Rise of Independents and Social Democrats

In Waterford City East, the Independents topped the poll again this year, similar to the 2019 election, however this time around the electorate was extremely confident in their Independent candidates as two of them were deemed elected on the first count. 

Councillor David Daniels will return to Waterford City and County Council for another term, being elected with a tremendous 1,331 first preference votes. The second Independent to be elected, also on the first count, was first-time candidate Declan Barry, also with an impressive 1,257 votes. 

The early tally accumulated by cross-party interests suggested exactly that, and also predicted the re-election of Councillors Adam Wyse (FF), Pat Fitzgerald (SF) and Mary Roche (SD) and the return of former Councillor, Jim D'Arcy (FG); but it certainly wasn't plain sailing for them to get there. 

It wasn't until the sixth count that another candidate had hit the quota of 1,238 votes. Sinn Féin's Pat Fitzgerald was re-elected to the Council with a total of 1,302 votes, taking most of the transfers from his eliminated colleague Karl Cretzan. Sinn Féin ran a third candidate in this LEA, Caroline Griffin, whose husband was re-elected in the Tramore - City West LEA. Mrs Griffin was eliminated in the third count. 

Fianna Fáil's former Mayor, Cllr Adam Wyse, who started out on 1,063 first preferences only picked up the essential transfers for his deemed election in the seventh count, following the elimination of Fianna Fáil's second City East candidate, Stephanie Keating, losing her seat.

Jody Power was knocked off his mayoral podium in the eighth count, leaving no Green representative in Council at all, with Cristiona Kiely also losing her seat in Tramore - City West. 

Fine Gael's sole candidate for City East, Jim D'Arcy, edged his way into the fourth seat with a total of 1,257 votes.

Credit must be given to Independent candidate Darren Ryan who kept both Cllr D'Arcy and Cllr Roche on their toes until the bitter end of the tenth count, falling short of just 192 votes between himself and Cllr Roche; but only a total of 304 votes from the quota. 

Cllr Roche was deemed elected to the sixth seat with 1,126 votes, having not met the quota, but making history for the Social Democrats in Waterford as the Party's first candidate on the Council.