Local elections 2024 – Galway City Council: two seats filled in East and Central

As one tallyman told me, there is no longer malice when the Labour Party is mentioned on the doors.

Meanwhile Noel Larkin, previously an independent councillor, looks set to lose his seat in East after joining the Independent Ireland party.

After 11 counts in East Alan Cheevers (FF) and Declan McDonnell became the first two candidates to be elected in the LEA.

Following his election Mr Cheevers told the Irish Independent people recognise the Government “are doing a good job” and that has been reflected in strong early results for his party and Fine Gael.

“We have low unemployment, we are making progress on housing and the economy.

“OK, we need to keep working hard to improve things all the time but the Government are working quite well, the collaboration has been positive.

“Next year when it comes to the general election we have a reasonably good chance of seeing the same Government back again, definitely the main two parties – what the mix will be after that I don’t know.”

He said he spoke at length with Tánaiste Micheál Martin during a canvass about the importance of housing as a local issue.

Mr Cheevers’ colleague Michael J Crowe is also polling well on 9pc, though some tallypeople feel he is not transfer friendly and it’s too early to call if he will hold.

With more results from East to come, Terry O’Flaherty (Ind) is expected to hold a seat she has occupied since 1999.

Newcomers Shane Forde (Fine Gael), Aisling Burke (Sinn Féin) and Helen Ogbu (Labour) are neck-and-neck around 10pc each, with Ms Ogbu jumping ahead in the pack of three through strong transfers from eliminated Green Party and Social Democrats candidates.

Meanwhile the results of the first two counts have come in for Galway City Central with Westside man Mike Cubbard topping the poll for an unprecedented third time.

Mr Cubbard (Ind) has a loyal supporter base in his home area and blew past the quota with 19.5pc of the vote. Sitting mayor Eddie Hoare has also been elected with a big surplus which should transfer to his party colleague Frank Fahy.

John McDonagh (Labour), who lost by a single vote following two recounts in 2019, has performed well and benefited most from Mr Cubbard’s surplus.

Sinn Féin were confident Mark Lohan would return to his seat in Central after losing out in 2019 but he trails both McDonagh (8.4pc) and Social Democrat Eibhlín Seoighthe (7.5pc).

Another seat could be up for grabs here with Martina O’Connor (Green Party), from the same area as McDonagh and Seoighthe in Shantalla, behind on 4.2pc.

Sinn Féin, looking to improve on a disappointing 2019 result where the party lost all three of its seats, may be pinning all their hopes here on Ms Burke with Mr Lohan trailing in Central.

At least one seat is up for grabs in East, likely two barring a huge fightback from Mr Larkin – the Social Democrats’ Alan Curran, co-opted to a seat there following the resignation of Owen Hanley, is running in West this time out.

The party are pleasantly surprised by Mr Curran’s performance and he looks to have made the move to his home patch of Salthill safely. The last two seats in East will could come down to a three-way race between Mr Forde, Ms Burke and Ms Ogbu.

Donal Lyons (Independent), known locally as the ‘King of Knocknacarra’, is on to top the poll in West for the sixth time while Clodagh Higgins (FG), John Connolly (FF) and Peter Keane (FF) are in position to hold based on tallies of 97pc of boxes.

Incumbents Níall McNelis (Labour) and Niall Murphy (Green Party), both around 7.5pc, could have to battle it out for the final seat in a race for six between seven outgoing councillors.