Number crunching: 5 Sunday takeaways

We’re heading now for about one-third of the 949 council seats being filled.

Counting of votes in the European elections to fill the 14 vacant MEP seats has been under way since 9am.

As the numbers are crunched to assess where things stand, here are five more takeaways…

A good ‘Chicken’ run in Co Tipperary

Shortly after 11.30am, Michael ‘Chicken’ Brennan was elected in the Carrick-on-Suir electoral area. The Labour candidate won a seat on Tipperary County Council after the second count. Speaking to Tipperary Live website during the campaign, he explained the origin of his name.

“I have that nickname since I was four years old. We grew up in Killenaule, and my first cousin, also called Michael Brennan, was called Foxy Chicken because they used to keep turkeys. So, to distinguish the two of us, he was called Foxy Chicken and I was called Chicken,” he said.

Local Labour TD Alan Kelly TD said the results in Tipperary “are our biggest increases in the country. We’ve trebled our seats. It’s what we planned and we’ve executed it. I’m thrilled.”

The former Labour leader said the newly elected Labour candidate, is an “incredible man”.

“If you ask anyone ‘Do you know Michael Brennan?’ they might look at you. But, if you just say, ‘Do you know Chicken?’, everyone knows him. He is one of the most popular people in the area.”

105 votes for a candidate who left the race

Over 100 people gave a first preference to a candidate who publicly asked the electorate not to vote for her.

Last month Fine Gael election candidate Maria Dwyer-Agrios issued a statement asking voters not to select her as a councillor in the Drogheda rural local electoral area. It followed a story published on The Ditch website.

She announced she would not be contesting the local election after the story alleged she received money for ending an objection to a housing development.

She apologised and stated: “While my name remains on the ballot paper, I now ask voters do not consider me for election.”

Shortly after 11pm last night, the results of the first count in the Drogheda rural area showed Ms Dwyer-Agrios garnered 105 votes, ranking her 11th out of the 12 candidates.

Boxing star in fight for council seat

In the same Drogheda rural area, former international boxer Eric Donovan is still in the hunt to take a seat for Sinn Féin.

The former professional boxer was a five-time Irish national amateur champion and won bronze medals at the 2009 European Union Championships and the 2010 European Championships.

In recent years, he has emerged as a mental health services advocate. This is his first foray into politics.

He got 721 first preference votes, ranking him fourth out of 12 candidates after the first count in this four-seater.

Assault victim tops poll

Abuse and intimidation of candidates were a feature of these local and European election campaigns for some candidates. This morning, Tania Doyle, who was assaulted while putting up posters in Hartstown, topped the poll in the Ongar electoral area, returning her to Fingal County Council.

During the campaign, Tania and her husband were targeted by men asking their views on immigration late at night while putting up posters.

She told RTÉ that the response from her family, friends and local community encouraged her to keep going.

“You either walk away or you stick at it, and I stuck at it. I’m delighted,” she said. The Independent councillor garnered over 2,057 first-preference votes.

Claire Murray vs Claire Murray

In the Edenderry electoral area in Offaly, two candidates with the same name are vying for a council seat. Claire Murray from Fianna Fáil and Clair Murray from Sinn Féin had to draw lots to decide which name would come first on Friday’s ballot paper.

When the first count results were announced in Offaly after 10am today, Fianna Fáil’s Claire Murray ranked third with 1,134 first preference votes. Sinn Féin’s Claire Murray came in sixth with 648 votes.

Fianna Fáil’s Eddie Fitzpatrick and Independent Ireland candidate Fergus McDonnell were elected in the first count.

With four more seats up for grabs, both Claire Murrays are still in the race