Republican News · Thursday 23 May 2002

Sinn Féin vote surge

BY ROBBIE MacGABHANN

With 121,039 votes in the 26-County Leinster House elections and five TDs, three of whom topped the poll in their respective constituency counts, Sinn Féin set yet another record in its ongoing electoral development. After weeks of negative media comment and deliberate use of opinion polls to undermine Sinn Féin support, the party vote still surged to a new high.

Robbie MacGabhann goes through the constituencies one by one, highlighting the advances made in every constituency and in every region of the 26 Counties by Sinn Féin, the fastest growing party in the 26 Counties and nationally now making up more than 11% of voters on the island.

Connacht Ulster

Ó Caoláin's double double

It was the same again in Cavan Monaghan as Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin topped the poll and was elected on the first count, just as he did in 1997. Ó Caoláin's performance was all the more remarkable, considering the vote losses incurred by Labour, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. All three lost heavily to the Independent Paudge Connolly, who polled 7,722 votes on the first count. Caoimghin's vote 10,832 was enough to get him over the quota and elected, leaving the other parties to recounts and recriminations.

Donegal surge

In Donegal, Sinn Féin contested the two constituencies in the county. In Donegal North East, Padraig MacLochlainn won 3,611 votes for Sinn Féin and 9.93% of first preferences. In 1997, Sinn Fein had won 2,881 votes here.

There was no Sinn Féin candidate in the 1997 elections in Donegal South West. This time two Sinn Féin candidates Pearse Doherty and Tom Dignam ran for the party. Together they polled 3,829 votes, nearly 11% of first preferences.

High gains in Galway

Both Galway constituencies had Sinn Féin candidates. In Galway East, Daithi Mac an Bhaird took 3.7% of first preferences, with 1,828 votes. There was no candidate here in 1997. While Fine Gael had a very marginal increase in its vote by 0.35%, all the other establishment parties lost votes.

In Galway West, Daniel Callanan and Sean Ac Coistealbha more than doubled the Sinn Féin voter performance in this constituency. In 1997, Sinn Féin polled 1,209 votes. This time around the Sinn Féin duo won 2,779 first preferences and 5.62% of the total poll. Of all the parties contesting the election in this constituency, Sinn Féin had the highest gain in vote share, while Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil lost votes.

Woods and Whelan

Longford Roscommon is new ground for Sinn Féin. Councillor Paul Whelan won 3.37% of the poll with 1,673 votes.

It has been quite some time since Sinn Féin ran a candidate in Mayo. The arrival of Vincent Woods, one of the party's most active organisers, meant that there would be a dynamic Sinn Féin presence this time around. Woods took 3.28% of first preferences with 2,085 votes. Watch out for the Sinn Féin council seats here in 2004.

Sligo Leitrim springboard

Sinn Féin's vote in Sligo Leitrim has been growing consistently since the 1994 local elections, when the party won new seats on Sligo Corporation. The 1997 election saw the party win 3,208 votes and in the 1999 local elections this was followed up with new county council seats. This time around the party vote has grown even further, to 10.21% of the poll. Sean MacManus won 5,001 votes, another 3.11% of the total poll compared to 1997.

The Sinn Féin performance is all the more impressive here considering the intense competition for votes, with Marian Harkin given substantial media prominence for the past three years. Sinn Féin was the only political party in Sligo Leitrim to increase its vote share in this election. All of the others lost votes, with Labour down 5.9% and Fine Gael down 9.96%. The 10% won by Sinn Féin is a massive spring board towards winning a seat here next time around.

Dublin

Kehoe surge embarrasses Bertie

Our hearts stopped in this constituency as erratic transfers stole a seat from Sinn Féin on the last count. Nicky Kehoe won 14.61% of first preferences in this constituency with 4,979 votes, more than double the party share in 1997.

We knew that there would a growing Sinn Féin vote in Dublin Central after Kehoe won a second seat in Dublin Corporation in 1999 but as the ballot boxes were opened it was clear that Sinn Féin would be in the running to take a seat from Fianna Fáil in Bertie Ahern's own constituency.

Kehoe was third behind Ahern and Tony Gregory on the first count. It was the distribution of Jim Mitchell's votes after being eliminated and Joe Costello's surplus that brought Dermot FitzPatrick slightly ahead of Nicky Kehoe and then elected Fitzpatrick on the seventh count.

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams put the result in context in the early hours of Sunday morning when he told the gathered Sinn Féin activists that we had won a hugely significant result by running Fianna Fáil so close in a constituency where so much of the party's resources had been spent to win two seats. Sinn Féin will take this seat next time around.

Dublin North, South and Midwest

Tony Flannery won 6.52% of the vote for Sinn Féin in the new three-seat constituency of Dublin Mid West. His 1,855 votes bode well for future growth in the area.

Sinn Féin did not run in Dublin North in 1997 but Mick Davis took just over 3% of first preferences and 1,350 votes this time out. Only Sinn Féin and the Greens showed growth in party support here.

In Dublin South, Sinn Fein's Deirdre Whelan took 3.93% in this most fickle of constituencies.

Dún Laoghaire and Dublin West

In Dublin West, one of the constituencies using electronic voting, Sinn Fein's Mary Lou MacDonald increased substantially on the 1997 vote. She won 8.02% of first preferences with 2,404 votes.

Sinn Féin's Mick O'Brien won 4% of the vote for Sinn Féin in the five-seat Dún Laoghaire constituency. His 2,159 votes also point towards a council seat in 2004 here for the party.

10% for O'Toole

Dublin North-East was one of the redrawn constituencies this time around and now cut down to three seats. Sinn Féin's Larry O'Toole has being making consistent gains here over the last ten years, winning a corporation seat along the way in 1999.

This time his vote grew to 10.24% of the poll with 3,003 votes, substantially up on the 2,212 votes won in 1997.

Ellis runs close

For a while on Saturday, it looked like there could be another Sinn Féin breakthrough in Dublin North West. Dessie Ellis took a massive 18.28% of first preferences, with 4,781 votes. Once again, Sinn Féin were the only political party with a growing vote share in this constituency. It was only the massive transfer between Fine Gael and the independent Bill Tormey that won the third seat for Labour.

Dublin North Central was another new constituency for Sinn Féin this time around. Frances McCole won 5.74% of first preferences, with 2,229 votes opening up the possibility of a strong challenge for a corporation seat in 2004.

South East

Dublin South East showed more Sinn Féin gains, with Daithi Doolan winning7.39% of first preferences with 2,398 votes. There will be strong Sinn Féin challenge for a corporation seat here in 2004. Sinn Féin's performance in this key constituency was the all more impressive considering the media exposure given to the Greens and PD candidate Michael McDowell.

Interestingly, it was after Doolan's elimination that the first two TDs were elected on his transfers. 1,051 votes went to the Green Party's John Gormley while Michael McDowell received 91 transfers from Sinn Féin voters, pushing him over the quota.

Seat in South Central

Dublin South Central was one of the last of the Dublin constituencies to declare. However, it was clear from the very first boxes being opened that Sinn Féin's Aengus Ó Snodaigh would win a seat. Ó Snodaigh won 12.7% of first preferences on the first count. His 5,591 votes were only bettered by Fianna Fáil's Sean Ardagh. Sinn Féin had more than doubled its vote here compared to 1997.

The question is now how many corporation sets can the party take here in 2004? It will be back to work quickly to capitalise on the gains made here.

Crowe tops poll

Despite the dire predictions in the Irish Independent and RTÉ that he would be squeezed out for the last seat in Dublin South West, Sinn Féin's Sean Crowe confounded the political establishment and confirmed the expectations of Sinn Féin voters by not only winning a seat, but topping the poll and getting elected on the first count also.

Sinn Féin had won two council seats here in 1999 and winning the Leisnter House seat was the just the next step, albeit a giant one.

Leinster

Morgan doubles vote to take seat

Carlow Kilkenny was another first time around for Sinn Féin. Tom Kiernan won 2,078 votes and 3.42% of first preferences. Another strong challenge came from Sinn Féin Councillor Brain Stanley in Laois Offaly. Stanley won 4.11% of the vote with 2,600 first preferences.

Louth was another constituency where for months the media pundits were queuing up to tell us why Sinn Féin would not take a seat. The first count saw Sinn Féin's Arthur Morgan run second with 7,121 first preferences. Morgan won 14.95% of the total poll and nearly doubled the vote on 1997. Like Aengus Ó Snodaigh he had to wait until the last count to be elected. Sinn Féin in this constituency had the highest increase in vote share. Only Fianna Fáil and the Greens managed to increase their share on 1997, with Fine Gael, Labour and the PDs all losing votes.

Highest Sinn Féin gains

Sinn Fein's Joe Reilly trebled the party vote in Meath from 2,000 votes in 1997 to 6,042 this time around. Sinn Féin won 9.43% of first preferences. Reilly stayed in the reckoning until the last count and Sinn Féin had the highest growth in vote share of all political parties. This seat is definitely winnable next time and watch out for more council seats in 2004.

The three-seater Westmeath constituency was a new one for Sinn Féin. Niamh Hogg won 1,185 votes, 3.44% of the total poll. In Wexford, John Dwyer built on the 1999 local election performance to record an impressive 4,964 votes and 8.22% of the total poll. Sinn Féin will be challenging strongly for a Leinster House seat next time out, while further council gains in 2004 will be expected.

Mairead Keane was the Sinn Féin candidate in Wicklow, winning 2.8% of the vote with 1,529 votes.

Munster

Cork

Sinn Féin contested four of the five Cork constituencies. In Cork East, June Murphy increased substantially on the 1997 vote with 2,624 votes and 5.73% of first preferences. In Cork North Central, only Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil increased on the 1997 result. Councillor Jonathan O'Brien won 2,860 votes and 6.34% of the total poll.

Sinn Féin didn't contest Cork South Central in 1997. Tom Hanlon was the party candidate this time around. He won 3.75% of first preferences, with 2,073 votes.

Cionnaith Ó Súilleabháin and Ann O'Leary were the two Sinn Féin candidates in Cork South West, a constituency the party did not contest in 1997. Between them they won 2,207 votes, 5.85% of first preferences.

Kerry poll topper

The forces of the 26-County political establishment that lined up against Sinn Féin in the Kerry North constituency were impressive. Despite this, the party moved on from the impressive performances in 1997 and 1999 to win 24.24% of first preferences and top the poll with 9,496 votes.

Martin Ferris had to wait until the second count to get elected, but it gave us all the more time to savour just how much effort was made by the conservative media, Fianna Fáil and Labour to stop Sinn Féin winning this seat.

Muiris Ó Súilleabháin won 3.3% of first preferences 1,210 votes for Sinn Féin in Tipperary South. Sinn Féin did not run here in 1997. In Waterford, David Cullinane polled impressively for Sinn Féin, pulling 2,955 votes and 6.35% of the total poll. There is huge potential for Sinn Féin in this constituency.