New TD thanks supporters, campaigners, voters

The new Independent TD for Kildare South, Dr Cathal Berry, has publicly thanked all who supported his candidacy, campaigned for him, and voted him in as a member of Dáil Éireann, writes Brian Byrne.

On the first day of the new Dail meeting, he says he has always believed that 'to serve your country is the highest form of citizenship'.

He is opening constituency offices in Portarlingotn and Newbridge, and will be conducting clinics throughout Kildare South.

The deputy is pictured above with Iseult O'Donoghue and Celia Travers at last weekend's opening of the new facilities in the Kilcullen Community Childcare and Education Centre.

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#GE2020: Final look back at the count

Just a final look back at the count for Kildare South in Punchestown in pictures. Not claiming to be comprehensive, just a flavour.

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#GE2020: So, how did Kilcullen vote?

The voting in Kilcullen for General Election 2020 saw the top three candidates get more than half of the poll between them, writes Brian Byrne. Two of which were surprises.

An analysis of the Kilcullen boxes gives Martin Hayden FG a 23.6pc first preferences result, not unexpected given that he is local. But hot on his heels at 20.6pc was Patricia Ryan SF. Both, as we know, were eventually elected, with Patricia Ryan outpolling everyone else. It's no secret that, to use the phrase, 'nobody saw this coming'.

Or did they? Fine Gael local councillor Tracey O'Dwyer told the Diary that she was getting the Sinn Fein 'message' on the doorsteps while canvassing for Martin Heydon. "I wasn't getting the Fianna Fail message, nor the Independent one."

The third successful candidate, Cathal Berry IND, also came out of left field. With a Portarlington and an army base, he took 12.2pc of the first preferences in Kilcullen, ahead of Fianna Fail's in situ TD Fiona O'Loughlin, who took 11.6pc of the Kilcullen boxes. That was prophetic, as the former army officer was marginally ahead of her in the final encounter. But marginal was enough.

Fiona McLoughlin Healy pulled in 9.6pc of the Kilcullen vote, two points above her overall constituency first preferences, reflecting probably her Kilcullen links with the Healy family.

For the rest, the relatively unknown Ronan Maher of the Green Party garnered 5pc of the Kilcullen vote, the same as Mark Wall of the much better known Labour family from the south of the constituency. Given his 12.5pc overall constituency first count vote, Kilcullen didn't do Mark much good, despite a traditional decent Labour affinity in the town.

That the 4.8pc of Social Democrat Linda Hayden was close enough to both is also worth pondering, as she was here two points ahead of her constituency first preferences.

Suzanne Doyle would have been an unknown in Kilcullen, but nevertheless gained 4pc of the town's support.

The remaining candidates, Athy-based Roisin Ui Bhroin of Solidarity-People Before Profit and Anita Mhic Gib from Kilcullen of Aontu got 2.8pc and 2.4pc of this community's votes.

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#GE2020: Berry edges O’Loughlin for last seat in Kildare South

The four TDs for Kildare South in the next Dail are Patricia Ryan SF, Martin Heydon FG, and Cathal Berry IND, and the Ceann Comhairle Sean O Fearghaill who is returned automatically, writes Brian Byrne.

This follows a truly tenterhooks finish to Count Eight with the very small number of Patricia Ryan’s 336 surplus being distributed to decide between Cathal Berry and Fiona O’Loughlin.

They went as follows: Martin Heydon +34, Cathal Berry +247, and Fiona O’Loughlin +55.

The final result was Patricia Ryan 12,152, Martin Heydon 11,710, and Cathal Berry 10,940.

Fiona O’Loughlin was one of the first to congratulate Cathal Berry on his election.

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#GE2020: a knife-edge after Count Seven in Kildare South

None of the remaining candidates were elected on the seventh count, and the 336 surplus from elected SF candidate Patricia Ryan are now being distributed to decide between Fiona O’Loughlin and Cathal Berry (above), writes Brian Byrne.

The state of the remaining three candidates at the moment is Martin Heydon 11,676 who won +2,2025 of Mark Wall’s transfers; Cathal Berry IND, 10,693 +2,432; and Fiona O’Loughlin FF 10,370 +1,434.

Nail-biting time. Nobody saw this one coming either.

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#GE2020: All in the pictures for the moment

Now at the stage where pictures tell the story on their own. Waiting. And, tellingly, it’s on such a knife-edge between Berry and O’Loughlin that the dreaded ‘recount’ word is being increasingly heard.

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#GE2020: Crunching the final Kildare South numbers

Fine Gael’s Cllr Ivan Keatley and Martin Heydon calculating the final likely numbers as Mark Wall’s votes are being distributed.


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#GE2020: Ryan elected, Wall excluded

Patricia Ryan has been elected as the first TD in Kildare South in General Election 2020, writes Brian Byrne.

The Sinn Fein candidate received 857 of Fiona McLoughlin Healy’s distributed votes, giving her a total of 12,152, or 366 over the quota.

Being congratulated above by the North Kildare Sinn Fein leading candidate Reada Cronin, the Monasterevin based councillor has joined the landslide victory for her party in this election.

The remaining candidates are as follows: Martin Heydon FG, 9,651 +641; Fiona O’Loughlin FF 8,936 +759; Cathal Berry IND, 8,720 +1394; and Mark Wall LAB, 7,484 +500.

Mark Wall has been eliminated and his votes are being distributed.

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#GE2020: Linda Hayden enjoyed her Dail bid

Social Democrats candidate Linda Hayden, who failed to gain a seat in Kildare South in this general election, said she was very happy at having participated, writes Brian Byrne.

At the Punchestown Count Centre following her elimination last evening, she said the campaign had broadened her experience as an activist, which began with her campaigning against sexual violence, and continued with the local elections last year when she was the manager of Chris Pender’s successful result in the Kildare Newbridge MD.

“I met a lot more people on this campaign, and we have already gained a number of new people to the Social Democrats branch in the constituency,” she said, adding with a smile that she has also expanded her recognition factor. “I can’t walk down the street in Newbridge now without people saying hello.”

Are we going to see her on the Dail hustings again?

“Who knows?”

Indeed, who knows? Who knows anything in today’s politics?

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#GE2020: McLoughlin Healy votes being distributed

Sinn Fein’s Patricia Ryan is still waiting to be the first TD in Kildare South in General Election 2020, writes Brian Byrne.

This follows the distribution of Suzanne Doyle’s votes, of which she didn’t get quite enough to reach the quota line of 11,816.

The distribution leaves the candidates in these latest positions.

Patricia Ryan SF, 11,295 +223;
Martin Heydon FG, 9,010 +443;
Fiona O’Loughlin FF, 8,177 +2,001;
Mark Wall LAB, 6,984 +336;
Cathal Berry IND, 6,876 +375;
Fiona McLoughlin Healy, 4,471 +250.

The distribution of Fiona McLoughlin Healy’s 4,471 votes is now in train.

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Warming up while waiting

Back at the count this morning, and front runner in Kildare South Patricia Ryan is waiting to get over the line, writes Brian Byrne.

There’s still a lot of imponderables in what will happen after that, in particular the last seat.

At the moment the votes of Suzanne Doyle FF are being distributed.

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#GE2020: Suzanne Doyle excluded

After the distribution of Ronan Maher's 2,144 votes in the fourth count of the Kildare South constituency, the remaining candidates are now as follows: Patricia Ryan SF, 11,072 +353; Martin Heydon FG, 8,569 +349; Mark Wall LAB, 6,648 +506; Cathal Berry IND, 6,501 +325; Fiona O'Loughlin FF, 6,176 +133; Fiona McLoughlin Healy IND, 4,221 +283; and Suzanne Doyle FF, 3,782 +79.

As no candidate has yet reached the quota, Suzanne Doyle has now been excluded and her 3,782 votes are being distributed.

The returning officer has now adjourned the count which will be resumed tomorrow morning at 9am.

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#GE2020: Ronan Maher eliminated

The third count in the Kildare South constituency has been completed with the distribution of Linda Hayden's 1,474 votes.

This leaves the position of the candidates as: Patricia Ryan SF, 10,719 +258; Martin Heydon FG, 8,218 +98; Cathal Berry IND, 6,176 +215; Mark Wall IND, 6,142 +168; Fiona O'Loughlin FF, 6,043 +58; Fiona McLoughlin Healy IND, 3,938 +208; Suzanne Doyle FF, 3,703 +38; Ronan Maher GP, 2,144 +390.

As nobody reached the quota and there was no surplus to distribute, the 2,144 votes of Ronan Maher are now being distributed.

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#GE2020: Linda Hayden eliminated on second count

Following the distribution of the votes of Anita Mhic Gib, Aontu (697); and Roisin Ui Bhroin, Solidarity-PBP (598) the following is the position in Kildare South after the second count.

Patricia Ryan SF, 10,461, +306; Martin Heydon FG, 8,120 +51; Fiona O'Loughlin FF, 5,985 +58; Mark Wall LAB, 5,974 +75; Cathal Berry IND, 5,961 +219; Fiona McLoughlin Healy IND, 3,730 +114; Suzanne Doyle FF, 3665 +85; Ronan Maher GP, 1,754 +115; Linda Hayden SD 1,474 +136.

As nobody had reached the quota and therefore no surplus to be distributed, Linda Hayden has been eliminated and her 1,474 votes are being distributed.

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#GE2020: First Count Kildare South

The results of the first count in the Kildare South constituency are as follows.

Patricia Ryan, Sinn Fein, 10,155; Martin Heydon, Fine Gael, 8,069; Fiona O'Loughlin, Fianna Fail, 5,927; Mark Wall, Labour, 5,899; Cathal Berry, Independent, 5,742; Fiona McLoughlin Healy, Independent, 3,616; Suzanne Doyle, Fianna Fail, 3,580; Ronan Maher, Green Party, 1,639; Linda Hayden, Social Democrats, 1,338; Anita Mhic Gib, Aontu, 697; and Roisin Ui Bhroin, Solidarity-People Before Profit, 598.

The total valid poll was 47,700 and the number of spoilt votes was 440.

As no candidate achieved the quota of 11,816, the election proceeded to the second count, eliminating Anita Mhic Gib and Roisin Ui Bhroin and distributing their votes.

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#GE2020: Still waiting, after all these hours

Still waiting for the first count results in Kildare South, Martin Heydon and his son John, with Mark Wall.

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#GE2020: Fiona Mac says no chance of seat, thanks all supporters

Fiona McLoughlin Healy, the Independent candidate in the Kildare South constituency, has posted a message on her Facebook page thanking all who had supported her in the campaign, and previously.

She says that on the basis of the tallies alone, she has no chance of taking a seat. "The people have spoken, that's democracy," she says. "I can honestly say I feel very privileged and lucky to have had such a wonderful group of people around me. You have been amazing. I am so grateful to my team, to my community and to Bernard and my family for everything you have done for me."

On the basis of the tallies, Cllr McLoughlin Healy will have in the region of 3,552 first preference votes, which has her at only 31pc of the expected quota and in sixth position in the lists.

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