Shared bragging rights: FF top poll, FG win most local seats, SF are biggest party in chamber

Martin Shannon

At Clones Courthouse

The Monaghan County Council election in the Clones area was finally put to bed in the former Clones Courthouse last Sunday, with the results completely bucking the national trend.
Fine Gael came out as top dogs with Hughie McElvaney, Ciara McPhillips, and young Eugene Bannigan,claiming three of the six seats. The passing of latter's father, Owen, was the reason for the postponed count. 
Sinn Féin duo Pat Treanor and Sheila McKenna had enough to take two seats and establish themselves as the biggest party in the newly reconfigured 18-member county council chamber. The national trend which saw Fianna Fáil main huge gains was not replicated in Ballybay and Clones despite the party having the poll topper in Seamus Coyle. 
Cllr Coyle greeted the result “a great honour”, but conceded that the party needed to take lessons on board. “In my own euphoria today, I am disappointed that my two running mates, Deirdre Kelly and Michael Smith have not been successful on this occasion.
“We as a party will analyse the results here today, but when the party at national level decided to run three candidates in this area it left it very very competitive for each candidate; particularly with the calibre of the candidates that were coming from the other parties. It is a learning process and it is something we must look at for the future.”
The first woman to be elected onto the Council Fine Gael’s Ciara McPhillips said:
“I am surprised and a little overwhelmed, it is a bigger vote than I would have thought. I am very aware that it is going to be a big responsibility to represent that many people in such a diverse area.
“I am shocked but on the doorsteps I got the reaction that people would like to see a woman, someone young and professional. We are an anomaly in this area as a party as we have two sitting TDs from here.”
Eugene Bannigan (22) of Fine Gael, who has just finished a degree in hospitality management at Dundalk IT said it was a day of elation and pride that was tinged with sadness following his dad’s death two weeks’ previously.
“I did not think when I woke up this morning that I would get such a big vote but I just want to thank everyone for voting yesterday. I am a member of the local Carrickatee/Lough Egish branch of Fine Gael as was daddy. Daddy always made sure we were always involved.
I think it is fantastic that of the six seats Fine Gael has secured three of them. I know I am going with no experience at Council level and I think the team will help me settle in. I am looking forward to the challenge ahead.
“I am extremely proud to have retained my Daddy’s seat and I will work hard for all the people who elected me.”

‘Managed the vote’
Pat Treanor of Sinn Fein said he was very relieved to have been elected and very thankful for the support the party got throughout the area.
“We managed the vote and came in nearly as predicted. With the new boundary the largest Sinn Féin vote was always going to come from Knockatallon area which had previously been held by the late Sheila McKenna and for the last year and a half has been held by Cathy Bennett. With 27% of the overall valid poll it points to a very strong team of Sinn Féin workers.”
His colleague Cathy Bennett said she did not think there was a woman’s vote following the election of twelve men in the previous areas in the county. 
“I am delighted that myself and Ciara McPhillips will be there to support the women of the county. It is now obvious that in my home base of Knockatallon/Scotshouse they do like women councillors, but I did take votes from other areas... I hope this is not beginners’ luck but I will work hard for the next five years.”

Happy
Veteran local politician and outgoing Fine Gael Whip on the Council Hughie McElvaney said:
“I am very happy with my election and that we have returned three Councillors in this area and on my own behalf I thank the people who elected me. I regret very much that did not happen in the other two areas or we would have the majority on Monaghan County Council. We certainly pulled out the stops here in getting our votes out and I have no doubt the people of the Ballybay/Clones area will be better off as a result of the representation we will make on their behalf in terms of their communities and families.”

The national politicians too including Deputy Caoimghín Ó Caoláin (SF) and Fine Gael Deputies Heather Humphreys and Sean Conlan were also present.

A delighted Deputy Heather Humphreys hailed the election as a great result.

“This is a great result for Fine Gael here today. We took 40% of the vote. We have three good councillors elected now and we have experience and we have youth.

'The victory is of course tempered with the sadness at the death of our friend Owen Bannigan but thankfully his son Eugene has retained his seat for our electorate. In fact I think it is the same result we would have got two weeks ago and I am delighted.”

Heartened

Meanwhile Deputy Caoimghín Ó Caoláin said there was a great effort to get their vote out and the party were very heartened by the response which elected both of their candidates.

“I am delighted to see Cathy Bennett getting elected as a first time runner. She has taken 648 first preference votes across Scotstown and Knockatallon. That is a phenomenal endorsement of two candidates in succession, the late Sheila McKenna and now Cathy Bennett in that area.

'There is also a very interesting fact that may be missed here today and that is in the town of Ballybay which is a distant location from Cathy Bennett’s home base, Cathy topped the poll in two of the four booths. She has made a tremendous impact on the electorate in this area.”

Late in the evening and unusually for a local election count, MEPs Mairead McGuinness (FG) and Matt Carthy (SF) joined their respective camps just before the final announcement. However, neither wished to comment as they both said the day belonged to those who took part and the plaudits should go to them.