Phenomenal Fine Gael success for Cappamore-Kilmallock
It wasn't until count ten that the final three seats out of seven were filled
ALL SEVEN seats in the Cappamore-Kilmallock area have now been filled and while the first three councillors who all secured their seats in counts one and two, it wasn’t until count ten that a full picture emerged.
The first count saw Independent Cllr Brigid Teefy as a strong poll topper and Fianna Fáil councillor Martin Ryan was also successful in the same count, some 600 odd votes behind Cllr Teefy.
They both retained their seats and were joined in the second count by Independent Galbally councillor Eddie Ryan.
Cllr John Egan and Cllr Gerald Mitchell - both long-standing councillors had both retired and left the contest somewhat wide open for newcomers, but I don’t think anyone expected such a landslide victory for the Fine Gael newcomers.
Count nine saw Fine Gael’s Noreen Stokes succeed, after missing out in 2019 and it was bitter sweet, as her late father was by her side when she made her bid five years ago.
Count ten then saw Sinn Féin’s PJ Carey scoop up the only Sinn Féin seat across all three of the County Limerick areas.
The same count also pushed through newcomer for Fine Gael Tommy O’Sullivan from Kilfinane, who wasn’t in the count centre to celebrate his victory due to a family wedding abroad and his party colleague Greg Conway, a former fire fighter from Kilmallock who narrowly missed out in 2019.
Both Stokes and Conway missed out in 2019, so this indeed was a hard fought battle, and they had to wait it out until the bitter end for their moment of victory.
Speaking to Limerick Live at the count centre in Limerick Racecourse, Limerick Minister Patrick O’Donovan said: “It is a remarkable achievement for the party, given that two months ago, we would have been written off.”
The loss of a seat for Cllr Mike Donegan was however a blow to the area. He was eliminated in count ten with 1,420 votes and it was a hard hit for the long standing councillor.