2019 Louth County Council election

A Louth County Council election was held in County Louth in Ireland on 24 May 2019 as part of that year's local elections. All 29 councillors were elected for a five-year term of office from 5 local electoral areas (LEAs) by single transferable vote.

2019 Louth County Council election
24 May 2019
All 29 seats to Louth County Council
15 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Party Sinn Féin Fianna Fáil Fine Gael
Seats won 7 7 5
Seat change Decrease 3 Increase 2 Decrease 2
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Party Labour Green Independent
Seats won 3 1 6
Seat change Increase 1 Decrease 1 Increase 3
Map showing the area of Louth County Council
Council control after election

TBD

The 2018 LEA boundary review committee altered the divisions used in the 2014 elections by splitting the ten-seat Drogheda Borough District into two LEAs. Its terms of reference required no change in the total number of councillors but set a lower maximum LEA size of seven councillors. Other LEA seat allocations were unchanged but boundary adjustments were necessitated by population shifts revealed by the 2016 census.[1] The changes were enacted by statutory instrument (S.I.) No. 626/2018[2] and tweaked by S.I. No. 6/2019.[3]

Following the elections Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil emerged as the joint largest party with 7 seats. Sinn Féin lost 1 seat in Dundalk and 2 in Drogheda. Fianna Fáil gained a seat from Sinn Féin and also from the Green Party in Dundalk. Accounting for the defection of Kevin Callan after 2014, Fine Gael returned with 5 seats, a loss of 2 seats overall. The Labour Party increased their numbers by 1 seat to 3 by gaining another seat in Drogheda.

Kevin Callan won a seat in each of the 2 Drogheda LEAs. He will now have to decide which one he wishes to represent. The casual vacancy was filled at a meeting of the full Council on 17 June 2019 by Declan Power, who had run for Fianna Fáil in 2019 but who had since quit the party.

Results by party
Party Seats ± First Pref. votes FPv% ±%
Sinn Féin 7 Decrease3 10,651 24.10 Decrease7.32
Fianna Fáil 7 Increase2 8,624 19.51 Increase0.48
Fine Gael 5 Decrease2 8,891 20.12 Decrease0.56
Labour 3 Increase1 3,501 7.92 Increase2.95
Green 1 Decrease1 2,829 6.40 Increase2.54
Renua 0 Steady 1,463 3.31 New
Direct Democracy 0 Steady 142 0.32 Decrease1.59
United People 0 Steady 134 0.30 New
People Before Profit 0 Steady 101 0.23 Increase0.06
Independent 6 Increase3 7,854 17.77 Increase1.27
Totals 29 Steady 44,190 100% Steady

Results by local electoral area

Ardee
Ardee — 6 Seats[4]
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
123456789
Fine Gael Dolores Minogue[c 1] 15.28% 1,404                
Fine Gael Colm Markey[c 1]††††††† 15.11% 1,388                
Sinn Féin Pearse McGeough[c 1] 10.96% 1,007 1,011 1,018 1,040 1,055 1,113 1,411    
Independent Jim Tenanty[c 1] 10.40% 955 978 983 1,048 1,178 1,295 1,396    
Fianna Fáil John Sheridan 9.47% 870 877 887 902 933 976 996 1,114 1,131
Independent Hugh D. Conlon 8.35% 767 771 786 825 842 911 928 1,054 1,099
Fianna Fáil Fintan Malone 7.07% 649 661 664 685 757 808 851 917 949
Green Seán Connolly 5.54% 509 514 519 557 577 635 652    
Sinn Féin Brendan McKenna 5.36% 492 500 501 515 553 576      
Independent Kevin Carroll 4.57% 420 426 428 483 512        
Fine Gael Finnan McCoy 4.42% 406 423 448 464          
Independent Albert D. Byrne 2.07% 190 192 194            
Independent Enda Murray 1.40% 129 132              
Electorate: 20,007   Valid: 9,186   Spoilt: 281   Quota: 1,313   Turnout: 9,467 (47.32%)  

    Drogheda Rural
    Drogheda Rural — 4 Seats[5]
    PartyCandidateFPv%Count
    1234567
    Fine Gael Oliver Tully[c 1]†† 16.62% 965 971 1,005 1,060 1,173    
    Labour Michelle Hall 16.60% 964 977 1,000 1,035 1,095 1,097 1,214
    Independent Kevin Callan[c 1]† 15.43% 896 912 937 1,048      
    Sinn Féin Tom Cunningham[c 1] 11.42% 663 672 708 730 765 765 1,113
    Sinn Féin Leanne Saurin 10.38% 603 616 628 651 689 690  
    Renua Eamon Sweeney 9.78% 568 579 591 620 727 732 787
    Fianna Fáil Richard Cooney 8.21% 477 479 561 585      
    Independent Frank Godfrey[c 1] 5.46% 317 323 343        
    Fianna Fáil Declan Power 4.46% 259 261          
    United People Jeffrey Rudd 0.88% 51            
    Direct Democracy Patrick Greene 0.77% 45            
    Electorate: 13,070   Valid: 5,808   Spoilt: 123   Quota: 1,162   Turnout: 5,931 (45.62%)  

      Drogheda Urban
      Drogheda Urban — 6 Seats[6]
      PartyCandidateFPv%Count
      1234567891011
      Labour Paul Bell[c 1]†††††† 14.76% 1,292                    
      Labour Pio Smith[c 1] 14.22% 1,245 1,255                  
      Sinn Féin Joanna Byrne[c 2] 10.54% 923 927 939 959 975 1,109 1,129 1,372      
      Independent Kevin Callan[c 1] 10.25% 897 902 905 913 936 951 996 1,012 1,030 1,124 1,292
      Fianna Fáil James Byrne 9.10% 797 801 804 804 807 816 838 848 853 1,076 1,251
      Independent Paddy McQuillan 8.78% 769 774 793 819 858 875 907 943 993 1,035 1,086
      Fine Gael Richie Culhane[c 1] 6.64% 581 583 585 587 593 596 623 629 634 671  
      Independent Frank Godfrey[c 1] 5.92% 518 523 525 527 551 560 646 664 681 772 881
      Fianna Fáil Anthony Moore 5.78% 506 507 510 511 521 524 577 586 589    
      Renua Michael O'Dowd 3.45% 302 304 309 314 354 359          
      Sinn Féin David Saurin[c 2] 3.19% 279 280 290 295 303 367 373        
      Sinn Féin Kenneth Flood[c 1] 2.98% 261 262 265 271 278            
      Renua Maria McCabe 1.19% 104 105 107 111              
      People Before Profit Angus Macdonald 1.15% 101 101 101                
      Direct Democracy Christopher Faulkner 1.11% 97 97 108 117              
      United People Jeffrey Rudd 0.95% 83 83                  
      Electorate: 20,424   Valid: 8,755   Spoilt: 241   Quota: 1,251   Turnout: 8,496 (44.05%)  

        Dundalk–Carlingford
        Dundalk–Carlingford — 6 Seats[7]
        PartyCandidateFPv%Count
        123456
        Sinn Féin Antóin Watters[c 2] 16.48% 1,563          
        Fine Gael John McGahon[c 1]†††† 14.31% 1,357          
        Fianna Fáil Erin McGreehan††††† 12.14% 1,151 1,216 1,222 1,237 1,535  
        Fianna Fáil Seán Kelly 11.30% 1,072 1,077 1,157 1,216 1,297 1,361
        Fianna Fáil Conor Keelan[c 1] 10.66% 1,011 1,015 1,052 1,089 1,221 1,279
        Sinn Féin Edel Corrigan[c 1] 9.82% 931 1,005 1,588      
        Green Eoin Daly 8.68% 823 834 875 976 1,112 1,180
        Fine Gael Roisin Duffy 8.53% 809 823 832 844    
        Sinn Féin Eugene Garvey 8.09% 767 802        
        Electorate: 20,308   Valid: 9,484   Spoilt: 254   Quota: 1,355   Turnout: 9,738 (48.55%)  

          Dundalk South
          Dundalk South — 7 Seats[8]
          PartyCandidateFPv%Count
          123456789
          Independent Maeve Yore[c 1] 15.52% 1,701                
          Green Marianne Butler[c 1] 13.66% 1,497                
          Sinn Féin Ruairí Ó Murchú[c 2]††† 12.99% 1,423                
          Fine Gael Maria Doyle[c 1] 12.28% 1,346 1,409              
          Sinn Féin Tomás Sharkey[c 1] 10.37% 1,136 1,185 1,201 1,264 1,289 1,333 1,336 1,825  
          Fianna Fáil Liam Reilly[c 1] 9.87% 1,082 1,131 1,142 1,155 1,157 1,229 1,233 1,262 1,300
          Fianna Fáil Emma Coffey[c 2] 6.84% 750 805 836 885 888 1,006 1,021 1,098 1,181
          Fine Gael Linus English 5.80% 635 660 679 701 702 778 792 806 832
          Sinn Féin Anne Campbell[c 2] 5.50% 603 621 638 674 695 755 758    
          Renua Niamh Boyle 4.46% 489 524 544 602 603        
          Independent Oliver Morgan 2.69% 295 332 345            
          Electorate: 23,841   Valid: 10,957   Spoilt: 267   Quota: 1,370   Turnout: 11,224 (47.08%)  

            Results by gender
            2019 Louth County Council election[9][10]
            Candidates by gender
            Gender Number of
            candidates            		  % of
            candidates            		 Elected
            councillors            		  % of
            councillors
            Men 46 76.7% 20 69.0%
            Women 14 23.3% 9 31.0%
            TOTAL60 29 

            Changes Since 2019
            • † Drogheda Rural Independent Cllr Kevin Callan resigned his seat on 17 June 2019 as he had been elected for both LEAs. Former Fianna Fáil candidate, Declan Power, was co-opted to fill the vacancy.[11]
            • †† Drogheda Rural Fine Gael Cllr Oliver Tully died on 9 July 2019.[12] On 16 September 2019 his widow Eileen Tully was co-opted to fill the vacancy.[13][14]
            • ††† Dundalk South Sinn Féin Cllr Ruairí Ó Murchú was elected as a Teachta Dála (TD) for Louth at the 2020 general election. Former Cllr Kevin Meenan was co-opted to fill the vacancy on 24 February 2020.[15]
            • †††† Dundalk-Carlingford Fine Gael Cllr John McGahon was elected to the Seanad on the Cultural and Educational Panel on 31 March 2020.[16][17] John Reilly was co-opted to fill the vacancy on 20 July 2020.[18][19]
            • ††††† Dundalk-Carlingford Fianna Fáil Cllr Erin McGreehan was nominated by the Taoiseach to the Seanad in June 2020.[20] Andrea McKevitt was co-opted to fill the vacancy on 20 July 2020.[19]
            • †††††† Drogheda Labour Cllr Paul Bell resigned his seat on 28 June 2020 upon his appointment by the Government to the Labour Court.[21] On 21 September 2020 Fiachra MacRaghnaill was co-opted to fill the vacancy.[22]
            • ††††††† Ardee Fine Gael Cllr Colm Markey was co-opted as a Member of the European Parliament on 20 November 2020 following the appointment of Mairead McGuinness MEP as an EU Commissioner.[23] Paula Butterly was co-opted to fill the vacancy on 16 February 2021.[24]

            Footnotes
            1. Outgoing councillor elected in 2014.
            2. Outgoing councillor coopted subsequent to the 2014 election.

            Sources
            • "Louth County Council - Local Election candidates". RTÉ. 14 May 2019. Archived from the original on 6 June 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
            • "Local Elections Results 2019". Louth County Council. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
            • "Local Elections 2019: Results, Transfer of Votes and Statistics" (PDF). Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (DHPLG). pp. 152–157. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 June 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2020.

            References
            1. Local Electoral Area Boundary Committee No. 1 (13 June 2018). Report 2018 (PDF). Government Publications. pp. 76–79, 155. ISBN 978-1-4064-2990-9. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 November 2018. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
            2. Phelan, John Paul (19 December 2018). "S.I. No. 626/2018 — County of Louth Local Electoral Areas Order 2018". electronic Irish Statute Book (eISB). Archived from the original on 2 February 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
            3. Phelan, John Paul (17 January 2019). "S.I. No. 6/2019 — County Of Louth Local Electoral Areas And Municipal Districts (Amendment) Order 2019". electronic Irish Statute Book (eISB). Archived from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
            4. DHPLG 2019, p. 152.
            5. DHPLG 2019, p. 153.
            6. DHPLG 2019, pp. 154–155.
            7. DHPLG 2019, p. 156.
            8. DHPLG 2019, p. 157.
            9. Wall, Martin (26 May 2019) [25 May 2019]. "Louth County Council: Fianna Fáil big winners as Sinn Féin loses three seats". The Irish Times. Dublin. Archived from the original on 15 June 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
            10. DHPLG 2019, p. 247.
            11. McCabe, Donard (17 June 2019). "Former Fianna Fáil candidate Declan Power co-opted to Louth County Council". Dundalk Democrat. Archived from the original on 18 June 2019. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
            12. O'Driscoll, Marc (10 July 2019). "Local councillor Oliver Tully has died". LMFM. Drogheda. Archived from the original on 11 July 2019.
            13. "Eileen Tully co-opted to Louth County Council". LMFM. Drogheda. 1 September 2019. Archived from the original on 8 June 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
            14. "Our people: Cllr Eileen Tully". Fine Gael. Archived from the original on 8 June 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
            15. Doyle, Simon (25 February 2020). "Three Sinn Féin members co-opted onto Louth and Meath County Councils". LMFM. Drogheda. Archived from the original on 13 September 2020. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
            16. O'Halloran, Marie (4 April 2020). "Seanad election results: Full list of Senators voted in to new Seanad". Irish Times. Dublin. Archived from the original on 5 June 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
            17. Marc O'Driscoll, Marc (31 March 2020). "McGahon wins Seanad Éireann seat". LMFM. Drogheda. Archived from the original on 22 April 2020. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
            18. Lynch, David (15 July 2020). "John Reilly co-opted onto Louth County Council for Fine Gael". Dundalk Democrat. Dundalk. Archived from the original on 5 July 2020. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
            19. O'Connell, Ruth (20 July 2020). "Reilly and McKevitt formally co-opted onto Louth County Council". LMFM. Drogheda. Archived from the original on 5 September 2020. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
            20. "Taoiseach Micheál Martin announces his 11 Seanad nominees". TheJournal.ie. 27 June 2020. Archived from the original on 30 June 2020. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
            21. "Paul Bell appointed to Labour Court". Drogheda Life. 9 June 2020. Archived from the original on 20 June 2020.
            22. Landy, Barry (21 September 2020). "Labour's MacRaghnaill officially co-opted to Louth County Council". LouthNow. Archived from the original on 4 October 2020. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
            23. "Colm Markey confirmed as MEP". European Parliament Liaison Office in Ireland. 20 November 2020. Archived from the original on 5 December 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
            24. O'Driscoll, Marc (16 February 2021). "Rural development top of agenda for Louth's newest councillor". LMFM. Drogheda. Archived from the original on 16 February 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
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