Dublin City Council results: Social Democrats double seat total to 10

Fine Gael emerges as largest party while Green Party manages to defy predictions about substantial seat losses

Fine Gael is the largest party on Dublin City Council, with 11 seats, following the final count in the Artane-Whitehall area which came shortly before 11.30pm on Sunday.

The party will take the lead in determining the direction of the State’s largest local authority for the next five years, taking over from Fianna Fáil which lost three seats and finished with eight councillors elected.

On the southside, Fianna Fáil suffered two notable losses, particularly Daithí de Róiste, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, who was eliminated following the 10th count in Ballyfermot-Drimnagh. Deirdre Conroy lost her seat in Kimmage-Rathmines.

The performance of the Social Democrats was the real success story of the weekend, doubling its seat total to 10. Labour however, suffered badly halving their representation from eight to just four seats, with only one councillor on the northside of the city, Alison Field who was elected in Clontarf. Social Democrats made particularly strong gains north of the river with a seat in each electoral area and two in Artane-Whitehall.

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Predictions ahead of counting that the Green Party would suffer substantial loses did not materialise. The party was always unlikely to repeat its stunning 2019 success when it secured 10 seats, which subsequently dropped to nine when Sophie Nicoullaud became an Independent. This time, the party had eight councillors elected and topped the poll in several areas. Ms Nicoullaud lost her seat in Ballyfermot-Drimnagh.

Sinn Féin had hoped for strong gains, perhaps leading them back towards their 2014 position of 16 seats, but it was not to be. While the party gained one seat to finish with nine, it lost some prominent members including their longest serving city councillor Larry O’Toole as well as Daniel Céitinn.

Perhaps the most striking feature of the city council count was the arrival of anti-immigration activists to the council. Malachy Steenson and Gavin Pepper were elected in the North Inner City and Ballymun-Finglas areas respectively, while Phil Sutcliffe (Independent Ireland) claimed a seat on the southside in Ballyfermot-Drimnagh.


Artane – Whitehall: 6 seats

Ballyfermot – Drimnagh: 5 seats

Ballymun – Finglas: 6 seats

Cabra – Glasnevin: 7 seats

Clontarf: 6 seats

Donaghmede: 5 seats

Kimmage – Rathmines: 6 seats

North Inner City: 7 seats

Pembroke: 5 seats

South East Inner City: 5 seats

South West Inner City: 5 seats

View 2019 Dublin City Council resultsOpens in new window ]

Olivia Kelly

Olivia Kelly

Olivia Kelly is Dublin Editor of The Irish Times

Jack White

Jack White

Jack White is a reporter for The Irish Times