All County Council positions have been filled across the country with the conclusion of elections in Kildare.
Independent Tom McDonnell, in Newbridge, became the 949th councillor to win a seat at the local election.
At the TF Royal in Castlebar it was a weekend of excitement and emotion, with plenty of drama as well.
No greater drama was there than in the Swinford elections, where just one vote separated Fine Gael’s Neil Cruise and Sinn Féin’s John Sheahan for the final seat.
Following two recounts, it was confirmed that Cruise would retain his seat, denying Sheahan a first time election and Sinn Féin a second seat on the council.
John Sheahan has been gracious in defeat, and speaking to Midwest News he congratulated all elected cllrs in the Swinford area.
He also highlighted an error that was found in multiple count centres, whereby valid ballot papers were not properly stamped, and therefore were not passed as valid votes to be counted.
According to Mr. Sheahan, there were fifteen cases of this in Swinford votes, nine of such were votes in his favour.
He has been speaking to Midwest Radio’s Rian Bailey:
