Adrian Kavanagh, 30th January 2014
In the lead up to, and in the immediate aftermath of, the 2011 General Election, I produced a post reviewing the poll toppers in each of the different constituencies at the 2007 General Election and their subsequent fate at the 2011 contest. This found that over half of the TDs who had topped the poll in their constituencies in 2007 subsequently were not holding seats after the 2011 contest: ten of these TDs opted to retire from politics ahead of the general election while a further twelve of these poll-topping TDs lost their seats at this contest.
Figure 1: The fates of the 2007 General Election poll toppers at the 2011 General Election.
Could a similar fate lie in store for those City or County Councillors who topped the poll in their electoral areas at the 2009 City and County Council elections? That remains to be seen. Indeed, by default due to the abolition of the Dual Mandate ahead of the 2004 elections, a number of the 2009 poll-toppers will not be eligible to contest these elections in any course. A study of the 171 current/former City and County Councillors (as listed in the table below), who topped the poll in their electoral areas at the 2009 contest, finds than an impressive number of these went on to subsequently win seats at the following general election (or indeed in a subsequent by-election (or rather one held on the same day, as in the case of Maureen O’Sullivan) : thirty one of these (18.7%) would win seats at the Dail election in 2011 while a further five (2.9%) would win seats in Seanad Eireann. Thus the 2009 poll toppers group would account for over 19 per cent of the membership of the new Dail after the February 2011 contest (and well over one-third of the new membership of this). Marking a further reduction in the numbers of the poll topper who are likely to be defending their seats in May 2014, a further fourteen (8.2%) of these have announced their intention to retire from politics at these elections (or have already done so) and this number may increase further over the coming months. All in all and at this point in time, close to thirty percent of the candidates who were poll toppers at the 2009 contest will not be defending these seat at the May 2014 elections.
Electoral Area
Seats
Poll Topper
Votes
Borris
4
Thomas Kinsella FG
1,238
Carlow East
4
Jennifer Murnane O’Connor FF
1,090
Carlow West
5
Michael Abbey FG
864
Muine Bheag
4
Jim Townsend LAB
1,050
Tullow
4
John Pender FF
1,168
CARLOW
21
Bailieborough
7
Niamh Smyth FF
1,019
Ballyjamesduff
6
Paddy Smith FG
1,177
Belturbert
5
Maura Maguire-Lynch FG
1,334
Cavan
7
Charlie Boylan SF
1,354
CAVAN
25
Ennis East
5
Johny Flynn FG
1,402
Ennis West
4
James Breen IND
1,747
Ennistymon
5
Martin Conway FG
1,820
Killaloe
6
Joe Cooney FG
2,780
Kilrush
6
Christy Curtin IND
1,733
Shannon
6
John Crowe FG
1,577
CLARE
32
Bandon
3
Alan Coleman FG
3,370
Bantry
5
Mary Hegarty FG
1,827
Blarney
4
John Gilroy LAB
4,538
Carrigaline
6
Seamus McGrath FF
3,996
Fermoy
4
Patrick O’Driscoll FG
2,559
Kanturk
4
Timmy Collins IND
3,343
Macroom
4
Michael Creed FG
4,655
Mallow
5
Dan Joe Fitzgerald FF
2,034
Midleton
6
Michael Hegarty FG
3,591
Skibbereen
7
Jim Daly FG
2,739
CORK COUNTY
48
Donegal
5
Barry O’Neill FG
2,189
Glenties
5
Seamus O’Domhnaill IND
2,011
Inishowen
7
Padraig MacLochlainn SF
2,131
Letterkenny
7
Ciaran Brogan FF
2,552
Stranorlar
5
Cora Harvey SF
2,226
DONEGAL
29
Balbriggan
5
Ken Farrell LAB
3,388
Castleknock
4
Joe Higgins SP
3,787
Howth-Malahide
5
Peter Coyle LAB
3,781
Mulhuddart
5
Patrick Nulty LAB
1,898
Swords
5
Claire Daly SP
3,192
FINGAL
24
Clondalkin
6
Robert Dowds LAB
2,449
Lucan
5
Derek Keating FG
4,146
Rathfarnham
4
Cait Keane FG
3,639
Tallaght Central
6
Mick Duffy LAB
3,125
Tallaght South
5
Eamonn Maloney LAB
2,344
SOUTH DUBLIN.
26
Ballybrack
5
Denis O’Callaghan LAB
2,543
Blackrock
4
Marie Baker FG
2,855
Dundrum
5
Richard Boyd Barrett PBPA
4,091
Dun Laoghaire
6
Jim O’Leary FG
3,583
Glencullen-Sandyford
4
Lettie McCarthy LAB
2,818
Stillorgan
4
Barry Saul FG
2,602
DUN LAOGHAIRE
28
Ballinasloe
5
Paul Connaughton FG
2,563
Connemara
7
Thomas Welby IND
2,584
Loughrea
7
Michael Fahy IND
2,247
Oranmore
4
Jim Cuddy IND
1,614
Tuam
7
Sean Canney IND
3,273
GALWAY
30
Dingle
3
Brendan Griffin FG
2,038
Killarney
7
Danny Healy-Rae IND
2,958
Killorglin
5
Michael Healy-Rae IND
3,198
Listowel
5
Robert Beasley SF
2,523
Tralee
7
Arthur J Spring LAB
3,155
KERRY
27
Athy
4
Mark Wall LAB
3,284
Celbridge
6
Catherine Murphy IND
4,499
Clane
4
Brendan Weld FG
2,288
Kildare
6
Paddy Kennedy IND
1,869
Naas
5
Anthony Lawlor FG
2,113
KILDARE
25
Ballyragget
5
Maurice Shortall LAB
2,004
Callan
4
Billy Ireland FG
1,269
Kilkenny
7
Andrew McGuinness FF
1,880
Piltown
6
Tomas Breathnach LAB
1,653
Thomastown
4
Pat O’Neill FG
1,459
KILKENNY
26
Borris in Ossory
6
John Joe Fennelly FF
1,758
Emo
4
Tom Mulhall FG
747
Luggacurren
4
James Daly FG
1,179
Mountmellick
4
Paddy Bracken FF
928
Portlaoise
7
Willie Aird FG
1,483
LAOIS
25
Ballinamore
5
Paddy O’Rourke FF
877
Carrick on Shannon
7
Enda Stenson IND
983
Drumahaire
5
Enda McGloin FG
814
Manorhamilton
5
Sean McDermott FG
691
LEITRIM
22
Adare
7
Leo Walsh FG
1,833
Castleconnell
7
Mary Jackman FG
1,993
Kilmallock
5
James Heffernan LAB
2,282
Newcastle
5
Jerome Scanlon FG
2,823
Rathkeale
4
John Sheahan FG
1,901
LIMERICK
28
Ballymahon
6
Larry Bannon FG
928
Drumlish
4
Martin Mulleady FF
886
Granard
4
PJ Reilly FF
677
Longford
7
Peggy Nolan FG
977
LONGFORD
21
Ardee
5
Pearse McGeogh SF
1,536
Drogheda East
6
Gerald Nash LAB
2,142
Drogheda West
4
Paul Bell LAB
1,904
Dundalk Carlingford
5
Peter Savage FF
1,643
Dundalk South
6
Thomas Sharkey SF
2,236
LOUTH
26
Ballina
6
Michelle Mulherrin FG
1,921
Belmullet
4
Micheal McNamara FF
1,503
Castlebar
7
Michael Kilcoyne IND
2,330
Claremorris
6
Patsy O’Brien FG
2,760
Swinford
4
Gerry Murray SF
2,218
Westport
4
Peter Flynn FG
1,694
MAYO
31
Dunshaughlin
7
Brian Fitzgerald IND
2,410
Kells
5
Catherine Yore FG
1,751
Navan
7
Francis Deane IND
1,813
Slane
6
Eoin Holmes LAB
2,088
Trim
4
Ray Butler FG
1,933
MEATH
29
Carrickmacross
5
Padraig McNally FF
1,343
Castleblaney
4
John O’Brien FF
1,949
Clones
4
Heather Humphreys FG
1,554
Monaghan
7
Seamus Treanor IND
1,300
MONAGHAN
20
Birr
4
Peter Ormond FF
1,481
Edenderry
6
John Foley FF
1,649
Ferbane
4
Eamonn Dooley FF
1,257
Tullamore
7
Barry Cowen FF
1,626
OFFALY
21
Athlone/South Roscommon
6
Tony Ward IND
1,643
Boyle
4
John Cummins FF
1,321
Castlerea-Ballaghadereen
7
John Kelly IND
2,230
Roscommon
5
Martin Connaughton FF
1,239
Strokestown
4
Tom Crosby IND
1,181
ROSCOMMON
26
Ballymote
4
Gerard Mullaney FG
1,438
Dromore
4
Michael N. Clarke IND
1,408
Sligo Drumcliff
6
Joe Leonard FG
1,527
Sligo Strandhill
7
Tony McLoughlin FG
2,019
Tobercurry
4
Margaret Gormley IND
2,162
SLIGO
25
Nenagh
6
Jim Casey FF
1,478
Newport
5
Phyll Bugler FG
1,370
Templemore
5
Michael Smith FF
1,791
Thurles
5
Seamus Hanafin FF
1,590
TIPPERARY NORTH RIDING
21
Cahir
4
Seanie Lonergan LAB
1,139
Cashel
4
Jack Crowe FG
1,264
Clonmel
7
Seamus Healy WUAG
2,336
Fethard
6
Jimmy O’Brien FG
2,438
Tipperary
5
Michael Fitzgerald FG
2,034
TIPPERARY SOUTH RIDING
26
9,211
TIPPERARY
47
Comeragh
6
Liam Brazil FG
1,732
Dungarvan
6
Damien Geoghegan FG
1,300
Lismore
4
James Tobin FF
1,023
Tramore
7
John Carey FG
1,113
WATERFORD COUNTY
23
Athlone
6
Kevin Boxer Moran FF
1,771
Coole
4
Frank McDermott FG
1,335
Kilbeggan
4
Joseph Flanagan FG
1,768
Mullingar East
4
Michael Dollard LAB
2,032
Mullingar West
5
Johnie Penrose LAB
1,643
WESTMEATH
23
Enniscorthy
5
Paddy Kavanagh FG
1,926
Gorey
5
John Hegarty FG
2,386
New Ross
4
Denis Kennedy FG
1,911
Wexford
7
George Lawlor LAB
2,210
WEXFORD
21
Arklow
5
Vincent Blake FG
2,041
Baltinglass
3
Tommy Cullen IND
1,934
Bray
7
Christopher Fox IND
2,043
Greystones
4
Simon Harris FG
3,119
Wicklow
5
Jimmy O’Shaughnessy LAB
1,918
WICKLOW
24
Cork City North Central
5
Mick Barry SP
2,096
Cork City North East
4
John Kelleher LAB
1,024
Cork City North West
4
Dave McCarthy IND
1,419
Cork City South Central
5
Lorraine Kingston LAB
1,778
Cork City South East
7
Des Cahill FG
1,776
Cork City South West
6
John Buttimer FG
2,070
CORK CITY
31
Artane-Whitehall
5
Larry O’Toole SF
2,702
Ballyfermot-Drimnagh
4
Michael Conaghan LAB
2,341
Ballymun-Finglas
5
John Lyons LAB
3,721
Cabra-Glasnevin
5
Mary Fitzpatrick FF
3,088
Clontarf
5
Damian O’Farrell IND
4,194
Crumlin-Kimmage
4
Eric Byrne LAB
3,652
Donaghmede
4
Sean Kenny LAB
4,119
North Inner City
6
Maureen O’Sullivan IND
2,859
Pembroke-Rathmines
6
Eoghan Murphy FG
2,637
South-East Inner City
4
Kevin Humphreys LAB
2,598
South-West Inner City
4
John Gallagher LAB
1,574
DUBLIN CITY
52
Galway City Central
4
Billy Cameron LAB
1,065
Galway City East
6
Terry O’Flaherty IND
1,139
Galway City West
5
Donal Lyons IND
1,843
GALWAY CITY
15
Limerick City East
4
John Gilligan IND
972
Limerick City North
6
Michael Hourigan FG
1,533
Limerick City South
7
Joe Leddin LAB
1,113
LIMERICK CITY
17
3,618
LIMERICK
45
Waterford City East
6
Davy Daniels IND
1,291
Waterford City North
4
Hilary Quinlan FG
963
Waterford City South
5
John Halligan IND
1,430
WATERFORD CITY
15
Table 1: Poll toppers by electoral area at the 2009 Local Elections. Note: Poll topper here is taken to mean the candidate who won the most first preference votes, not the candidate who was the first to be elected. Looking at the trends in the above table, it can be seen that no one party had an outright dominance in terms of which parties, or groupings, the 2009 poll toppers haled from. Not surprisingly, Fine Gael did account for most of these with sixty five (38.0%) of the poll toppers in 2009 being candidates of this party. Labour (33 – 19.3%), the Independents/Non Party grouping (32 – 18.7%) and Fianna Fail (28 – 16.4%) are grouped relatively closely together as the groupings/parties accounting for the next largest cohorts of poll toppers. The relatively high number of independent/non-party candidates in this grouping is not surprising. While they cannot rely on the financial and organisational supports that party candidates enjoy, this is not as much of a drawback in local elections (or at least those up to 2009) given the smaller areas covered by local electoral areas relative to the much larger general election constituencies. Independent candidates also do not have to “share” a constituency with a running mate and hence are not limited by vote-management (e.g. constituency division or bailiwicking) in the way that party candidate on a multiple-candidate ticket would be. Sinn Fein accounted for eight (4.7%) of the poll toppers in 2009, while five (2.9%) poll toppers came from the group of left-wing parties that would form the United Left Alliance at the 2011 contest. Since the 2009 contest, five of these poll toppers have switched allegiances in terms of their party/grouping memberships. There was a notable gender dimension here too, as 152 of the poll toppers were male (88.9%) and only 19 (11.1%) were female. The most “successful” of the poll toppers group in 2009, in terms of raw first preference votes, was Fine Gael’s Michael Creed with 4,655 votes in the Macroom electoral area (his running mate, Derry Canty, also polled very well with 4,046 votes). The next largest first preference vote won in the state in 2009 by a poll topper was Labour’s John Gilroy’s 4,538 votes haul in Blarney, followed by the 4,499 votes won by Catherine Murphy (Independent) in Celbridge. The smallest number of votes won a poll topper was the 677 votes won by PJ Reilly (Fianna Fail) in Granard, just ahead of the 691 votes won by Sean McDermott (Fine Gael) in Manorhamilton and the 747 votes won by Tom Mulhall (Fine Gael) in Emo. Of course, the raw number of first preference votes is reflective of other factors (constituency size, voter turnout levels, as well as the relative level of competition in a constituency) than popularity. Another way to compare the support levels won by the 2009 is to look at their percentage share of the vote, or their vote as a proportion of the quota in their constituency, and these figures are illustrated in the table below.
Electoral Area
Poll Topper
Votes %
Quota
Borris
Thomas Kinsella FG
23%
1.13
Carlow East
Jennifer Murnane O’Connor FF
26%
1.30
Carlow West
Michael Abbey FG
21%
1.28
Muine Bheag
Jim Townsend LAB
20%
1.00
Tullow
John Pender FF
26%
1.32
Bailieborough
Niamh Smyth FF
10%
0.80
Ballyjamesduff
Paddy Smith FG
13%
0.92
Belturbert
Maura Maguire-Lynch FG
19%
1.11
Cavan
Charlie Boylan SF
15%
1.23
Ennis East
Johny Flynn FG
18%
1.06
Ennis West
James Breen IND
31%
1.54
Ennistymon
Martin Conway FG
18%
1.10
Killaloe
Joe Cooney FG
24%
1.71
Kilrush
Christy Curtin IND
15%
1.07
Shannon
John Crowe FG
16%
1.11
Bandon
Alan Coleman FG
26%
1.03
Bantry
Mary Hegarty FG
15%
0.91
Blarney
John Gilroy LAB
24%
1.21
Carrigaline
Seamus McGrath FF
17%
1.19
Fermoy
Patrick O’Driscoll FG
19%
0.95
Kanturk
Timmy Collins IND
23%
1.13
Macroom
Michael Creed FG
22%
1.09
Mallow
Dan Joe Fitzgerald FF
14%
0.82
Midleton
Michael Hegarty FG
15%
1.02
Skibbereen
Jim Daly FG
15%
1.19
Donegal
Barry O’Neill FG
15%
0.88
Glenties
Seamus O’Domhnaill IND
13%
0.81
Inishowen
Padraig MacLochlainn SF
13%
1.06
Letterkenny
Ciaran Brogan FF
13%
1.06
Stranorlar
Cora Harvey SF
19%
1.14
Balbriggan
Ken Farrell LAB
19%
1.15
Castleknock
Joe Higgins SP
28%
1.40
Howth-Malahide
Peter Coyle LAB
17%
1.02
Mulhuddart
Patrick Nulty LAB
14%
0.86
Swords
Claire Daly SP
20%
1.23
Clondalkin
Robert Dowds LAB
16%
1.10
Lucan
Derek Keating FG
27%
1.61
Rathfarnham
Cait Keane FG
21%
1.05
Tallaght Central
Mick Duffy LAB
13%
0.92
Tallaght South
Eamonn Maloney LAB
15%
0.92
Ballybrack
Denis O’Callaghan LAB
18%
1.09
Blackrock
Marie Baker FG
24%
1.18
Dundrum
Richard Boyd Barrett PBPA
24%
1.41
Dun Laoghaire
Jim O’Leary FG
20%
1.40
Glencullen-Sandyford
Lettie McCarthy LAB
26%
1.30
Stillorgan
Barry Saul FG
23%
1.14
Ballinasloe
Paul Connaughton FG
19%
1.13
Connemara
Thomas Welby IND
16%
1.26
Loughrea
Michael Fahy IND
12%
0.98
Oranmore
Jim Cuddy IND
17%
0.87
Tuam
Sean Canney IND
17%
1.39
Dingle
Brendan Griffin FG
22%
0.88
Killarney
Danny Healy-Rae IND
16%
1.26
Killorglin
Michael Healy-Rae IND
21%
1.28
Listowel
Robert Beasley SF
15%
0.93
Tralee
Arthur J Spring LAB
18%
1.45
Athy
Mark Wall LAB
29%
1.44
Celbridge
Catherine Murphy IND
26%
1.81
Clane
Brendan Weld FG
22%
1.08
Kildare
Paddy Kennedy IND
12%
0.83
Naas
Anthony Lawlor FG
16%
0.96
Ballyragget
Maurice Shortall LAB
23%
1.38
Callan
Billy Ireland FG
19%
0.96
Kilkenny
Andrew McGuinness FF
18%
1.41
Piltown
Tomas Breathnach LAB
16%
1.12
Thomastown
Pat O’Neill FG
19%
0.96
Borris in Ossory
John Joe Fennelly FF
20%
1.39
Emo
Tom Mulhall FG
13%
0.67
Luggacurren
James Daly FG
21%
1.05
Mountmellick
Paddy Bracken FF
15%
0.77
Portlaoise
Willie Aird FG
18%
1.42
Ballinamore
Paddy O’Rourke FF
17%
1.04
Carrick on Shannon
Enda Stenson IND
18%
1.48
Drumahaire
Enda McGloin FG
18%
1.06
Manorhamilton
Sean McDermott FG
16%
0.97
Adare
Leo Walsh FG
15%
1.24
Castleconnell
Mary Jackman FG
15%
1.19
Kilmallock
James Heffernan LAB
18%
1.09
Newcastle
Jerome Scanlon FG
23%
1.37
Rathkeale
John Sheahan FG
20%
0.99
Ballymahon
Larry Bannon FG
15%
1.06
Drumlish
Martin Mulleady FF
20%
0.99
Granard
PJ Reilly FF
17%
0.84
Longford
Peggy Nolan FG
15%
1.23
Ardee
Pearse McGeogh SF
15%
0.89
Drogheda East
Gerald Nash LAB
21%
1.44
Drogheda West
Paul Bell LAB
26%
1.30
Dundalk Carlingford
Peter Savage FF
16%
0.94
Dundalk South
Thomas Sharkey SF
19%
1.36
Ballina
Michelle Mulherrin FG
16%
1.11
Belmullet
Micheal McNamara FF
17%
0.83
Castlebar
Michael Kilcoyne IND
16%
1.26
Claremorris
Patsy O’Brien FG
19%
1.31
Swinford
Gerry Murray SF
25%
1.23
Westport
Peter Flynn FG
20%
1.02
Dunshaughlin
Brian Fitzgerald IND
14%
1.14
Kells
Catherine Yore FG
13%
0.77
Navan
Francis Deane IND
12%
0.93
Slane
Eoin Holmes LAB
16%
1.14
Trim
Ray Butler FG
20%
0.99
Carrickmacross
Padraig McNally FF
16%
0.95
Castleblaney
John O’Brien FF
27%
1.34
Clones
Heather Humphreys FG
24%
1.20
Monaghan
Seamus Treanor IND
13%
1.06
Birr
Peter Ormond FF
21%
1.03
Edenderry
John Foley FF
17%
1.21
Ferbane
Eamonn Dooley FF
16%
0.80
Tullamore
Barry Cowen FF
14%
1.11
Athlone/South Roscommon
Tony Ward IND
21%
1.44
Boyle
John Cummins FF
23%
1.15
Castlerea-Ballaghadereen
John Kelly IND
24%
1.92
Roscommon
Martin Connaughton FF
20%
1.20
Strokestown
Tom Crosby IND
22%
1.09
Ballymote
Gerard Mullaney FG
24%
1.22
Dromore
Michael N. Clarke IND
22%
1.10
Sligo Drumcliff
Joe Leonard FG
20%
1.38
Sligo Strandhill
Tony McLoughlin FG
25%
1.99
Tobercurry
Margaret Gormley IND
36%
1.82
Nenagh
Jim Casey FF
14%
0.96
Newport
Phyll Bugler FG
15%
0.88
Templemore
Michael Smith FF
20%
1.22
Thurles
Seamus Hanafin FF
17%
1.01
Cahir
Seanie Lonergan LAB
17%
0.85
Cashel
Jack Crowe FG
19%
0.96
Clonmel
Seamus Healy WUAG
22%
1.74
Fethard
Jimmy O’Brien FG
24%
1.67
Tipperary
Michael Fitzgerald FG
22%
1.34
Comeragh
Liam Brazil FG
21%
1.47
Dungarvan
Damien Geoghegan FG
15%
1.07
Lismore
James Tobin FF
18%
0.88
Tramore
John Carey FG
12%
0.99
Athlone
Kevin Boxer Moran FF
17%
1.18
Coole
Frank McDermott FG
20%
1.02
Kilbeggan
Joseph Flanagan FG
24%
1.22
Mullingar East
Michael Dollard LAB
31%
1.56
Mullingar West
Johnie Penrose LAB
22%
1.33
Enniscorthy
Paddy Kavanagh FG
14%
0.82
Gorey
John Hegarty FG
17%
1.03
New Ross
Denis Kennedy FG
16%
0.78
Wexford
George Lawlor LAB
12%
0.93
Arklow
Vincent Blake FG
16%
0.96
Baltinglass
Tommy Cullen IND
23%
0.92
Bray
Christopher Fox IND
14%
1.15
Greystones
Simon Harris FG
32%
1.59
Wicklow
Jimmy O’Shaughnessy LAB
16%
0.96
Cork City North Central
Mick Barry SP
26%
1.59
Cork City North East
John Kelleher LAB
19%
0.94
Cork City North West
Dave McCarthy IND
23%
1.17
Cork City South Central
Lorraine Kingston LAB
25%
1.53
Cork City South East
Des Cahill FG
15%
1.24
Cork City South West
John Buttimer FG
23%
1.63
Artane-Whitehall
Larry O’Toole SF
17%
1.00
Ballyfermot-Drimnagh
Michael Conaghan LAB
19%
0.97
Ballymun-Finglas
John Lyons LAB
22%
1.33
Cabra-Glasnevin
Mary Fitzpatrick FF
18%
1.09
Clontarf
Damian O’Farrell IND
20%
1.22
Crumlin-Kimmage
Eric Byrne LAB
25%
1.27
Donaghmede
Sean Kenny LAB
25%
1.24
North Inner City
Maureen O’Sullivan IND
24%
1.68
Pembroke-Rathmines
Eoghan Murphy FG
15%
1.05
South-East Inner City
Kevin Humphreys LAB
27%
1.37
South-West Inner City
John Gallagher LAB
19%
0.95
Galway City Central
Billy Cameron LAB
21%
1.03
Galway City East
Terry O’Flaherty IND
13%
0.91
Galway City West
Donal Lyons IND
21%
1.26
Limerick City East
John Gilligan IND
20%
1.02
Limerick City North
Michael Hourigan FG
18%
1.28
Limerick City South
Joe Leddin LAB
14%
1.09
Waterford City East
Davy Daniels IND
19%
1.36
Waterford City North
Hilary Quinlan FG
23%
1.13
Waterford City South
John Halligan IND
24%
1.45
Table 2: Poll toppers by electoral area at the 2009 Local Elections in terms of their percentage share of the vote/quota. Measured in terms of percentage share of the vote, the most popular candidate/poll-topper in the state at the 2009 elections was independent candidate, Margaret Gormley, who won 36.5% of the first preference vote in Tobercurry. The next highest candidates in this regard were Simon Harris (Fine Gael) who won 31.8% of the Greystones first preference vote and Michael Dollard who won 31.2% of the Mullingar East first preference vote. The poll topping candidates with the lowest vote shares were Fianna Fail’s Niamh Smyth (10.0% in Bailieborough), independent candidate Francis Deane (11.6% in Navan) and Labour’s George Lawlor (11.7% in Wexford). When analysed in terms of how their first preference votes compared with the quota in their respective constituencies, the most successful of the 2009 poll toppers in this regard is shown to be Tony McLoughlin (Fine Gael), who won close to twice the quota in Sligo-Strandhill in terms of his first preference vote (1.99 quotas). The next most successful in this regard was former independent councillor, and now Labour Senator, John Kelly with 1.92 quotas in Castlerea and the aforementioned Margaret Gormley, with 1.82 quotas in Tobercurry (just ahead of Catherine Murphy on 1.81 quotas in Celbridge). At the other end of the scale, the lowest placed candidates in this regard were Tom Mulhall (Fine Gael) with 0.67 quotas in Emo and Paddy Bracken (Fianna Fail) with 0.77 quotas in Mountmellick – hey, elections in Co. Laois ARE competitive – as well as Catherine Yore with 0.77 quotas in Kells. 123 of the poll toppers succeeded in winning enough votes to exceed the quota, and hence be deemed elected, on the first count, but the other 48 poll toppers had to wait for a later count before securing their seats.
Filed under: Candidates, local elections, Local Elections 2014, Poll toppers Tagged: 2009, 2014, Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, Labour Party, Sinn Fein 
