Three new TDs have been elected to Dublin Bay North following the retirement of Fine Gael’s Richard Bruton and Fianna Fáil TD Seán Haughey, and the election of Labour’s Aodhán Ó Riordáin to the European Parliament.
Fine Gael’s Naoise Ó Muirí won the third seat while Independent Cllr Barry Heneghan, protege of former minister of state Finian McGrath, took the fourth seat ahead of Fianna Fáil’s Tom Brabazon who secured the fifth. All three were elected on the 14th and final count without reaching the quota.
Asked would he support a Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael government, the new Independent TD said he would “discuss it with the kitchen Cabinet”.
The three newly elected TDs join poll topper Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan and Sinn Féin TD Denise Mitchell, who were comfortably returned.
It was an election count of twists and turns. Initial hopes for an Independent victory faded with the prospect for a time of a second Sinn Féin seat for Micheál MacDonncha. A surge in votes for Fianna Fáil’s Deirdre Heney then put her into contention and kept her there until the 11th count.
However, the elimination of Aontú candidate James Morris and a 904-vote transfer put Cllr Heneghan ahead. His lead was consolidated further when he received 979 votes following the exclusion of Shane Folan who had faced an impossible challenge to retain Labour’s seat.
