Limerick has two representatives in new Seanad

LIMERICK has two representatives in the new Seanad - both on the agricultural panel.

Sinn Fein’s Joanne Collins of Cappagh and Fine Gael’s city-based Maria Byrne are both in the Upper House.

For Ms Collins it is a case of third time lucky, having missed out on a council seat last summer and a Dail berth at November’s General Election.

She smashed through the quota and was elected on the first count to the agricultural panel, taking the second of the 11 seats available.

Good fortune has come in threes for Ms Byrne too.

READ MORE: New University of Limerick research centre aims to improve public services

For it’s the third time she has secured election to Seanad Eireann, having been first returned in 2016.

This time, it was more of a slog for the former mayor of Limerick.

It was not until the 24th and final count she recaptured her Seanad seat.

However, unlike Sinn Fein who only ran Ms Collins on the agricultural panel, Ms Byrne was one of eight Fine Gael candidates, the party getting four of these over the line.

Elsewhere, Limerick’s other hopefuls were excluded at various stages of the counts for their panels.

Linda O’Shea Farren, who was educated at Laurel Hill and Presentation Convent, once again missed out on a seat in Seanad Eireann.

Her bid to join the National Universities of Ireland panel lasted until the penultimate count, but she lost on the final seat to Alice-Mary Higgins, the daughter of President Michael D Higgins who hails from Ennis Road on Limerick’s northside.

Meanwhile, city centre solicitor Michelle Hayes did not secure a seat on the cultural and educational panel, and neither did former Ireland South Sinn Fein MEP Liadh Ni Riada of Sinn Fein.

Ex-Limerick Chamber chief executive Dee Ryan’s hopes of being elected to the industrial and commercial panel also went up in smoke.

Here, 27 candidates were chasing nine seats in what was an ultra-competitive field. Ms Ryan perhaps was not helped by the fact her own Fianna Fail party put eight other candidates alongside her.

Former Clare councillor Tony Mulcahy, who is based in Shannon, and was once a senator, also missed out on a return to the Upper House.

Castleconnell man Paul Gavan withdrew from the Seanad race last month after his Sinn Fein party left him off its list of hopefuls.

Despite this, he had already secured a trade union nomination, and it was too late to withdraw from the contest.

Although he did not actively contest the election, he did gain a number of votes in the industrial panel - albeit not enough to secure a berth.

There are still 11 seats to be filled in the Seanad - with Taoiseach Micheál Martin due to nominate people in the coming days.

From the next Seanad election, which will be held in the aftermath of the General Election, whenever that may come, graduates of Limerick colleges will be able to vote.

Speaking after her election at Dublin Castle, Ms Byrne said she will put Limerick at the heart of what she does.

“Even though you’re elected for the country, I still believe I am there to represent Limerick. I’ll always use this platform to promote Limerick, deliver for Limerick and personally I am delighted to be back in this position,” she said.

Ms Collins had similar sentiments.

“I strongly believe the people of County Limerick need a strong Sinn Fein voice in the Oireachtas to represent them. Limerick now has two Sinn Fein Oireachtas members in myself and Maurice Quinlivan, who will go toe-to-toe with the Government from day one,” she said.