IT’S been a memorable political year for newly-elected Fianna Fáil TD for Cork South Central, Seamus McGrath.
The Passage West native and sitting councillor took the seat vacated by his brother Michael, following his appointment as EU Commissioner for democracy, justice and the rule of law.
Just six months ago Seamus secured the highest number of first preference votes in June’s local elections and had been Fianna Fáil’s party leader in the Council chamber.
He was facing a challenge from the outset with some big political hitters in this five-seater constituency (increased from four since 2020) which included party leader Micheál Martin and 2020 poll-topper Sinn Féin’s Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire. With 22 candidates, it would prove to be an extensively long count over two days.
The departure of Simon Coveney and Michael McGrath meant that there were now two seats up for grabs with both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael hoping to retain those seats.
It was perhaps ironic that one of Nemo Rangers’ biggest fans, Micheál Martin, topped the poll with 14,526 first preference votes (with a surplus of 4,000 votes) at the count centre in the Nemo complex. Martin was elected on the first count which was in stark contrast to his performance in 2020 when he got elected on the fifth count, having received just 11,023 first preference votes.
Sinn Féin’s Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, who topped the poll in 2020, didn’t perform as well this time around, only receiving 6,947 first preference votes, a dramatic drop from his high of 14,057 first preference votes in the last general election. While he took the third seat, it wasn’t until the sixteenth count that he was elected, ending up with 10,647 votes.
Fianna Fáil was celebrating again when Seamus McGrath took the second seat on the 10th count, having earlier received 7,794 first preference votes, meaning the second Fianna Fáil seat was staying within the family.
With two seats remaining, there was a fierce battle among several Fine Gael candidates to hold onto the seat vacated by Coveney.
However, they would have to wait, as Padraig Rice of the Social Democrats surprised many pundits by taking the fourth seat.
He was elected on the 18th count on Sunday having earlier received 5,368 first preference votes and he has won the party its first seat in this constituency.
Having only being elected a city councillor in June, his election to the Dáil is a crucial victory for the party, which has already won seats in both Cork East (Liam Quaide) and Cork South West (Holly Cairns).
The final seat went to Fine Gael Senator Jerry Buttimer, who lost his seat eight years ago but it wasn’t until the eighteenth count before his return was confirmed, ending a mammoth count that ran over two days.
It was a great election for Fianna Fáil in Cork South Central with the party receiving 36.5% of the first preference vote. This was in stark contrast to Fine Gael who received just 16.9%, while Sinn Féin received 14.41%.
Meanwhile, following the election to Dáil Éireann of five county councillors – Seamus McGrath (FF), John Paul O’Shea (FG), Eoghan Kenny (Lab), Liam Quaide (SD) and Noel McCarthy (FG) – party bosses must now decide who they will co-opt into these vacant seats in the Council chamber. Michael Collins TD’s partner Valerie Ward, who was on the ballot for his Independent Ireland party, had an early exit, in the second count, having garnered just 104 first preferences.
