Long wait for Sinn Féin poll topper to secure Seanad seat

Sinn Féin’s economy minister in the Northern Ireland Assembly Conor Murphy was elected to the Seanad on the 24th and final count with three other candidates.

There was extended applause as Mr Murphy, Independent Senator Frances Black, Fianna Fáil Senator Ollie Crowe and new Labour Senator Laura Harmon were finally elected shortly before 1 am.

Mr Murphy and Independent Senator Sharon Keogan jointly topped the poll on 112,000 votes, just shy of the 114,700 quota on the Industrial and Commercial panel.

Ms Keogan was elected on the fourth count while the Sinn Féin candidate had a long wait for transfer-friendly candidates to be excluded to get elected.

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The senior Sinn Féin politician will reclaim the seat on the panel following the resignation of the party’s senator and former MP Elisha McCallion in controversy over a delay in refunding a UK government Covid-19 grant received in error.

Mr Murphy said he contested the election because “we are in the middle of a constitutional debate on the future of Ireland. This is the place that needs to step up its game.” It was also “an opportunity to play a role in all-Ireland politics”, he added.

Fianna Fáil, who have lost three seats, one on each panel counted so far, successfully held three seats on the Cultural and Commercial panel, one of five vocational panels, representing different sectors of Irish life.

Senator Aidan Davitt from Mullingar was the second Senator elected to the panel on the 17th count, followed by Dublin Senator Mary Fitzpatrick, Taoiseach’s nominee in the last Seanad. Both exceeded the quota, with Galway Senator Ollie Crowe also set to retain his seat.

However outgoing party senator Gerry Horkan, who won the byelection following Ms McCallion’s resignation, was unsuccessful in his bid to retain it.

Independent Senator Frances Black, sponsor of the Occupied Territories Bill was also set to retain her seat.

Fine Gael kept its two seats after a battle between three party newcomers for the seats vacated by Micheál Carrigy and Barry Ward who were elected to the Dáil.

Navan-based Cllr Linda Nelson-Murray, a play centre owner and parliamentary assistant to former minister of State Damien English, and Cork city Cllr Garret Kelleher came in just ahead of the party’s Dublin city Cllr Danny Byrne to take the seats.

Ms Harmon, a Cork Councillor retained the seat vacated by Mark Wall following his election to the Dáil.

After an initial close contest with 87,000 first preferences, just ahead of Social Democrats Malahide, Co Dublin Cllr Joan Hopkins on 83,000, she extended her lead and Ms Hopkins was eliminated on the 23rd count.

There was disappointment for a number of former TDs who lost their seats in the Dáil general election.

Fine Gael parliamentary party chairman Alan Farrell, who lost his Dublin Fingal seat, was unsuccessful in his bid to win a Seanad seat. eliminated on the 12th count after 20,000 first preferences.

Former Waterford Independent TD Matt Shanahan lost out too, eliminated on the 11th count, also with 20,000 first preferences.

Chief executive of the Restaurant Association of Ireland Adrian Cummins was eliminated with 8,000 votes and Fine Gael outgoing Senator Mary Seery-Kearney lost her seat.

There was similar disappointmsent on Saturday for former Fianna Fáil minister of State Anne Rabbitte who was unsuccessful in her bid to secure a seat in the Upper House, as was the party’s former Longford-Westmeath TD Joe Flaherty.

There was a surprise election with the return of the party’s former Cork South-West TD Margaret Murphy O’Mahony to the Oireachtas.

Fine Gael has had a good election overall, gaining a seat on the agricultural panel and expected to hold its two industrial and commercial seats. The party had good local elections results and better voting discipline than in Fianna Fáil which has lost three seats, one on each of the three vocational panels.

Tánaiste Simon Harris will pick five of the 11 Taoiseach’s nominees once counting on the vocational panels is complete.

The Social Democrats won their first ever seat in the Seanad with a historic win for Kilkenny-based Patricia Stephenson as did Aontú with success for Cavan-Monaghan candidate Sarah O’Reilly.

While Ms Rabbitte lost her seat there was a win for the party when former Cork South-West TD from 2016 to 2020, Margaret Murphy O’Mahony, secured a seat.

Earlier, Sligo-Leitrim Labour Cllr Nessa Cosgrove retained the seat held by Marie Sherlock who was elected to the Dáil.

Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald with newly elected senator Maria McCormack at the count centre in Leinster House, Dublin. Photograph: David Young/PA Wire

Sinn Féin’s former Dublin Bay South TD Chris Andrews was elected along with Laois candidate Maria McCormack, a pharmaceutical technician and community worker who stood in the Dáil general election against former party member and veteran TD Brian Stanley.

The Greens entered just one candidate in the Seanad elections, former minister of state Malcolm Noonan. He topped the poll and exceeded the quota on the Agricultural panel.

Outgoing Fianna Fáil Senators Robbie Gallagher and Pat Casey were also returned while former senators Ned O’Sullivan and Shane Cassells retired from the Seanad.

Fine Gael veteran Senator Joe O’Reilly was returned and is joined by newcomers Cllr Mark Duffy from Ballina, Co Mayo and Listowel, Co Kerry Cllr Mike Kennelly.

Outgoing Mayo senator Paddy Burke retired while former senators Jerry Buttimer and John Cummins were elected to the Dáil.

On the Labour panel, Fianna Fáil now has three seats, down from the four the party held last time.

Fine Gael has retained its three seats while Sinn Féin has doubled its seats to two. Labour holds its seat, the Social Democrats have one and Independent Senator Gerard Craughwell has been re-elected.

Aontú have also won their first ever Seanad seat with the election of Sarah O’Reilly, the party’s Cavan-Monaghan candidate in the Dáil election.

A total of 36 of the 43 vocational panel Senators have been elected. Fine Gael currently have 11 Senators, Fianna Fáil have nine, Sinn Féin’s tally is five, there are four Independent Senators, Labour has two, the Green Party and Aontú have one each.

The six seats in the National University of Ireland (NUI) and University of Dublin (TCD) constituencies, have also been filled.

The Cultural and Educational Panel was the first vocational panel completed with the election of five Senators: