AFTER a slog of a start in the Limerick City North electoral area, two candidates have been elected after a mammoth five counts.
Labour’s Conor Sheehan and Independent Frankie Daly have both been successful in securing seats.
It has been a tense weekend for the City North pair, who had to endure five long counts with no seats taken, as well as keeping the historic mayoral count on Monday in the back of their minds.
Sitting councillor Frankie Daly secured 1,621 votes, deeming him elected, surpassing the quota of 1,594.
Fellow sitting councillor Conor Sheehan was elected with 1,604, with the Labour man saying he was “humbled” by all the support.
Speaking to the Limerick Post after his re-election, Cllr Sheehan said that he was “humbled, I’m honoured. I’m shocked. You know, I thought the campaign was going well. I never expected to have this level of an endorsement.”
“I think this is the highest vote that the Labor Party has gotten, certainly in the last 30 years, in Limerick City North and I suppose it’s up to me now to go out there to work tirelessly night and day for the people who have elected me to make sure that that they feel that their vote was well used.”
Thanking his supporters and those around him who helped while canvassing, Cllr Sheehan said that “a vote is a very personal thing, but I suppose, look, election campaigns, you know, I didn’t get here on my own.”
“I got here because of all these people around me, my team, they’ve been so good they’ve gone out night and day for me.
“To get people to go out and knock a complete stranger’s doors and ask them to vote for you, like that is a daunting thing, whether it be for a candidate or whether it be for their canvas team. And I would be nothing without my Labour Party team,” Cllr Sheehan said.
In the sixth count in Limerick City North, there was no candidate elected.
Meanwhile, in Limerick City East, it was another win for the Labour Party with Elena Secas becoming taking the fourth seat in this constituency.
Speaking to the Limerick Post at the count centre Cllr Secas said that she was “overwhelmed, and I would like to thank every single person” who supported her.
“I would also like to thank my family for their support and understanding and patience, especially in the last few months. And I would also like to thank my campaigners and people who supported my campaign,” Cllr Secas said.
