ELECTIONS 2019: Counting resumes, FF account for six of eight councillors elected so far

COUNTING has resumed this morning to elect the remaining 16 candidates to Kilkenny County Council.

After a day of drama at Cillín Hill yesterday, and into the small hours, a third of the 24 positions on the council have now been filled. And so far Fianna Fáil has dominated the proceedings locally, taking six out of the eight confirmed seats.

In Castlecomer, Pat Fitzpatrick (FF) topped the poll with 2,249 first preference votes and was the first member of the new council to be elected.

He was followed by Fine Gael’s Mary Hilda Kavanagh, who made history after she became the country’s longest-serving councillor, by virtue of winning every single council scrap since 1974, when she pulled in 1,954 first preference votes.

She was closely trailed by Cllr Michael McCarthy (FF), who got 1,951 first preference votes, well above the quota of 1,447.

Andrew McGuinness topped the poll in Kilkenny City with a hugely impressive return of 1,860 first preference votes, a surplus of 661 which could help carry his colleague John Coonan over the line.

It was also a strong performance from McGuinness ally Joe Malone, who polled third highest in the city with a total of 1,271 votes.

And Malcolm Noonan will be delighted with his strong showing of 1,485 first preference votes as the ‘Green wave’ that swept across the country in the 2019 local and European elections was clearly in evidence in Kilkenny too.

In Callan-Thomastown, the FF duo of Peter ‘Chap’ Cleere (1,945) and Matt Doran (1,839) were also elected on the first count. They are expected to be followed soon by Fine Gael’s Pat O’Neill (1,399) and Michael Doyle (1,378).

The first Piltown announcements will be made this morning.