AHEAD of the official announcement of the results in the historic contest of Limerick’s first directly-elected mayor (DEM), one mayoral hopeful has said that whatever way the vote goes, it has been an “honour” to hear the stories of people on the doorsteps of Limerick.
Fianna Fáil mayoral hopeful Dee Ryan said that it’s “been a pleasure” to be involved in the DEM campaign, and that she feels “privileged” to have listened to peoples’ concerns on the doorsteps.
Speaking to the Limerick Post ahead of the announcement of the results of the first count, Ms Ryan said that “it’s been an absolute pleasure to be involved in it. I’ve loved it. I’ve absolutely loved the campaigning.
“I’ve loved getting across the county, meeting people and feel privileged that they did me the courtesy and the privilege of sharing their concerns with me, like, that’s incredible,” the Fianna Fáil DEM hopeful said.
“I’ve never stood for election before, so I really, really, really enjoyed the whole the whole experience, hugely positive. So now I guess this is where we land. This is where we get, the finish line.
“And I’m looking at that pile of number ones that I got. And obviously it’s not as big as other people’s, but I’m so grateful for it, and waiting to hear what story the transfers will tell for us today. And you know, we feel we’re still very much in with the shot,” Ms Ryan said.
While remaining tight-lipped on her chances, Ms Ryan said that whoever ends up being elected as mayor, the real winner is Limerick.
The former Limerick Chamber chief said that “whatever the outcome, Limerick, certainly, in my eyes, has been the winner of this election, and having such a positive, respectful discussion and debate amongst across the whole county about what we want has been hugely engaging.
“I think the turnout numbers were wonderful, and they demonstrate the kind of passion that people in Limerick have for our county, for our county’s future, and that those can all only be good things. So whomever gets the honour today, I think that actually, ultimately, Limerick is the winner,” she concluded.
The first count results are expected at some time this afternoon.
