John O’ Heney, Snr with Cllr John O’Heney at the Count Centre in Thurles on Saturday where the first time Independent Candidate topped the poll in the Cashel Tipperary LEA with 2,534 seats.
The counting of votes in the Tipperary local elections concluded in Thurles last night shortly after 8pm. Several councils across the country have yet to conclude their counts.
The final seat to be filled was the seventh of seven in the Cashel Tipperary LEA. The seat went to Sinn Fein Cllr Anne Marie Ryan with party colleague Tony Black losing out.
Two of the forty sitting councillors starting the election lost their seats Tony Black in Cashel Tipp LEA and Kevin O’Meara Independent in Carrick on Suir.
The Cashel Tipperary poll topper was Independent John O’Heney with 2,534 first preference votes – he and FG Cllr Declan Burgess and Independent Liam Browne were all elected in the first count. Also returned were FF councillor Roger Kennedy and Fine Gael Cllrs Mary Hanna Hourigan and John Crosse
The Cahir LEA which is part of the Tipp Cashel MD returned the four sitting councillors Independents Mairin Mc Grath and Andy Moloney, Fine Gael’s Marie Murphy and Micheal Anglim who ran for Fianna Fáil.
The Labour party returned 3 councillors in the county with Fiona Bonfield topping the poll in Newport and the party candidates in Carrick on Suir Michael Brennan and Louise Morgan Walsh Nenagh both elected.
Team Lowry elected 5 councillors across the North Tipperary Districts including Pamela Quirke O’Meara in Newport and Micheal Lowry in Thurles.
There are now 12 female councillors out of a total of 40 councillors in Tipperary County Council – up from nine in the previous council.
The balance of power is evenly spit with FF/FG having 20 of the forty seats and Labour 3, Sinn Fein 2 WUAP1 and Independents 14The council AGM will be held on June 21th when a new Cathaoirleach will be elected. There has been speculation that FF/FG and Labour will agree a deal that will see Cllr Fiona Bonfield elected as Cathaoirleach for the incoming term with FF/FG to hold the top spot over the following 4 years.
