Newcomer, of sorts, Rory Hearne of Social Democrats took the first seat in Dublin North-West, followed by Fianna Fáil’s Paul McAuliffe, with both exceeding the 8,184 quota on the ninth count.
Sinn Féin’s Dessie Ellis was also elected on the ninth, but without reaching the quota, a big come down from 2020 when he sailed in on the first count with a whopping 44 per cent of first preferences.
Back then Sinn Féin had the cheque in their pockets to bring in a second seat, but with no running mate for Ellis, couldn’t cash it. This time they ran former city councillor Cathleen Carney Boud, but the votes weren’t there from Ellis to bring her over the line.
Vote hoover Roisin Shortall’s departure from the scene risked leaving a vacuum for the Social Democrats, as it was by no means certain hers wasn’t largely a personal vote given her 32 years representing the constituency.
However Hearne, a founding member of the People Before Profit Alliance in 2005, and for three months a Labour Party member in 2011, turned out to be a great bet for the party. His high profile as a commentator on housing issues likely cemented his success.
