Sweet victory sealed with a kiss by Kieran O’Donnell who was re-elected to Limerick City seat

ON HIS fourth election to the Dáil, Fine Gael Deputy Kieran O’Donnell said he was “privileged” to have been voted in once again.

The Castletroy man, an accountant by trade, was appointed to the second seat in Limerick City, after transfer votes from his running mate Senator Maria Byrne got him over the line in the tenth count.

He received a total of 8,755 votes, sparking jubilant scenes in the count centre.

“I very much enjoy what I do, and I am delighted to be able to continue and work on behalf of the people of Limerick City,” he said upon election.

“I’m humbled by the whole experience. Every election is about democracy, and I’m delighted with the endorsement I got from the people of Limerick.

“For any candidate, you’re always apprehensive until you’re over the line, but certainly we knew for the first count we were there, thereabouts.

“I want to pay tribute to my colleague Maria Byrne, who got a fantastic vote, and really this is about the Fine Gael organisation.”

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For much of the weekend it was a seesaw battle between Mr O’Donnell and his Sinn Féin counterpart Maurice Quinlivan - one was up and one down, surpassing each other on votes and transfers as the count progressed.

Ultimately, it was Mr O’Donnell who made it to the finish line first, securing up the second seat after long-time Fianna Fáil TD Willie O’Dea topped the polls and took the first Limerick City seat.

Mr O’Donnell, 61, made his breakthrough in the old Limerick East constituency back in 2007, and was re-elected as part of the Fine Gael surge in 2011.

Five years on, he missed out on the last seat to Labour’s Jan O’Sullivan, and was subsequently elected to Seanad Eireann.

But following ex-Finance Minister Michael Noonan’s retirement in 2020, he regained his seat in the Dáil.

Following the election, Mr O’Donnell took a moment to thank his Fine Gael running mate Senator Maria Byrne, whose transfer of 1,973 saw him across the line.

First elected in 2007 to the Dail, he was returned in 2011 and 2020.

As for whether his party would form the next Government, he declared this was for another day. Deputy O'Donnell sealed the re-election with a kiss to his wife, Phylis.

And, there was a tender moment between the returning deputy his mother Veronica after he was deemed elected.