SF and FF prosper as Labour's vote nose dives

 

Sinn Fein look set to benefit the most from Labour's election meltdown in the Mullingar area.

With the tallies complete it looks as if only two of Labour's six sitting councillors will be elected. Serial polltoppers Cllr Johnny Penrose and Mick Dollard look as if they will retain their seats in the newly redrawn municipal districts but with significantly less votes and much further down the field than in previous elections. Cllrs Ger Corcoran, Detty Cornally, Denis Leonard and Peter Keaney are set to lose.

Sinn Fein's candidate in Mullingar Coole, Una D'Arcy, and Mullingar Kilbeggan's ,Sorcha Clarke, have exceeded most pundits' expectations and look set to secure the party's first seats in the locality in over 90 years. They are set to be joined by their colleague in Athlone Paul Hogan in the county chambers.

Fianna Fail have also polled well according to the tallies and could return nine councillors with Cllr Aidan Davitt top in Mullingar Coole and Paul Daly in Mullingar Kilbeggan. It's estimated that FG will win five seats (down from eight in 2009), Sinn Fein three, Labour two and one independent, Cllr 'Boxer' Moran from Athlone.

In addition to Labour's quartet, Cllrs Colm Arthur (FG) and Tom Allen (FF) look set to lose their seats.

The count in the Mullingar Park Hotel will begin at 3pm.

 

Tally Results

Mullingar Coole Top 10

Davitt FF 12.9% 1487

D'Arcy SF 12.9% 1477

Shaw FF 11.1% 1274

Hill FF 10.4% 1197

McDermott FG 10.1% 1164

Burke FG 8.7% 1000

Dollard Lab 8.2% 945

Leonard Lab 6.2% 707

Fagan Ind 5.8% 668

Wallace FG 5.5% 631

 

Mullingar Kilbeggan Top 10

Daly FF 15.8% 1531

Whitney FF 13.0% 1264

Glynn FF 9.8% 949

Penrose Lab 9.5% 928

Clarke SF 9.5% 922

Duncan FG 7.5% 732

Arthur FG 6.0% 587

Fagan Ind 5.8% 562

Newman FG 4.9% 475

Cornally Lab 4.8% 466