Cork County Council will celebrate 125 years with the Government parties returning to County Hall on 21 June with their numbers very much intact.
The final configuration of 55 seat Council is: 19 seats for Fianna Fáil; 18 for Fine Gael; eight for non-party councillors; four for Independent Ireland; three for the Social Democrats; three for The Labour Party; one for Sinn Féin.
This election was a hard lesson for the Green Party with success evading its candidates in Co Cork in every local electoral area. There was a strong performance by the Social Democrats in the home county of their party leader, Holly Cairns. All four sitting cllrs who ran for Independent Ireland were re-elected. Labour held its two seats, while Sinn Féin returned with just one despite running a candidate in all ten LEAs.
Bandon-Kinsale
Two candidates were elected in this six-seater Local Electoral Area on the first count after exceeding the quota.
Independent Alan Coleman topped the poll and Independent Ireland’s John Collins exceeded the quota of 2,379 but just a single vote.
Fine Gael’s John Michael Foley was elected on the sixth count, followed by first-time cllr for the Social Democrats Ann Bambury on the seventh count.
The final two seats were filled on the eighth count by two sitting cllrs, Fianna Fáil’s Gillian Coughlan and Fine Gael’s Marie O’Sullivan
See full results for Bandon-Kinsale LEA
Bantry-West Cork
It was the third count before anyone was elected here, with Danny Collins of Independent Ireland retaining his seat.
And it was a case of third time lucky for independent Finbarr Harrington after he was elected on the seventh count.
The final two seats were filled on the eighth count by Fine Gael’s Caroline Cronin and Fianna Fáil’s Patrick Gerard Murhy who retained their seats.
See full results for Bantry-West Cork LEA
Carrigaline
Poll-topper Seámus McGrath of Fianna Fáil breezed past the quota by over 3,000 votes to be elected on this first count, followed by independent Ben Dalton-O’Sullivan.
Fine Gael’s Jack White won the third seat on the second count.
Fianna Fáil’s Audrey Buckley retained her seat on the fourth count, followed by fellow incumbent Úna McCarthy of Fine Gael on the seventh count.
Sinn Féin’s returned its only councillor in this LEA with Eoghan Fahy being deemed elected on the eighth count.
See full results for Carrigaline LEA
Cobh
All four sitting councillors who ran retained their seats in this six-seater LEA.
Sheila O’Callaghan of Fianna Fáil was elected on the first count and topped the poll, along with Fine Gael’s Anthony Barry. Both cllrs exceeded the quota.
On the seventh count, Cllr Sinéad Sheppard of Fine Gael also retained her seat.
Labour’s Cathal Rasmussen was elected on the ninth count in addition to Independent Ireland’s Ger Curley.
The final seat here was won Fianna Fáil’s Dominic Finn who narrowly beat the Green Party’s Clíona O’Halloran after a recount.
Fermoy
Two sitting cllrs comfortably exceeded the quota here on the first count to retain their seats. They are independent William O’Leary and Fine Gael’s Noel McCarthy.
Three Fianna Fáil candidates then followed on the fourth, eighth and ninth counts; Frank O’Flynn, Deirdre O’Brien and Nelius Cotter respectively.
Independent Peter O’Donoghue won the final seat – also on the ninth count – beating Labour’s Diarmuid Hanley by just 22 votes.
See full results for Fermoy LEA
Kanturk
Bernard O’Flynn of Fianna Fáil was the first cllr elected in this LEA. He topped the poll by almost 800 votes and retained his seat on the first count.
He was followed by a pair of Fine Gael candidates on the second and fourth counts, those being John Paul O’Shea and Trish Murphy respectively.
The final seat here was clinched by Fiana Fáil’s Ian Doyle following the eighth count.
See full results for Kanturk LEA
Macroom
Macroom was the only electoral area to return the same elected members as it had in 2019.
Gobnait Moynihan and Michael Looney returned for Fianna Fáil along with independent Martin Coughlan and Fine Gael’s Michael Creed, Eileen Lynch and Ted Lucey.
See full results for Macroom LEA
Mallow
Three candidates comfortably exceeded the quota and were deemed elected on the first count in this LEA.
The poll was topped by Fine Gael pair Tony O’Shea and Liam Madden. They were followed by Labour’s Eoghan Kenny who held the second of Labour’s two seats on Cork County Council.
The final two seats were claimed by Gearóid Murphy and Pat Hayes of Fianna Fáil on the sixth and seventh counts respectively.
See full results for Mallow LEA
Midleton
Independent Mary Linehan Foley retained her seat on the first count after breezing past the quota by over 900 votes.
She was joined by Fine Gael’s Michael Hegarty in being elected on the first count.
The Social Democrats’ Liam Quaide was also re-elected following the ninth count.
Patrick Mulcahy of Fianna Fáil claimed the fourth seat on Count 11.
The final three seats were all won on the 12th count. They were won by Fine Gael’s Rory Cocking, Ann-Marie Ahern of Fianna Fáil and independent John Buckley.
See full results for Midleton LEA
Skibbereen-West Cork
No candidate in this LEA managed to pass the quota of 2,531 and two outgoing independent cllrs lost their seats.
The first person deemed elected was Fine Gael’s Noel O’Donovan, followed by Joe Carroll of Fianna Fáil.
The final three seats were all won on the tenth and final count.
They were claimed by Deirdre Kelly, also of Fianna Fáil, Independent Ireland’s Daniel Sexton and Isobel Townse of the Social Democrats.
Declan Hurley and Karen Coakley, both independent, lost their seats.
