1999 - Sinn Féin's treble year
205,808 votes across Ireland
BY ROBBIE MacGABHANN
Now it's time to catch your breath. The first question after a weekend of
election counts is figuring just how many records, precedents and
benchmarks did Sinn Féin set in the polls for local government and the EU
Parliament?
Well, for the record, Sinn Fèin increased its vote on the 1994 EU elections
in both the Six and 26 Counties. In 1994, Sinn Féin won 9.86% of the vote
in the Six Counties. This time around Mitchel MacLaughlin recorded a
massive 17.33% for the party, almost matching the 17.6% poll in the 1998
Assembly elections.
In the 26-County EU poll, Sinn Féin took 6.33% of first preferences, up
from a 3% share in 1994. Sinn Féin was the only party in the 26 Counties to
increase its vote on the 1991 local election poll. The party trebled its
number of county councillors to 21, elected 8 new town commissioners and 12
new UDC members.
Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael lost votes nationally, while the Labour Party and
the Greens' vote share stood still. The failure of Labour to perform in
these elections is shown by the fact that the combined vote of Labour and
the then Workers' Party in 1991 was 14.3%. The merging of Democratic Left
into Labour did absolutely nothing for its 26-County vote share.
The biggest losers in the election were the Progressive Democrats. In 1991,
they took 4.9% of the 26-County local election vote. This time around their
vote share almost halved to 2.6%.
Across the Six Counties in the EU Parliament election, Sinn Féin was the
only party which actually increased its vote. The SDLP, DUP, UUP and
Alliance all put in reduced performances on 1994.
Sinn Fèin added new county council, UDC and town commission seats to its
electoral representation across the 26 Counties. In South Dublin, Sean
Crowe and Mark Daly became the party's first elected representatives on the
council. In Dublin Corporation the party's representation quadrupled to 4
seats.
Ard Chomhairle member Martin Ferris was elected on the first count to Kerry
County Council. Other first count Sinn Fèin councillors included Caoimhghín
O Caoláin in Monaghan, Seán MacManus in Sligo, Nicky Kehoe, Dessie Ellis
and Sean Crowe in Dublin.
Seán and Chris MacManus set a record of sorts by being the first father and
son Sinn Féin councillors. Both are representing wards on Sligo
Corporation.
Cionnaith O Suilleabháin was returned for Sinn Féin for the second time to
Clonakilty UDC. His 290 first preferences left him with a surplus of 114
votes and the largest ever vote for a candidate on Clonakilty UDC since it
was first incorporated.
Martin Hallinan also set an electoral precedent by not only being elected
on the first count for Youghal UDC. He also was the highest Sinn Féin
poller, rolling in with two quotas in first preferences.
The party also broke new ground by returning county councillors in Meath,
Cavan and Cork while increasing its representation in Sligo, Leitrim and
Monaghan.
In terms of the UDCs and town commissions, Sinn Féin held council seats won
in 1994 in Clare, Cork, Kerry, Donegal, Sligo, Kildare, Meath, and added to
the party's electoral representatives in Donegal, Wexford, Louth, Cavan,
Monaghan, Portlaoise, Kerry and Sligo.
Sinn Féin elected councillors across Ireland. Yet some media commentators
tried to pigeon hole the party's performance as being constricted only to
Dublin and the border areas. Comparing local government and EU returns for
the party shows that this just is not so.
Sinn Féin won 51,389 votes in the local government authorities it
contested. In the European elections, contested in every constituency, the
party's vote increased to 88,165.
Across Ireland, taking Mitchel McLaughlin's vote into account, Sinn Féin
polled 205,808 votes, 9.94% of the Irish electorate. This is only chapter
one.
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