IT was reassuring to arrive at County Hall last Saturday afternoon and see two food trucks lined up outside. My frazzled election brain had already switched from ‘first counts’ mode to deciding if I would get curry chips with my gourmet burger. Decisions, decisions!
That is the joy of attending counts at County Hall where food and good wi-fi, extra sockets, and airy spaces are part of the attraction at the count.
The new screens, placed around the ground floor, were a welcome new addition, where we were able to see live reports of count results in other centres across the county. It’s all gone high-tech!
With four counts taking place on the ground floor – Carrigaline, Macroom, Cobh, and Midleton – it was always going to be heaving with political pundits, observers, and local election junkies.
That wall of glass in the planning department’s public counter was our base and it was our window into the hustle and bustle out on the main floor. Security was also tight this time around, compared to the local elections in 2019.
The ballot papers didn’t arrive from Mallow GAA complex until well after 5pm – about an hour-and-a-half before the West Cork votes arrived to the count centre in Clonakilty.
Once settled in our desks, along with media colleagues, it was then a case of scampering out constantly at any sound even slightly resembling a microphone shuffle. The adrenalin certainly kicks in from the start, but it’s only when you get a first count that you move into second gear. A few sugary sweets helped as we awaited that all-important first count.
That was for Carrigaline and came in around 11pm. It was followed by a scramble to catch the candidates amid the cheering of well-wishers.
Grab a video reaction, post to The Southern Star’s live blog and social media pages, then dream of that gourmet burger and iced latté when time allowed.
Luckily for us at County Hall, officials called it a day at 1.30am, with some seats filled. We returned the following morning for the completion of the results, with thankfully no recounts in the West Cork and South Cork areas – though those covering Cobh weren’t so lucky.
As for the tempting food that we had all dreamed off? To my horror, and all those at the count with hungry stomachs or a yearning for a strong dose of coffee, the two food trucks closed at around 8pm on Saturday night.
They missed the boat there – those trucks would have made a killing at the tills if they had stayed past dark, with the huge and hungry crowd with little else to do but … wait, and eat!
