AFTER count 12 at Limerick Racecourse, Aontú’s Sarah Beasley has left the race. The first time candidate, who became Limerick’s first elected Aontú councillor earlier this year, lasted longer in the race than many established politicians and party representatives.
After Fianna Fáil TD Willie O’Dea’s election yesterday, his surplus of 88 votes was distributed among the remaining candidates in the race. This saw Cllr Beasley pick up 19 votes, but it was not enough to keep her in the race.
Interestingly, Cllr Beasley and Sinn Féin’s Maurice Quinlivan picked up more on transfers from O’Dea (19 and 27 respectively) than his party colleague Dee Ryan, who took just nine transfers from the Fianna Fáil veteran.
Cllr Beasley’s 3,460 votes will now be distributed among the four remaining candidates in the race – Maurice Quinlivan, Conor Sheehan, Elisa O’Donovan, and Dee Ryan.
Speaking to the Limerick Post, Cllr Beasley said that she was “ecstatic” to have stayed in the race so long, and wished her colleagues well in the race.
“I’m absolutely ecstatic. I never expected to do so well. At the end of the day, I was the outsider coming into the race and to take out a few of the big names that I did,” Cllr Beasley said.
“Hopefully now it has improved my profile and for everyone that put the trust in voting in me, isn’t it just amazing?”
Asked where she could see her votes going, Cllr Beasley said she “hadn’t a clue”.
“Conor is a neighbour of mine, so it’d be nice for Conor, or Dee Ryan is a lovely lady. So look, I’m hoping them all the best,” the Aontú woman concluded.
