Election 2024: Will the rise of the independents continue?

Paul Hosford outlines some independent candidates who will be worth watching this weekend

Mick Wallace is looking to regain the seat in Wexford he vacated in 2019. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

Throughout the 2024 local election, one storyline seemed to encapsulate much of the mood of the public — the rise of the independents.

Overall, they took over 200 seats in some guise in the local elections, accounting for nearly one in four first preferences.