Mixed success for Martin as Seanad count continues
With two days of counting complete, there has been mixed success for his strategy to purge the old guard in favour of younger Dáil hopefuls.
Fianna Fáil has had considerable success with five of its outgoing senators so far retaining their seats in what could be the last Seanad election. However, former minister of state Sean Connick and 27-year-old James Carroll, who became a member of the Seanad following the death of Tony Kett in 2009, failed to get elected, despite being on Mr Martin’s list of 10 preferred candidates. Jennifer Murnane O’Connor also lost out in the Labour Panel on the seventh count. But the bulk of her second preferences loyally went to fellow Martin-favourite, and former TD Darragh O’Brien to push him ahead of senior figures such as Donie Cassidy and Terry Leydon.
