Fine Gael tops poll but appetite for change evident in Tramore-Waterford City West
Lola O'Sullivan, FG, who was elected on the first count at SETU Arena in the Waterford Local Election 24. Photo: Joe Evans
It was a case of some things stay the same but change might be on the horizon in the Tramore-Waterford City West electoral area following last weekend's local elections.
Fine Gael's, Cllr Lola O'Sullivan, topped the poll with an impressive total of 1,313 first preference votes getting her over the quota on the first count leading to her regaining her part seat in the ward.
Such was the impressive nature of her victory that she had a surplus of 137 votes. It took 12 counts before the final make-up of the Council in that area was finalised with the final representation being composed of: Cllr Lola O'Sullivan (Fine Gael); Cllr Joe Kelly (Independent); Cllr Joe Conway (Independent); Blaise Hannigan (Independent); Cllr Jim Griffin (Sinn Féin) and Cllr Eamon Quinlan (Fianna Fáil).
While the gain for the Independents was significant with them achieving one more seat compared to party-affiliated politicians it was the Green Party who lost out with Cllr Cristiona Kiely losing her seat on the penultimate count.
The loss was representative of a nationwide hit for the Green Party and from a national perspective there will likely be some soul searching to be done and a 'back to the drawing board' approach ahead of the impending General Election.
The political landscape in the Tramore-Waterford City West ward may have changed slightly in terms of the increase in Independent Councillor representation but Cllr O'Sullivan's meteoric poll topping performance was indicative of a local election campaign that Fine Gael have to be happy with.
That was underlined by Senator John Cummins who told Waterford News & Star the election results were "fantastic for his party" and he admitted that the general feeling was that it bodes well in the run-up to the next General Election.
The decline in popularity of the Green Party is likely to cause some concern to Deputy Marc O'Cathasaigh. He topped the poll in the local elections in 2019 and subsequently went on to be elected as a TD in 2020.
His meteoric rise through the political ranks is indicative of how well respected he is within the local community in Waterford, however, with the General Election on the horizon the loss of the Green Party seat in the Tramore-Waterford City West electoral area is not ideal.
For the Green Party it represents a massive reversal in fortune as the party was on somewhat of a crest of a wave last time around but the loss of the seat in this particular electoral area added to the fact that Waterford City Mayor, Cllr Jody Power, another Green Party member, also lost his seat is a big blow to the party.
The flip side of the political landscape in the Tramore-Waterford City West area is that the voice of the Independent arena is now stronger with the addition of Blaise Hannigan alongside his incoming fellow Independents, Cllr Joe Kelly and Cllr Joe Conway.
