Fianna Fail’s Frank O’Flynn, Deirdre O’Brien and William O’Leary secured three seats on the first count in the Fermoy LEA six-seater constituency but it was Noel McCarthy (FG) who headed the poll with plenty to spare (1,116 over the quota).
Kay Dawson (Fine Gael) took the fifth seat in the third count but the real drama was for the sixth seat, going all the way to the eight count, eventually seeing Independent candidate Frank Roche, being elected at the expense of June Murphy (Social Democrats).
The others to lose out were David Kenneally (Labour) and Helen White (Sinn Fein).
The turnout in the Fermoy Electoral Area was 50.4% from an electorate of 29,888 and the quota was 2,116.
The first preference votes and percentages are as follows: McCarthy 3,228 (21.8%), O’Flynn 2,895 (19.5%), O’Brien 2,225 (15%), O’Leary 2,212 (14.9%), Dawson 1,527 (10.3%), Roche 899 (6.1%), Murphy 676 (4.6%), White 617 (4.2%), Kenneally 531 (3.6%). There were 14,810 valid votes cast along with 259 spoiled votes.
Cahir LEA
Andy Moloney (Ind) romped home ahead of the quota in the 4-seater Cahir LEA and so, was elected in the first count. Marie Murphy (FG) and Máirín McGrath (Ind) were elected in the 3rd count, followed by Micheál Anglim Jnr (FF) in the 4th count.
Clonmel
In the Clonmel LEA (6 seater), Michael Murphy (FG), Siobhan Ambrose (FF) and Pat English (WUA) were elected in the 1st count followed by Garret Ahern (FG) in the 3rd count, Richie Molloy (Ind) in the 6th count and Niall P Dennehy (Ind) in the 8th count.
Waterford
In Waterford, John Pratt (Lab) headed the poll in the 3-seater Lismore LEA followed by James Tobin (FF), both elected in the 1st count. They were followed by Declan Doocey (FG) in the 2nd count.
In the 6-seat Dungarvan LEA, Damien Geoghegan (FG) was elected in the 1st count and he was followed by Tom Cronin (FF) in the 2nd count.
It went to the 7th count before Pat Nugent (FG) was deemed to be elected and in the 8th count, Conor D McGuinness (SF), Seamus O’Donnell (Ind) and Thomas Phelan secured their seats.
Cappamore-Kilmallock LEA
In Limerick, the 7-seater Cappamore-Kilmallock LEA saw Brigid Teefy (Ind) head the poll followed by Martin Ryan (FF) to be elected in the 1st count.
Eddie Ryan (FF) came through in the 3rd count while Gerald Mitchell (FG) had to wait until the 8th count to secure his seat.
In the 9th count, John Egan (FG), Michael Donegan (FF) and PJ Carey (Ind) made it through.
