The sky's the limit in County Monaghan
The onward march of Sinn Féin in County Monaghan continues - and it seems
the sky's the limit.
The party now has six members of Monaghan County Council an increase of
four. It secured 17 of the 21 seats it contested and is represented on
every local authority in the County.
In many respects this was a tremendous achievement for Sinn Féin. The
securing of three County Council seats in the Electoral Area of North
Monaghan, and of four seats on Monaghan UDC, shows the strength in depth of
Sinn Féin support. Sinn Féin went into the election with no local
representation at all in South Monaghan and emerged with a County
Councillor and a UDC member. In Mid-Monaghan, Sinn Féin has gone from two
local authority seats to four. Clones Electoral Area has added a County
Councillor to the three UDC members.
Effective electoral organisation and vote management ensured maximum gains.
On Monaghan UDC, Sinn Féin is the largest party with four councillors (Owen
Smyth, Padraigín Uí Mhurchadha, Seán Conlon and Gerry Loughran), an
increase of one, and they came close to taking a fifth, with Pauline Martin
narrowly losing out. In the North Monaghan Electoral Area of the County
Council, both sitting councillors Caoimhghín O Caoláin and Brian McKenna
were elected on the first count and brought in Brenda McAnespie with them
on the eighth count.
In Clones Electoral Area, Brian MacUaid made it onto the County Council.
The vote was neatly divided between Brian and running mate Sheila McKenna,
who when eliminated secured the election of her colleague on the fourth
count. Peter McAleer, Debbie Moore and Pat Treanor retained their seats on
Clones UDC. Castlebayney UDC member Jackie Crowe held his seat and took a
colleague James Cunningham with him. Jackie also won a County Council seat.
In Ballybay, Gene Duffy retained his seat on the Town Commissioners with
his running mate Barry Cunningham narrowly missing taking a second. Ogra
Shinn Féin National Organiser Matt Carthy won a seat on Carrickmacross UDC
and another new candidate, Noel Keelan, made it onto the County Council.
Breakthrough in County Cavan
One of the most dramatic successes in the country was the Sinn Féin
breakthrough in County Cavan. The party had no local elected
representatives before 11 June - it now has six.
To come from such a position to win two County Council seats and four
municipal authority seats was a major achievement. Pauline Tully and
Charlie Boylan are the new Cavan Sinn Féin County Councillors. They join
Brian McKeown (Cavan UDC) Benny Henry (Belturbet TC) and John Martin and
Harry McCabe (Cootehill TC) on the Sinn Féin team.
It was always expected that the support won by Caoimhghín O Caoláin when he
became a TD in 1997 could be translated into local authority seats, but
much work was required to make it happen. This has now paid off. Though
initially worried that the first preference totals in the County Council
areas would not be sufficient, the two successful candidates benefited from
strong transfers. ``The success has given great encouragement to the party
in County Cavan'' says Director of Elections Tina Tully. She said that
essential to their success was the fact that Sinn Féin operated on a
Cavan/Monaghan constituency basis, with the stronger neighbouring county
helping Cavan create its own dynamic.
Thanks from TD
Cavan/Monaghan Sinn Féin TD Caoimhghín O Caoláin has thanked the people of
the constituency who voted for Sinn Féin candidates in the local elections
for bringing about a ``tremendous advance'' in the party's representation.
The TD paid tribute to his party's candidates, election workers and
supporters across the constituency who achieved this success. He said:
``These results, following on from our general election success in 1997 and
previous local government advances, show that there is no ceiling to what
can be achieved. I want to thank most sincerely all those people in
Counties Cavan and Monaghan who put their faith in the Sinn Féin candidates
and cast their vote for them last Friday. They voted on the basis of the
solid record of work by this party and on our sound policies and we fully
intend to fulfil the mandate given to us.
``To all our candidates, election workers and supporters I extend warm
appreciation. Your efforts have secured these successes and your sense of
achievement is well-deserved.
``Sinn Féin in Cavan and Monaghan, with this greatly strengthened mandate,
now takes up the task of providing the best representation for the citizens
of these Counties. We have many serious problems to deal with such as
roads, housing and our inadequate health service. Long-awaited reform of
local government, which would allow democratically elected local
councillors to deal with these issues effectively, has yet to materialise.
We will be working together as a team, and in co-operation with all elected
opinion, to achieve empowered, efficient and dynamic local government,
truly responsive to the needs of our communities. ``Arís gabhaim buíochas
leo siúd uile a thug tacaíocht dúinn. Go raibh míle maith agaibh.''
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