Local elections 2024 Longford: Independents to be ‘kingmakers’ as Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael fight for control of council chamber (2024)

The seventh and final count saw sitting councillors Mark Casey (IND) and Pat O’Toole (FF) returned alongside newcomers Sean Mimnagh (FF) and Martin Skelly (FG).

The major casualty was that of outgoing county council Cathaoirleach Colm Murray, who lost out in the end by 95 votes.

The Kenagh man cut an understandably emotional figure as the results reverberated around a packed count centre and as supporters from messrs Casey, O’Toole, Mimnagh and Skelly hoisted their newly elected councillors into the air.

It leaves Fianna Fáil with three returned councillors, Fine Gael with two and one Independent.

Perhaps more interestingly, it leaves matters very tight in terms of number crunching when talks are held over the coming days as to which party will hold the balance of power going forward.

In Granard, Fine Gael saw three of its candidates, namely Garry Murtagh, Paraic Brady and Padraig McNamara cross the political threshold with David Cassidy rewriting the political script to claim a seat for Fianna Fáil.

In Longford, Fianna Fáil safely returned all three of its sitting elected members, namely Martin Monaghan, Seamus Butler and Ureumu Adejinmi while supplanting that figure with first time candidate Kevin Hussey.

Fine Gael, meanwhile, saw both of its outgoing elected members-Gerry Hagan and Peggy Nolan returned alongside newcomer Niall Gannon.

It means both of the main government parties have been left with an eight seat return with two Independents now crucially holding the key as to which party will be able to secure control of the council chamber over the next five years.

Fine Gael enjoyed that luxury last time out with Independent Cllr Turlough McGovern proving to be the ‘kingmaker’.

Independent.ie understands Fine Gael are already in talks with the Granard man to try and extend that pact for another five years.

Party bosses, however, will be well aware a similar deal will have to be struck with McGovern’s Lanesboro based opposite number.

For their part, Fianna Fáil are also believed to be keen to open talks with both Independents as they look to wrestle back control of what is sure to be an interesting council chamber when it holds its first meeting over the coming weeks.

The Lazarus like revival of David Cassidy in the Granard Electoral Area to claim what had looked an unlikely seat for Fianna Fáil and guarantee its political representation there for another five years will help strengthen that hand.

Either way, it promises to be an intriguing few days ahead as the curtain finally comes down on what was yet another gruelling and tension-filled local election in Longford.

9:15pm – Fianna Fáil’s David Cassidy has completed the comeback to end all comebacks by clinching the fifth and final seat in the Granard Local Electoral Area.

The Longford based barber had looked down and out after the first two counts left him almost 300 votes adrift of sitting Fine Gael Cllr Colin Dalton.

Transfers, as is so often the case in local elections, played a key part and Cassidy more than lived up to his new found ‘Comeback king’ moniker by steadily eating into Dalton’s lead and eventually overtaking him following the distribution of elected Fine Gael Cllr Paraic Brady’s 26 surplus votes.

For Fine Gael, it is perhaps being seen as a missed opportunity to capitalise on the retirement of long serving Fianna Fáil Cllr PJ Reilly by taking four out of the five seats in Granard.

Party bosses will, nonetheless, be pleased to secure first time candidate Padraig McNamara on its elected members list after the Granard postmaster turned in an impressive performance by securing 699 first preferences to ultimately take the fourth seat.

Cassidy and McNamara’s election adds one seat each to both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael’s current complement of six seats each with talk now expected to centre on which party, together with one or possibly two Independents, will hold the balance of power in the new look council.

GRANARD SEVENTH COUNT ELECTED : Padraig McNamara (FG), David Cassidy (FF)

DAVID CASSIDY (FF) 1,071 COLIN DALTON (FG) 1,067 PADRAIG MCNAMARA (FF) 1,113

ELECTORATE: 10,955 TOTAL POLL: 7,168 INVALID POLL: 63 VALID POLL: 7,105 QUOTA: 1,185 NUMBER OF SEATS: 5

9pm – The recount in the Ballymahon Local Electoral Area is over, resulting in the exit of Sinn Féin’s John Rooney.

The Edgeworthstown man finished just one vote behind Colm Murray, who now faces an uphill task to claw back almost 70 votes from party running mate and first time candidate Martin Skelly.

Returning Officer Mary Gouldsbury has, meanwhile, called David Cassidy (Fianna Fáil) and Colin Dalton (Fine Gael) to the back of the community centre in Edgeworthstown as the long awaited result in the Granard Local Electoral Area draws ever nearer.

Just four votes separate the pair in the race to secure the fifth and final seat in the north of the county.

6:45 - Outgoing Fine Gael county council cathaoirleach Colm Murray is facing an uphill battle to preserve his political future having finished a single vote ahead of ousted Sinn Féin candidate John Rooney following the sixth count in the Ballymahon Electoral Area.

A recount has been called by Rooney in the wake of the sixth count being made, a request returning officer Mary Gouldsbury has now granted.

It would appear, however, that Sinn Féin’s hopes of making a long awaited breakthrough in county Longford look all but over for another five years.

The recount may also only be a stay of political execution for Cllr Murray as he sits over 60 votes off party colleague and first time candidate Martin Skelly.

The Kenagh man’s departure from the local political fray would be seen as considerable blow given his standing as the party’s group leader as it looks to once again retain control of the council chamber for another five years.

Ballymahon LEA – Sixth count

Electorate: 12,067

Total Poll: 7,093

Spoiled/Invalid Votes: 74

Total Valid Poll: 7,019

Quota: 1,003

Number of seats: 6

Mark Casey (IND)* 933

Sean Mimnagh (FF) 801

Colm Murray (FG)* 696

Pat O’Toole (FF)* 928

John Rooney (SF) 695

Martin Skelly (FG) 763

*Outgoing councillors

5:30pm – Fianna Fáil’s Mick Cahill has been re-elected to Longford County Council after taking the second seat in Ballymahon’s Local Electoral Area.

His election, on the fifth count, follows that of Fine Gael poll-topper Paul Ross yesterday. Cllr Cahill’s running mate and fellow outgoing Fianna Fáil Cllr Pat O’Toole is expected to join him next past the post.

The Colehill based local politician was embraced by close family and party supporters when news of his re-election was confirmed by Returning Officer Mary Gouldsbury.

Ballymahon LEA Electorate: 12,067 Total Poll: 7,093 Spoiled/Invalid Votes: 74 Total Valid Poll: 7,019 Quota: 1,003 Number of seats: 6

Mick Cahill (FF)* 1013 Mark Casey (IND)* 929 Sean Mimnagh (FF) 800 Colm Murray (FG)* 693 Pat O’Toole (FF)* 927 John Rooney (SF) 695 Martin Skelly (FG) 762

*Outgoing councillors

4:40pm – Longford County Council will have two newcomers in its midst in the shape of Fine Gael’s Niall Gannon and Fianna Fáil’s Kevin Hussey after the pair were this evening elected alongside outgoing Cllr Uruemu Adejinmi.

The trio took the three remaining seats that were up for grabs in Longford after outgoing councillors Gerry Hagan, Martin Monaghan, Seamus Butler and Peggy Nolan were safely returned yesterday.

The result leaves Fianna Fáil having achieved its pre-election target of claiming four seats and in with a real possibility of securing control of Longford County Council.

Much, of course, will depend on the outcome of counting in Ballymahon where its first-time candidate Sean Mimnagh edged out sitting Lanesboro and Independent Cllr Gerald Farrell to remain in the hunt for a seat.

Outgoing councillors Mick Cahill and Pat O’Toole are in pole position to bring that figure to six.

First time candidate David Cassidy is currently in the throes of a tense recount battle with Fine Gael Cllr Colin Dalton in a battle that, should he hold on, will bring Fianna Fáil’s total to seven.

All eyes will then switch back to Ballymahon where Mimnagh will be hoping to add a potentially crucial eighth seat with outgoing county council cathaoirleach Colm Murray said to be resigned to losing his council seat.

2:15pm – The recount in Granard to decide the last remaining seat between Fianna Fáil’s David Cassidy and outgoing Fine Gael Cllr Colin Dalton has just commenced.

Just four votes split the pair at the culmination of the seventh count during the early hours of this morning.

Cassidy currently stands on 1,071 votes with Dalton on 1,067.

It comes as a full recount in the Ballymahon Local Electoral Area continues between Gerald Farrell and Sean Mimnagh.

If the gap in Granard is tight, matters are even more tense at the opposite end of the county with only a solitary vote splitting Farrell and Mimnagh in the race to secure one of the remaining five seats that have yet to be decided.

10:15am – The first of two recounts in Longford is underway as the final seats in both the Ballymahon and Granard Local Electoral Areas go down to the wire.

Just a single vote currently separates outgoing Independent Cllr Gerald Farrell and Fianna Fáil candidate Sean Mimnagh in the former while a four-vote margin currently divides David Cassidy of Fianna Fáil and outgoing Fine Gael Cllr Colin ‘Dolly’ Dalton in Granard.

Counting finished up shortly after 5am this morning in Granard in a spectacle that saw the comeback of all comebacks from Fianna Fáil after the party looked set to be left politically rudderless in the northern half of the county for the first time in several decades.

Fine Gael had appeared in pole position to take four out of the five seats in the area after Garry Murtagh and Paraic Brady took two of the opening three seats alongside Independent Cllr Turlough McGovern.

And while early count figures had placed sitting Cllr Colin ‘Dolly’ Dalton and first-time candidate Padraig McNamara close to 300 votes ahead of Fianna Fáil’s Cassidy, the former Fr Manning Gaels star secured valuable transfers from fellow Fianna Fáil candidate Marett Smith and Sinn Féin’s Barry Campion following their exits.

But it was the near 340 transfers which came from his party running mate Susan Murphy just a few miles down the road in Moyne that proved the difference in closing the gap and ultimately overtaking Dalton when Paraic Brady’s 26 surplus votes were distributed.

Not surprisingly, that sparked calls for a recount from Fine Gael in a process that is set to get underway at 2pm.

Before that excitement, a similar and possibly even more politically fraught recount is currently in train in the Ballymahon Local Electoral Area where, after four counts, outgoing Cllr Gerald Farrell called a recount when count figures put him on 627 votes, just one behind Fianna Fáil opposite number Sean Mimnagh.

4:30am – Just when it looked as if Fianna Fáil’s political standing in north Longford was on the cusp of being brought to a shuddering halt for the first time in recent history, David Cassidy looks to have secured what had appeared to be the most unlikeliest of seats in the Granard Electoral Area.

The Longford businessman looked down and out following the opening three counts and facing an uphill task to cling onto the political coattails of sitting Fine Gael Cllr Colin Dalton and his party running mate, Padraig McNamara.

Transfers, as they so often do, played a crucial part in Cassidy’s dramatic resurgence with over 100 votes coming his way following the exits of Sinn Féin’s Barry Campion and Fianna Fáil’s Marett Smith helping the barber to eat into the Fine Gael lead.

Even greater political dividends would come around an hour later when party colleeague Susan Murphy’s 613 votes resulted in the former Fr Manning Gael’s and Longford U21 player accruing 338 transfers.

That put him just four votes behind Colin Dalton, a deficit he turned into a four vote lead, courtesy of a 1,071 total over the latter’s 1,067.

Not surprisingly, Fine Gael have since called a recount, the finer points of which will be thrashed out this afternoon with a 2pm start time pencilled in.

In the midst of all that, there was one overriding positive to take for the party in Granard and that was the elections of Garry Murtagh, Paraic Brady and Padraig McNamara.

The local postmaster performed impressively to amass a total of 1,113 votes following the seventh count to take the fourth seat.

All eyes, like those in Ballymahon, will be drawn to a recount when proceedings resume in Edgeworthstown later today.

2:20am – If one recount wasn’t enough to take on board, it is starting to look increasingly likely the 2024 local elections in Longford will see two recounts take place after the sixth count in Granard saw Fianna Fáil’s David Cassidy draw to within just four votes of sitting Fine Gael Cllr Colin ‘Dolly’ Dalton.

Fianna Fáil’s hopes of filling the void left by retiring Cllr PJ Reilly looked set to come to a shuddering halt following the opening three counts in Granard.

However, following the exit of Sinn Féin’s Barry Campion and party running mate Marett Smith, Cassidy secured over 100 transfers to steadily eat into the the gains made by both Dalton and first time Fine Gael candidate Padraig McNamara.

But it was the transfers from Moyne’s Susan Murphy, all 338 of them that has suddenly catapulted him back into the race and left him just four votes off Dalton with McNamara on 1,111.

Fianna Fáil party sources are now expressing confidence that Cassidy will even nudge ahead of Dalton once 26 surplus votes from elected Fine Gael Cllr Paraic Brady are distributed.

If those predictions turn out to be true, Cassidy’s comeback will go down as being one of the most dramatic political fightbacks for several years.

10:30pm – Sinn Féin’s hopes of securing a seat in Granard have come up short after Barry Campion was eliminated on the third count.

His 294 votes are now being distributed to the remaining five candidates who remain in the hunt for the area’s two remaining seats.

The distribution of Granard based Cllr Turlough McGovern’s 228 surplus votes gave, as expected a big boost to his fellow Granard based opposite number, Padraig McNamara.

The local postmaster mopped up over half, or 115 of that total which has seen him stretch his lead over nearest rival David Cassidy of Fianna Fáil to 235 votes.

Outgoing Fine Gael Cllr Colin ‘Dolly’ Dalton sits on 918 votes, some 267 votes shy of the 1,185 required quota.

It’s expected retired school principal and first time Fianna Fáil candidate Marett Smith will be the next to be eliminated. Party strategists will be hoping Cassidy will secure a sizeable sum of her 320 plus votes as well as those of fellow party member Susan Murphy.

Local grassroot members are not holding out much hope in eating into McNamara’s lead, something which will leave the party without a seat in north Longford for the first time in living memory.

For Fine Gael, however, the potential result could not be more favourable with Garry Murtagh and Paraic Brady elected earlier this evening, paving the way for the party to record an historic four out of the five seats in Granard’s Local Electoral Area.

8:40pm – There is high drama here in the count centre in Longford with news of a full recount being called in the Ballymahon Local Electoral Area after a fourth count left just a solitary vote between outgoing Cllr Gerald Farrell (IND) and Fianna Fáil’s Sean Mimnagh.

The former had been 22 votes behind his nearest rival going into the redistribution of Independent candidate Niall Dowler’s 489 votes.

When those votes were divided out, the final total put the Lanesboro publican on 627, just a solitary vote behind Mr Mimnagh.

Moments after delivering the fourth count and eliminating the former Fine Gael local politician, returning officer Mary Gouldsbury returned to the podium to state she had received a request from Cllr Farrell for a full recount.

That request, she revealed, was one she acceded to.

Talk of a possible recount had always been a distinct possibility given how initial tally figures taken in Athlone yesterday showed how five candidates were barely 60 potential votes apart.

When the first count was delivered earlier this evening and resulted in Cllr Paul Ross’ successful re-election, that gap appeared to narrow with 55 votes splitting Colm Murray (538), John Rooney (562), Gerald Farrell (563), Martin Skelly (581) and Sean Mimnagh (593).

Over the three intervening counts since, outgoing county council cathaoirleach Cllr Colm Murray has managed to make up serious ground through transfers from his party colleague Cllr Ross and most recently from Dowler’s vote share.

He now occupies the sixth and final seat on 654 with Sinn Féin’s John Rooney and Fine Gael’s Martin Skelly also battling it out for the area’s two last seats.

That recount which had been due to commence in the Ballymahon Local Electoral Area.

Returning officer Mary Gouldsbury has just announced counting will now recommence tomorrow morning with the focus now switching to the Longford and Granard Local Electoral Areas.

Four seats have so far been filled in Longford with Fine Gael (Gerry Hagan and Peggy Nolan) and Fianna Fáil (Martin Monaghan and Seamus Butler) sharing the political spoils so far.

Three more seats are still down for decision with first time Fine Gael candidate Niall Gannon looking primed to take the fifth seat while Fianna Fáil’s Kevin Hussey and outgoing Cllr Uruemu Adejinmi appear to be well positioned to take the final two seats.

In Granard, meanwhile, there are mounting fears within the Fianna Fáil hierarchy that the party could be left without any form of local political representation for the first time in living memory.

First time candidate David Cassidy currently sits in sixth place, some 135 votes off Fine Gael’s Padraig McNamara.

The party had been targeting to hold down at least one seat following long serving Abbeylara based councillor PJ Reilly’s decision to retire last October.

Fine Gael’s strong vote and candidate management has resulted in the party looking set to take four out of the five seats in Granard with Independent Cllr Turlough McGovern securing the other seat

BALLYMAHON LEA – fourth count

Following the redistribution of Niall Dowler’s 489 votes Mick Cahill* (FF) 994 Mark Casey* (IND) 744 Gerald Farrell* (IND) 627 Sean Mimnagh (FF) 628 Colm Murray* (FG) 654 John Rooney (SF) 678 Martin Skelly (FG) 664 *Outgoing councillors. Cllr Paul Ross was elected on the first count with 1,300 first preferences

5:40pm – Proceedings are gathering pace in Longford this evening with the first count in Granard seeing three sitting councillors successfully returned.

Fine Gael’s Garry Murtagh, as the tallies had predicted, topped the poll with 1,450 first preferences.

He was followed across the line by Independent Cllr Turlough McGovern on 1,413 and Fine Gael Cllr Paraic Brady with his 1,211 number ones.

It means just two seats remain up for decision in the north Longford five seater with Fine Gael outgoing Cllr Colin Dalton sitting on 820 votes and fellow party first time candidate Padraig McNamara on 699.

Fianna Fáil supporters will be hoping for a Lazarus like comeback from its highest achieving performer, David Cassidy, who sits over 150 votes behind on 543.

Should messrs Dalton and McNamara hang on, it will leave Fianna Fáil without any form of local political representation in recent living memory and raise question marks as to its vote strategy in what has readily been viewed as one of its political heartlands.

GRANARD LEA - first count ELECTED: Garry Murtagh (FG), Turlough McGovern (IND), Paraic Brady (FG)

Paraic Brady (FG)* 1,211 Barry Campion (SF) 253 David Cassidy (FF) 543 Colin Dalton (FG)* 820 Turlough McGovern (IND)* 1,413 Padraig McNamara (FG) 699 Susan Murphy (FF) 434 Garry Murtagh (FG)* 1,450 Marrett Smith (FF) 282 *Outgoing councillors

TOTAL ELECTORATE: 10,955 TOTAL POLL: 7,168 INVALID BALLOT PAPERS: 63 VALID POLL: 7,105 QUOTA: 1,185 NUMBER OF SEATS: 5

5:20pm – The first count in the Longford Local Electoral Area has seen councillors Gerry Hagan, Martin Monaghan, Seamus Butler and Peggy Nolan all elected.

Fine Gael’s Gerry Hagan topped the poll, courtesy of a 1,071 first preference vote, closely followed by councillors Monaghan (1,051) and Butler (1,041), both of Fianna Fáil.

Long-serving Fine Gael Cllr Peggy Nolan etched her name into the history books by becoming one of the longest serving local representatives to grace the midlands county when she took the fourth seat.

The Longford town native took home 890 first preference votes and with it rubberstamping her sixth successive term within the chamber of Longford County Council.

Count staff are now redistributing Cllr Hagan's surplus of 217 votes ahead of an impending third count.

3:23 pm – The race to secure the first seat on Longford County Council has finally been decided following the election of Cllr Paul Ross in Ballymahon.

The Legan based farmer secured 1,300 first preference votes, comfortably exceeding the required 1,003 quota.

Cllr Ross’ election brings to an end an almost 12 hour wait for the first count to be announced at Edgeworthstown’s Community Centre.

Fianna Fáil’s two outgoing councillors Mick Cahill (866) and Pat O’Toole (714) are expected to take the second and third seats as count staff prepare to redistribute Cllr Ross’ 297 surplus votes.

Much of those ballot papers supporters of outgoing cathaoirleach Cllr Colm Murray will hope goes the Kenagh man’s way after the first count placed him in ninth position, more than 40 votes behind Martin Skelly who currently occupies the area’s sixth and final seat.

A total of five candidates are separated by just 55 votes, making the fight to secure one of the area’s last two remaining seats a battle to end all battles.

BALLYMAHON LEA - first count ELECTED: Paul Ross (FG)

Mick Cahill* (FF) 866 Mark Casey* (IND) 636 Niall Dowler (IND) 425 Gerald Farrell* (IND) 563 Mandy Larkin (IP) 161 Sean Mimnagh (FF) 593 Colm Murray* (FG) 538 Pat O’Toole* (FF) 714 Francesca Pawelczyk (IND) 80 John Rooney (SF) 562 Paul Ross (FG)* 1,300 Martin Skelly (FG) 581 *Outgoing councillors

TOTAL ELECTORATE: 12,067 TOTAL POLL: 7,093 INVALID BALLOT PAPERS: 74 VALID POLL: 7,019 QUOTA: 1,003 NUMBER OF SEATS: 6 Redistribution of Cllr Ross’ 297 surplus votes now underway

2 pm – the state of play as we await the first count

After more than eleven hours of counting the first seats in Longford’s local election race of 2024 have still to be decided.

Counting resumed early this morning with adjudication being given on ‘doubtful’ votes from across the county’s three local electoral areas.

As anticipation builds ahead of that first count, one of the chief talking points is the very real possibility of Fianna Fáil being left without a seat in the north of the county for the first time in living memory.

One local political connoisseur said the prospect of Fianna Fáil being left devoid of local political representation in the north of the county would undoubtedly be one of the talking points of the election.

“They have never not taken a seat in the Granard Electoral Area going back to 1928 when they first started contesting local elections as a party,” the source informed Independent.ie

“Michael McCarthy (served) in the 1960s, before that there was Brian Kiernan from Dring going back to the 40s and before then there was Pat Flood from Killasonna.”

The party had been hoping to cling onto its sole remaining presence in the Granard Local Electoral Area following PJ Reilly’s decision to step away from local politics last November.

In his place, party bosses had been hoping to usher in at least one, if not two councillors, in the shape of Longford businessman David Cassidy, retired primary school teacher Marett Smith and Moyne woman Susan Murphy.

Based on preliminary tally figures, the trio look to be out of the running with Fine Gael first time candidate and local postmaster Padraig McNamara looking well positioned to take the area’s fifth and final seat.

The latter, according to initial tallies, is over 150 votes shy of Mr McNamara on 700 first preferences.

News of that very real possibility has not surprisingly led to much soul searching among party strategists.

One of those to express his disappointment was retired Fianna Fáil councillor Luie McEntire.

The Dromard man, widely heralded as a colossus in Longford local political arena enjoyed a 40-year uninterrupted career before bowing out at the 2019 local elections.

The genial father of six said the collapse of the party’s vote in a part of the county which had always carried a fervent Fianna Fáil vote.

“I succeeded Frank Mulleady in 1979, who had served for 27 years and there was never a break,” he said, whose grandson Martin also enjoyed three successive spells as a local councillor in Drumlish.

Party sources have also informed Independent.ie that approaches have already been made to convince the local building contractor to come out of the political wilderness and make a sensational return following his retirement in 2019.

For Mr McEntire, however, the prospect of a party he served for four decades being left politically bereft in north Longford is one that is almost too disheartening to even contemplate.

“This is the first time ever there was a break in the Drumlish electoral area,” he said.

“North Longford has always been a staunch Fianna Fáil area and I feel bad because during Albert Reynolds’ time in the late 70s, he really built up the Fianna Fáil party in north Longford,” said Mr McEntire.

“We had cummans in every area and now a lot of those cummans have no members in them. Legga, at the present time, with Drumlish, would probably be the strongest cumman in north Longford.

“It’s disappointing to see because Fianna Fáil has always had a strong vote in north Longford.”

In the midst of that political postmortem, all eyes will no doubt switch to whether Fine Gael can hold onto control of the council’s chamber.

Outgoing councillors Paul Ross in Ballymahon, Gerry Hagan in Longford and Garry Murtagh look set to top the polls in each of the three local electoral areas.

Going into the election, its sitting eight elected representatives enjoyed an electoral pact with three Independents, namely Gerry Warnock, Mark Casey and former Fine Gael and current Independent councillor Gerald Farrell.

At the present juncture, the party looks primed to at least retain that complement and perhaps add a ninth in the Ballymahon LEA where Martin Skelly, outgoing cathaoirleach Cllr Colm Murray are among five candidates separated by an estimated 60 votes.

The latter is in need of a hefty chunk of transfers from party running mate, Cllr Ross, when his election is confirmed.

That battle for the area’s last two seats will go a long way towards settling that debate over the hours and possibly days ahead.

Fianna Fáil, meanwhile, are hoping to take four out of the seven seats in Longford with sitting Cllr Uruemu Adejinmi facing a potential fight with Sinn Féin’s James Donnelly for the area’s seventh and final seat.

10.20am

Count staff have resumed their seats in Edgeworthstown’s Community Centre ahead of the resumption of proceedings following a gruelling day of tallying and sorting of ballot papers yesterday.

It had been expected that counting would resume at 10am, an expectation that took a mild setback a few moments ago when returning officer Mary Gouldsberry announced she was going to “pause” ruling on a number of “doubtful” votes in the Ballymahon Electoral Area.

This, she said, was due to a number of candidates and their supporters who had yet to arrive in the centre.

It’s expected proceedings will kick off at 10:30am.

With no seats decided and 18 across three municipal districts down for decision, it promises to be another long, tense, but exciting day ahead.

1:50am – Counting adjourned

Counting has been adjourned until later this morning (Sunday) following the adjudication of doubtful votes in the Longford Local Electoral Area.

The first official count in the 2024 Longford local elections has yet to be made.

Given the fact not a single of the 18 seats up for grabs across the county’s three municipal districts have been filled, it looks almost certain counting will continue into Monday and possibly Tuesday.

Hopefully, proceedings flow at a swifter rate than this evening in what is looking ominously like a repeat of five years earlier when counting went into a fourth day.

Counting will resume at 10am.

1:20am

Some six hours or more into counting in the Longford local elections and it appears we are still some way off a first official count.

Returning officer Mary Gouldsbury has just informed those in attendance at Edgeworthstown Community Centre of her intention to rule on the last remaining ‘doubtful’ votes in the Granard Local Electoral Area after completing the same exercise in the Longford and Ballymahon Electoral Areas.

Like it was five years previously, counting in the Longford local elections has taken longer than many had anticipated.

It remains to be seen if there will be a first count delivered before the close of business and resumption of proceedings later today (Sunday).

8:15pm

The first count is still awaited in the Longford, but affairs could not be any tighter in the south of the county with tallies showing just 60 potential votes between five candidates.

Fine Gael’s Paul Ross (1,300), Mick Cahill (845) and Pat O’Toole (712), both outgoing Fianna Fáil councillors look sure fire bets to be safely returned ahead of the first official count in the Ballymahon Local Electoral Area.

However, it is the fight to secure the municipal district’s three remaining seats that looks set to go right down to the political wire.

Independent Cllr Mark Casey sits in fourth, according to tally figures on 620, just ahead of Fianna Fáil’s Sean Mimnagh (584), who in turn is just six ahead of Independent Cllr Gerald Farrell (579).

Fine Gael first time candidate, according to the tallies sits in seventh on 573, some 23 ahead of Sinn Féin’s John Rooney and 49 ahead of outgoing county council Cathaoirleach Cllr Colm Murray.

Fine Gael candidate Martin Skelly in conversation with his son, Evan at Edgeworthstown Community Centre.

Speaking to Independent.ie, Mr Skelly said the state of play in Ballymahon could not be any closer.

“It’s on a knife edge,” he said.

“It is my first time to do this and it is an experience. I was obviously enthused with the vote I got in my own home town of Newtowncashel. I got 60pc of the vote there and that was a huge turnout there of almost 75pc.”

Mr Skelly admitted the campaign, despite his impressive vote return, had been one which had also taken its toll.

“It has been extremely difficult and I knew that from day one with four candidates on my left in Lanesboro, two on my right in Ballymahon and one in front of me in Kenagh, really I didn’t have too many places to go.

“I was surrounded by candidates and it left me very, very enclosed but at the same time I put a great team of people together who worked extremely hard and in that sense it has been a huge experience.

“I am still hopeful. I am hanging in there with there being only two votes between myself and Gerald Farrell, six between myself and Sean Mimnagh and I think I am maybe 30 votes ahead of John Rooney. There is five of us within 40 votes of each other and it can go any way and there is probably two seats between those five.”

7:15pm

The initial results taken from tallies in the 2024 Longford local election race may be over, but all eyes are now firmly fixed on Edgeworthstown Community Centre as official counting prepares to get underway.

The view from inside Edgeworthstown Community Centre ahead of the start of counting in the 2024 Longford local elections.

Ballot papers from the local and European elections have been sorted and separated with voting papers presently making their way from Athlone’s Technological University of the Shannon (TUS).

Voting staff are still filtering through the doors and taking their seats ahead of what is expected to be a long evening of counting to decide the political make-up of Longford County Council over the course of the next five years.

5:20pm

Fianna Fáil look to have held off a dogged fight from Sinn Féin at the close of tallying to secure the seventh and final seat in Longford’s Local Electoral Area, courtesy of outgoing Cllr Uruemu Adejinmi.

Much had been made of whether Sinn Féin could finally end an almost two decade long spell in the local political wilderness through its candidate James Donnelly.

The father of two came up just 27 votes shy of Cllr Adejinmi, finishing in an agonising eighth place overall.

That said, given the close nature of the vote in Longford, there is still every chance Sinn Féin party strategists might consider calling for a recount should tallies return an exact or almost identical return in confirmed votes.

Fine Gael’s Gerry Hagan, despite a slow start owing to the opening of largely urban based boxes, turned the tallying inside Athlone’s TUS on its head when his home base of Killoe was factored into the reckoning.

The farmer and secondary school teacher took in over 600 first preferences in Cullyfad, Bawn and Meliew, ensuring a 1,051 overall total and 15.6pc of the overall voting share.

He was followed just two votes behind by fellow sitting councillor and local butcher Martin Monaghan on 1,049 votes with long-serving and fellow Fianna Fáil Cllr Seamus Butler also topping the 1,000 mark on 1,024.

For many, Fine Gael Cllr Peggy Nolan was the election’s proverbial ‘banker’ and she didn’t disappoint, coming in fourth with 882 first preferences.

A near deserted sports arena at Athlone's Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) and tallying in the 2024 local and European elections comes to a close.

Given the departures of sitting councillors John Browne (FG) and Gerry Warnock (IND), much talk going into the election was on whether the two main government parties could maximise their own political presence by taking at least one, or both of those seats.

As it panned out, first time candidates Niall Gannon (FG) and Kevin Hussey (FF) finished in fifth and sixth positions respectively.

Longford LEA tallies

• Uruemu Adejinmi (FF) * 424
• Sadia Athar (IND) 203
• Seamus Butler (FF)* 1,024
• Alicia Carberry (IND) 71
• James Donnelly (SF) 397
• Niall Gannon (FG) 499
• Maura Greene-Casey (IND) 53
• Gerry Hagan (FG)* 1,051
• Kevin Hussey (FF) 443
• Catherine Joseph (GP) 91
• Mujahid Manzoor (IND) 207
• Gareth McKendry (IP) 125
• Martin Monaghan (FF)* 1,049
• Peggy Nolan (FG)* 882
• James Quinn (IND) 115
• Tony Reilly (IND) 29
• Dwain Shouten (IND) 13
• Dave Smyth (PBP) 70

*Outgoing councillors

4:15pm

The chief story emerging from the Granard Local Electoral Area is the fact Fianna Fáil look set to be left without any local political representation for the first time in decades after tallying concluded in the Athlone’s Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) this afternoon.

The party had been hoping to retain its presence in the north Longford area after long-serving councillor PJ Reilly announced his decision to step away from local politics earlier this year.

A tallyman marks a Granard tally sheet at TUS, Athlone.

Retired Sacred Heart Primary School principal Marett Smith secured 288 first preferences, Moyne’s Susan Murphy accrued 422 votes with Longford businessman David Cassidy taking in 537 number ones.

It means Fine Gael set out what they had targeted in the lead up to the election, namely being four seats and once again holding the balance of power within the north Longford municipal district.

Poll topper in 2019, Turlough McGovern once again proved a hit with the voting public, securing over 1,400 first preferences, 31 below that of front-runner Garry Murtagh of Fine Gael.

Granard LEA

• Paraic Brady (FG)* 1188
• Barry Campion (SF) 256
• David Cassidy (FF) 537
• Colin Dalton (FG)* 818
• Turlough McGovern (IND)* 1,407
• Padraig McNamara (FG) 689
• Susan Murphy (FF) 422
• Garry Murtagh (FG)* 1,438
• Marrett Smith (FF) 288

*Outgoing councillors

3:50pm

The final tally from the Ballymahon Local Electoral Area is in and it shows Fine Gael’s Paul Ross comfortably topping the poll and likely to exceed the quota by some distance.

His 1,300 first preference share puts him over 450 votes ahead of Fianna Fáil outgoing councillor Mick Cahill and almost 600 ahead of third placed Pat O’Toole, also of Fianna Fáil.

Transfers are likely to play a key role in determining the last three seats with sitting councillors Mark Casey, Gerald Farrell and Colm Murray facing a stern test to hang onto their local election mandate from Fine Gael first time candidate Martin Skelly and John Rooney of Sinn Féin.

Ballymahon LEA

• Mick Cahill* (FF) 845
• Mark Casey* (IND) 620
• Niall Dowler (IND) 417
• Gerald Farrell* (IND) 579
• Mandy Larkin (IP) 158
• Sean Mimnagh (FF) 584
• Colm Murray* (FG) 524
• Pat O’Toole* (FF) 712
• Francesca Pawelczyk (IND) 78
• John Rooney (SF) 550
• Paul Ross (FG)* 1,300
• Martin Skelly (FG) 573

*Outgoing councillors

3:20pm

The opening of boxes in Killoe has seen Fine Gael sitting Cllr Gerry Hagan race to the top of the polling tree in Longford.

The secondary school teacher had been on the 400 mark prior to the opening of boxes in Cullyfad, Melview and Bawn.

Those three boxes have, however, seen Cllr Hagan overtake Fianna Fáil’s Seamus Butler courtesy of a 904 total first preference share.

Fine Gael Cllr Gerry Hagan with Midlands North-West MEP candidate Nina Carberry.

Cllr Butler now stands at the 802 mark with Fine Gael Cllr Peggy Nolan on 722 first preferences.

Fianna Fáil Cllr Martin Monaghan is in fourth on 629 with just one vote separating first time candidates Niall Gannon (Fine Gael) and Kevin Hussey (Fianna Fáil) on 390 and 389 votes respectively.

Fianna Fáil’s Ureumu Adejinmi looks to be in a fight to hold onto her seat despite an early strong showing when the predominantly urban boxes were opened.

She sits in seventh position, holding the seventh and final seat on 381 votes, just 42 votes ahead of Sinn Féin candidate James Donnolly.

Tallying is continuing at the Technological University of the Shannon, Athlone.

2:50pm Brady overtaken by Murtagh in race to top Granard poll

Fine Gael’s Garry Murtagh is now the front-runner in Granard after boxes in his stronghold of Aughnacliffe were opened.

Cllr Murtagh secured a near 900 additional first preference votes in the three boxes that were taken from Aughnacliffe National School.

Fine Gael Cllr Colin Dalton (752) and Fianna Fáil candidate David Cassidy (513) respectively with Independent Cllr Turlough McGovern (418) currently occupying the fifth and final seat.

2pm

Fine Gael look well positioned to retain control of Longford County Council as two of its main vote-getters at opposite ends of the county look set to top its respective polls by some distance.

Outgoing councillors Paul Ross in Ballymahon and Paraic Brady in Granard have both surpassed the 1,000 first preference mark based on around half of all boxes being opened and tallied in Athlone’s Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) this afternoon.

The party currently hold down eight of the county's 18 respective seats, following the resignation of Cllr Gerald Farrell earlier this year.

In Ballymahon, Cllr Ross has so far pulled in 1,096 first preferences with Mick Cahill (FF) in second place on 694 votes and party running mate Cllr Pat O’Toole closely behind on 688.

Tallying in the 2024 local and European elections continues in earnest at the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS), Athlone.

The remaining seats are currently being filled by Independent Niall Dowler (400), Cllr Colm Murray of Fine Gael (349) and Sinn Féin’s John Rooney (333).

Independent Cllr Mark Casey is currently some 50 votes behind the latter, but will be hoping to make serious inroads into that deficit when his home boxes of Lanesboro are opened.

In Longford, Fianna Fáil are in with a shout of taking four of the seven seats with outgoing councillors Seamus Butler (651), Martin Monaghan (410) and Uruemu Adejinmi (332) occupying three of the top five positions.

Fine Gael flagbearer Cllr Peggy Nolan (557) looks primed to comfortably secure extend her political career for another five years with the health advocate currently sitting in second place.

Fellow party member Cllr Gerry Hagan (393) is also well positioned in fourth place while first time candidates, Nialla Gannon of Fine Gael (314) and Fianna Fáil’s Kevin Hussey (319) are also in contention to take a seat for their respective parties.

Cllr Paraic Brady with his family, Ellie, Aaron, Leona, Paraic Jnr and wife Caroline.

In Granard, the overriding narrative many will no doubt draw is that of the performance of sitting Fine Gael Cllr Paraic Brady.

The father of three, like his party colleague Cllr Ross in Ballymahon, has taken in over 1,000 first preference votes after just over half of boxes were opened at 1pm.

Fellow Fine Gael councillors Garry Murtagh (745) and Colin Dalton (743) currently sit in second and third place respectively with Fianna Fáil’s David Cassidy (476) and Independent Cllr Turlough McGovern (400) currently holding the municipal district’s two remaining seat positions.

9am

The first boxes have been opened in the Longford and Westmeath local elections in the Technological University of the Shannon in Athlone.

A large gathering of onlookers are presently taking the first official tallies across Longford’s three municipal districts and Westmeath's corresponding four local electoral areas.

Much of the focus in Longford will be on the county town’s municipal district area to see who will fill the void left by the departures of outgoing councillors John Browne and Gerry Warnock, both of whom announced their decision to not seek re-election earlier this year.