Your new county council
Heartrates across the county are slowly returning to normal this morning with the final results of the 2024 local elections all but confirmed. Candidates across the county’s 10 local electorate areas (LEAs) have been elected to 54 of Cork County Council’s 55 seats with a recount taking place this morning for the final seat in Cobh.
Bandon-Kinsale (6 seats)
The first count saw incumbent Independent Cllr Alan Coleman and newcomer for Independent Ireland, John Collins both pass the quota of 2,379, with Mr Collins passing it by just one vote. Another new face to the council, John Michael Foley, joined them on the sixth count with 2,194 votes. Social Democrats’ Ann Bambury, also new to the council, was voted in on the seventh round. Fianna Fáil Cllr Gillian and Fine Gael Cllr Marie O'Sullivan were both re-elected in the eighth and final round. Fianna Fáil Cllr Sean O'Donovan lost his seat on the council.
Bantry - West Cork (4 seats)
Independent Cllr Danny Collins was the first to take a seat in Bantry after being re-elected in round three. He was followed by newcomer Independent Finbarr Harrington in round seven. The eighth and final round saw Fianna Fáil Cllr Patrick Gerard Murphy and Fine Gael Cllr Caroline Cronin retake their seats on the council. Sitting Social Democrats Cllr Chris Heinhold lost his seat after only being co-opted at the start of the year.
Skibbereen - West Cork (5 seats)
It took four rounds of counting in Skibbereen before Fine Gael’s Noel O’Donovan was elected with a final count of 2,445. This was followed by five more tense rounds before Fianna Fáil Cllr Joe Carroll was re-elected in round nine. Round ten saw the final three seats filled by Fianna Fáil Cllr Deirdre Kelly and newcomers Daniel Sexton of Independent Ireland and Isobel Towse with the Social Democrats. Independent Cllrs Karen Coakley and Declan Hurley both lost their seats.
Carrigaline (6 seats)
Independent Cllr Ben Dalton-O'Sullivan retained his seat in round one, passing the quota of 2,057 by over 250 votes, while Cllr Seamus McGrath of Fianna Fáil smashed the target with 5,191 votes in the first round. Fine Gael Cllr Jack White retained his seat in round two. Also holding onto their seats were Fianna Fáil Cllr Audrey Buckley in round four and Fine Gael Cllr Úna McCarthy in round six. Round seven say Sinn Féin’s Eoghan Fahy join the council. No sitting councillor lost a seat in Carrigaline.
Cobh (6 seats)
At the time of writing, a recount is underway at County Hall for the final seat in the Cobh LEA with Fianna Fáil’s Dominic Finn sitting just seven votes ahead of Clíona Halloran of the Green Party on the 11th count. Meanwhile, Fine Gael Cllr Anthony Barry and Fianna Fáil Cllr Sheila O'Callaghan were both re-elected in round one. It took six more rounds before Fine Gael Cllr Sinéad Sheppard reclaimed her seat in round seven. Labour Cllr Cathal Rasmussen won his seat back in round nine along with newcomer Ger Curley of Independent Ireland. All incumbent councillors in Cobh retook their seats.
Fermoy (6 seats)
Fine Gael Cllr Noel McCarthey and Independent Cllr William O'Leary both retained their seats comfortably in round one. Outgoing county mayor, Fianna Fáil Cllr Frank O’Flynn followed in round four. Cllr Deirdre O'Brien also kept her seat in round eight, with newcomers Nelius Cotter of Fianna Fáil and Independent Peter O'Donoghue, taking the final two seats in round nine. There was heartbreak for outgoing Fine Gael Cllr Kay Dawson who went to round eight before losing out.
Kanturk (4 seats)
It was all over after just four rounds in Kanturk with Fianna Fáil Cllr Bernard Moynihan re-elected in round one and Fine Gael council leader Cllr John Paul O’Shea taking back his seat in round two. Fianna Fáil Cllr Ian Doyle was re-elected in round four and was accompanied by new councillor for Fine Gael, Trish Murphy. No sitting councillors running in the elections lost a seat in Kanturk.
Macroom (6 seats)
In Macroom, Fianna Fáil’s Gobnait Moynihan and Fine Gael’s Michael Creed kept their seats in round one, with Fianna Fáil’s Michael Looney following close behind in round two. Eileen Lynch retook her seat in round five. The final two seats were won in round seven by incumbent councillors Ted Lucey of Fine Gael Cllr and Independent Martin Coughlan, meaning no new faces for the Macroom LEA.
Mallow (5 seats)
It was the same story in Mallow with all five elected candidates winning back their seats. Labour’s Eoghan Kenny, Fine Gael’s Liam Madden, and Fine Gael’s Tony O’Shea all eased through in round one. Then it was Fianna Fáil’s turn with councillors Gearóid Murphy and Pat Hayes winning their seats back in rounds six and seven respectively.
Midleton (7 seats)
New faces fared a bit better in Midleton, although they had to wait until the 11th and 12th rounds to get over the line. In round one, Independent Cllr Mary Linehan Foley and Fine Gael Cllr Michael Hegarty both passed the quota of 2,026. Then it took until round nine for Social Democrats Cllr Liam Quaide to reclaim his seat. Round 11 saw new face for Fianna Fáil, Patrick Mulcahy, elected. Two newcomers, Rory Cocking for Fine Gael and Independent John Buckley, made the cut in round 12 along with incumbent Fianna Fáil Cllr Ann-Marie Ahern. All sitting councillors in Midleton who ran were re-elected.