McCourt 'still in shock' after dramatic late win

Sinn Féin’s Julie McCourt is “still in shock” after a dramatic election to Westmeath County Council last week.

Ms McCourt said she “wasn’t expecting a lot” after the first count showed her trailing Fine Gael’s Gerard Heery by more than 150 votes, making him look likely at that stage to secure the sixth and final seat in the Mullingar Local Electoral Area.

As the weekend continued, more and more transfers went to the Sinn Féin candidate, and by count nine on Sunday night (June 9), Ms McCourt had inched ahead of Mr Heery by five votes.

It prompted a recount, beginning the next morning, but Ms McCourt even gained a small number of votes in that process, and was deemed elected.

“It was a hectic couple of days; there’s no doubt about it,” she said.

“I wasn’t expecting it; I remember Gerry was ahead of me by about 200 votes at one point, but then I started to climb on Sunday, and my colleagues told me, ‘Julie, you have a real chance here’.

“It just goes to show that every vote does count and how big of a difference those votes made; I was absolutely thrilled to get in, and I wish Gerry Heery all the best.”

Ms McCourt, who works with Deputy Sorca Clarke, said she’s delighted to be Sinn Féin’s first councillor for Mullingar since 2019.

“I’m delighted to represent Mullingar; I’m still reeling from the whole thing,” she said. “Sorca was the last councillor for Sinn Féin here; she got her [council] seat but then gained a seat in the Dáil a short time later.

“She has been a fantastic help to me, and she will be a great help to me, because obviously I’ve never been in a councillor position and don’t know the inner workings.

“But I’m really eager to get in and start doing what we need to do.”

Ms McCourt said housing and transport will be her priorities in the chamber. “Housing is still the biggest issue in Mullingar; it’s abysmal what’s going on, particularly for families, and I will be helping as much as I can in that department,” she said.

“The road traffic situation in and around the town – I think it’s the bane of everyone’s life, so we’ll be looking at what can be done there.”

The Sinn Féin councillor is delighted with her achievement. “My family are so proud of me too,” she said.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about my poor mam and dad over the last couple days, they have both passed away, and I’m sure they will be enormously proud of what I’ve achieved.”

Ms McCourt wants to “work together with all parties” and said she is looking forward to getting started.