Bandon siblings claim Council seats for rival parties

DESPITE their different political affiliations, two siblings from Castlelack, just outside Bandon were celebrating after they won Council seats in two different areas at last weekend’s local elections.

Cllr Shane O’Callaghan was re-elected as a Fine Gael councillor on Cork City Council, while his sister Nessa Cosgrove, won a seat for the Labour party in the Sligo-Strandhill area.

Shane, who is a well-known barrister, was elected on the first count in Cork City South Central having received 1,870 first preference votes, while his sister Nessa was elected on the 10th count having received 841 first preference votes.

And on Wednesday Shane announced he would seek the party’s nomination to run in the next general election in Cork South Central.

Speaking to The Southern Star, Nessa said she is ‘over the moon’ in winning back a seat for the Labour Party. ‘There hasn’t been a Labour seat here since 2014 and it’s a big deal to win it back here. We got a very high first preference vote, which shows that there is an interest for change,’ said Nessa.

‘Fine Gael wasn’t for me as a party but I’m delighted for Shane who is an excellent councillor and he topped the poll in his area. There are loads of political discussions in our house and it’s great to have someone like Shane, mum and dad and the rest of the family who are all interested in politics. My sister, Grainne flew in from New Zealand for the election too which was great.’

Nessa said she is looking forward to getting started and be a political voice for her community. Her younger brother Shane said he is delighted to have topped the poll noting that his vote increased by 50% from the last local election five years ago.

‘It’s the first time Fine Gael has ever topped the poll in the Cork City South Central LEA. I’m also thrilled for Nessa that she got elected, she’s put an enormous amount of work on the ground in Sligo over the past decade,’ said Shane.

‘My dad Sean was heavily involved with Fine Gael too back in the day and he is delighted with our results.’

The Independent Ireland success is backboned by family in West Cork, with leader Michael Collins representing the South-West constituency as TD, brother Danny topping the poll in Bantry, and first-time candidate brother John getting elected to council in Bandon.

And it was a family affair, too, for another political family with strong Fianna Fáil roots, with Sheila O’Callaghan, sister of Billy Kelleher, contesting her first local election in the Cobh area, having been co-opted following the election of Padraig O’Sullivan to Dáil Eireann in 2020. She topped the poll with 2,202 first preference votes, which was above the required quota of 1,846.

Meanwhile, her brother, Billy has been based at the Nemo GAA complex for the past few days awaiting results from the European election.