Fianna Fáil holds seats as final count ends

FIANNA FÁIL last night held onto its three seats in the mid-Roscommon electoral area as the final count of the local elections concluded.

Mon, 21 Jun, 2004 - 01:00

Michael O’Farrell and Fergal Quinn

Voting in the area was postponed two weeks ago following the unexpected death of sitting Fine Gael councillor Gerry Donnelly.

His wife Teresa, who decided to run in her husband's place, polled poorly despite indicating strong support on the doorsteps.

However after the last five seats of the local elections were distributed, Fine Gael emerged dominant on Roscommon County Council with 10 councillors compared to Fianna Fáil's nine.

Whether Fine Gael now takes overall control of the council will depend on the outcome of negotiations between Roscommon's six independent councillors who are already being courted by both parties.

Although Fine Gael lost the seat previously held by Gerry Donnelly, the party's other candidate, Dominick Connolly was the first person elected after the sixth count on 1,345 votes.

Independent Hospital Action Committee candidate Paul McNamara polled in second place with 1,152 votes.

Fianna Fáil's Orla Leyden, on 1,101 votes, took the third seat on the seventh count without reaching the quota of 1,118.

Fianna Fáil also took the final two seats with Martin Connaughten and Paddy Kilduff both elected on 1074 votes.

The five newly elected councillors join a radically altered Roscommon County Council after independents polled remarkably strongly in several areas.

Independent candidates Luke 'Ming' Flanagan and John Kelly topped the poll in Castlerea and Ballaghaderreen respectively last week while Tony Ward took the fifth seat in the Athlone electoral area.

Luke Flanagan, prominent for his campaign to legalise cannabis, was perhaps the biggest surprise of this year's elections while John Kelly was returned on the first count as two sitting councillors Paddy McGarry and Michael Scally lost their seats. The council will also have a Sinn Féin candidate for the first time since 1925 following Michael Mulligan's election in the Ballaghaderreen area.