THE LABOUR Party’s Conor Sheehan is Limerick City’s fourth TD, it has been confirmed here at Limerick Racecourse.
The jubilant councillor-turned-TD was elected on the 15th and final count, beating close rival Elisa O’Donovan (SocDems) by just 598 votes.
Speaking to this reporter after his election, Deputy Sheehan said that being elected by the people of Limerick City is the “honour of his life”.
“I am honoured and grateful beyond belief to the people of Limerick City, the greatest city on earth, for electing me to represent them in the 34th Dáil,” Mr Sheehan said.
“I would like to first pay immense tribute to Elisa O’Donovan. She’s a fine and fantastic public representative, and I’m only sorry that there wasn’t two more seats and that the two of us couldn’t have got elected, because I think we share similar values,” he said, paying tribute to his closest rival in this race, who conceded this evening.
“This is the honour of my life, and I have a job of work now to make sure that I represent the people of Limerick well, all I ever wanted was a chance to prove myself as a TD, I’ve now been given that opportunity by the people,” the ecstatic newly-elected TD said.
Earlier, runner-up Elisa O’Donovan told this reporter that she hopes her campaign can inspire more women to enter political life.
“I was very emotional to come this close and getting to that final hurdle and falling, it is very emotional, but I’m really happy for Conor. I just think it’s amazing that so many people in Limerick got out and voted for me,” Cllr O’Donovan said.
“I’m really happy that I hopefully might have inspired other women to get involved in politics. It’s so important. We are 50 per cent of the population. We are not a minority group, yet we are treated as a minority group in politics.”
Speaking about the controversy that unfolded on Friday which saw names on the ballot paper appear in the wrong order, Cllr O’Donovan theorised that it is possible that this had an impact on her failing to win a seat.
“This had never happened before in an Irish election, and it was my name that was impacted. All I ever asked for in politics is fairness and a level playing field. And that didn’t happen this weekend,” the SocDems candidate hit out.
“It’s very, very unfortunate, and it’s very unfair, and it shouldn’t have happened, and it could quite have possibly cost me a seat.”
Conor Sheehan joined Deputies Willie O’Dea, Kieran O’Donnell, and Maurice Quinlivan in completing the four city constituency seats.
In the county, Patrick O’Donovan, Richard O’Donoghue, and Niall Collins all retained their seats.
