. Sean Moylan and Tom Crosby were also elected at this point.

The truly stand-out performance in this LEA was that of Leah Cull. The soon-to-be councillor Cull amassed a staggering 1416 first preferences. Sinn Féin has held a seat in this LEA for some time but the future for the party became uncertain with the unexpected retirement of Cllr Micheal Mulligan (Ballaghaderreen).

Ms Cull along with her two running mates, Rory Williams Doyle (Strokestown, 426 FP) and Angela Beirne (Ballaghaderreen, 589 FP), secured 2431 first preferences in this LEA. Ms Cull was elected on the fifth count having reached 1638 votes, 10 votes above the quota of 1628. These votes came into play in later counts as the margin between candidates shrunk and their distribution ultimately prompted the recount request by Fine Gael’s Daly-Finn.

As was always going to be the case, full-time councillor Valerie Byrne performed very well. She topped the poll in this LEA with 1565 first preferences and was elected on the third count having reached 1663 votes.

After previous close but ultimately unsuccessful runs, Ballaghaderreen’s Michéal Frain roared into ‘poll position’ with 1355 first preferences. Mr Frain was deemed elected on the seventh count having accumulated a massive 1837 votes. He was put over the quota with a huge block of votes (290) that were transferred from Angela Beirne (SF) following her elimination and the redistribution of her 745 votes.

The senior member of Roscommon County Council, Cllr Tom Crosby (first elected to Roscommon County Council 33 years ago) looked safe from the first count with 1065 first preferences and had transferred up to 1338 votes when he was elected on the tenth and final count. At the time the recount was requested, Cllr Crosby was on 1254 votes and was never in any danger of losing his seat.

Independent Ireland candidate Paul Forde (Boyle) out-performed all expectations. A postmaster in Boyle, Mr Forde was the only candidate running in the largest urban centre in the LEA. As a first-time candidate for a new political party, Mr Forde secured a respectable 830 first preference votes.

Sajjad (Saj) Hussain, a second-time independent candidate in this LEA secured 411 first preferences before his elimination on the 5th count with 480 votes for redistribution.

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Probably the most predictable Local Electoral Area from the time the tallies were completed on Saturday morning, the Roscommon LEA threw up no great surprises as the counting started and continued throughout Sunday. By 1 am on Monday (Sunday night), the sixth and final count saw all six seats filled. This was the first of Roscommon’s three LEAs to formally declare its count completed and councillors elected.

Two councillors were returned to the chamber on the first count, Fianna Fáil’s Marty McDermott with 1626 first preferences and Paschal Fitzmaurice with 1853. Fitzmaurice topped the poll, as he has done consistently. McDermott increased his vote since 2019 and was “delighted” with the result. The quota was 1491 which resulted first in the redistribution of Fitzmaurice’s surplus and then with the redistribution of McDermott’s.

On the third count, the three lowest polling candidates were eliminated. These were Justin Slamen (IFP), Paul Hester (GP), and Cathal Finnegan (IPP). Their combined votes of 512 were then redistributed. This redistribution saw Independent councillor Tony Waldron re-elected by surpassing the quota with 1645 votes and Independent Ireland councillor Nigel Dineen re-elected with 1492 votes. The redistribution of Cllr Waldron’s surplus resulted in Sinn Féin’s Christine McDonagh being eliminated on the fifth count having reached 768 votes.

The sixth and final count saw the remaining two seats filled, Fine Gael’s Gareth Scahill (Castlerea) exceeding  the quota by reaching 1625 votes and Fianna Fail’s Larry Brennan being elected without reaching the quota but having amassed 1312 votes. This was Scahill’s first outing and saw Fine Gael regain a seat in the LEA having been unable to retain the seat following the last-minute retirement of Michael Creaton in 2019. For Larry Brennan, it third time lucky. Having not contested the 2019 election, the newly-elected Cllr Brennan took up the Fianna Fáil torch from Cllr Orla Leyden who had chosen to not contest this year’s election.

Losing out on the last count but having put up a valiant effort under difficult circumstances in Roscommon Town was Robert McConn of Fine Gael. McConn faced stiff, seasoned competition on every side both geographically and politically and was eliminated on the final count having taken 806 votes.

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The level of support for the Arigna native could be seen even earlier however, with the newly-elected councillor racking 1416 first preference votes in the first count.

Speaking to the Roscommon People, Cllr Cull acknowledged this massive backing she received: “I’m absolutely honoured to have got the first preferences I did, and I also realise there’s 1416 people behind those votes that put their faith in me; I know I’ve a lot to do”.

Cllr Cull’s experience canvassing and campaigning over the past months has served to bolster her commitment and enthusiasm for the role.

“I think any candidate, especially first-time ones, would have this fear that they’d agree to run and then once things kicked off, wonder ‘What have I done?’, because it’s such an intense process”, she said. “So, I was happy to find that I actually really enjoyed it. I had a great team behind me, and it was a really valuable experience”.

She noted speaking to the public reinforced her awareness that “people are really struggling, and the country’s very dark at the moment”, but stressed that although “people are upset”, “canvassing would restore a lot of faith; 99% of people are really good people who just want the changes they deserve”.

The new councillor mentioned how she has studied counselling and psychotherapy, and how some skills were transferable: “I believe we need to listen to people, to really listen. It is the only way to understand and learn what’s needed most. I wasn’t trying to go to doors with a ‘sales pitch’ – I wanted to make sure everyone’s voice was heard”.

Cllr Cull canvassed for fellow Sinn Féin member Clare Kerrane (currently a TD for Roscommon-Galway) in 2016 and noted, “I don’t know if I would be here if not for that”. She said in terms of entering politics as a woman and the additional challenges associated with that, “having one person there, an example to look to, can totally change things… I feel I’ve a duty to do the same now”.

She expressed that while it was “empowering” to have been successful as a female candidate, she’s cognisant of not having to deal with barriers a lot of other women might face; “I don’t have children, for example”.

Mental health is another focus for Cllr Cull, who explained that experiencing the loss of two family members by suicide prompted her to engage in a lot of activism on the subject, saying it’s an issue that’s “high on the agenda” for her going forward.

“Nearly everyone has lost someone to suicide”, she said, commenting that when she was grieving, “I remember being so angry at the state of the mental health service”.

“There’s obviously frustrations and failings within the current system that need to be addressed”, she said. She noted that while there’s generally been progress in making mental illness “less taboo”, a deeper understanding and better approach is needed.

Agriculture is another key issue for Cllr Cull, with her own farming background having given her a good understanding of what that sector needs.

“I want to be able to represent everyone, to push what they need forward. If I can do that for anyone, from any part of the community, I will.

“I can’t promise to fix everything”, she said. “But I promise to do my best”.

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Fianna Fáil’s Larry Brennan, who was elected to Roscommon County Council for the first time last weekend, says he is “delighted and humbled” to have received such a big vote.

Newly-elected Cllr Brennan attracted 1198 number ones and it was apparent from that point on that he would be elected to the Council on this, his third attempt.

“I’d like to thank everyone who supported me. My thanks to Ned Gilligan, my Director of Elections, for his hard work and perseverance, and to our small but loyal and hard-working election team.

“I now look forward to serving the people who put their faith in me and to doing my very best for the entire Roscommon Municipal LEA”.

Cllr Brennan had lost out in a very competitive arena in the past. Did the popular community activist ever despair of enjoying electoral success?

“There are obviously times when you question things, but I always kept the door open. My approach has always been to leave the door open in politics, because you never know what scenario can develop.

“You never know if an opportunity will come, and that’s what happened here, when outgoing councillor Orla Leyden decided to take a break from politics”.

Cllr Brennan said that a number of issues had been raised with him during the campaign, chief of which was ongoing concerns about safety issues on the popular stretch of road between Roscommon Golf Club and Hannon’s Hotel.

“People also raised a number of dangerous junctions, the need for footpaths, etc, while the need for greater accessibility for people with disabilities and lack of childcare facilities were also brought to my attention”.

Cllr Brennan said he is now looking forward to serving the electorate over the next five years for the betterment of the local community.

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Cllr Fitzmaurice said: “I’m delighted with the fantastic turnout on polling day and humbled by all the people who came out and put their faith in me again.

“Honestly, I am humbled with the fact my vote held up well, despite the emergence of some really strong candidates in LEA”.

Cllr Fitzmaurice added: “On the campaign trail, constituents highlighted a variety of issues and it is important that we as elected representatives listen to them and ensure their needs are catered to in the most efficient way possible”.

Cllr Fitzmaurice says that he intends to be proactive in addressing the issues raised such as town, village and road safety concerns, the need for playgrounds and civic spaces in towns and villages that are currently lacking and in delivering these services.

He said: “It is vital we are considerate of children and adults with disabilities and ensuring the facilities we develop for communities are accessible for all”.

Before concluding his conversation with the Roscommon People, Cllr Fitzmaurice said: “I want to congratulate all my colleagues who got elected but I also want to say to those who were unsuccessful ‘well done’, it takes a lot to put your name before the people and anyone who does so for the right reasons is to be commended”.

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