Portarlington gets its TD as Cathal Berry unseats Fiona O’Loughlin

The town of Portarlington has a TD for the first time in over 90 years following the election of independent candidate Dr Cathal Berry in Kildare South.

Berry, who is a former army ranger and member of the Defence Forces, has been living in Portarlington for the past 16 years. A native of Waterford he now works as a doctor having retrained in the past 10 years.

Portarlington, along with Killenard and Ballybrittas, is now part of the Kildare South constituency having been moved after the re-drawing of the constituency boundaries in 2017.

The last time Port had a TD of their own was the short-lived reign of Hugh F Gill who was elected for Labour in June 1927 but he was only a TD for 98 days as he lost his seat in the election held in September that year

Berry has sensationally come from behind on the 7th count to unseat Fianna Fail’s Fiona O’Loughlin, the party’s high-profile spokesperson for education. She was only elected in 2016 having been a councillor in Kildare since the mid 1990s.

It is a significant blow for Fianna Fail who had hopes of actually going back to the Dail with three seats in that constituency. O’Loughlin’s running mate Suzanne Doyle was eliminated after the 4th count.

Doyle’s transfers had brought O’Loughlin back into the frame but it swung once again following the elimination of Labour’s Mark Wall.

It means that Kildare South have now filled their four seats. Sinn Fein’s Patricia Ryan topped the poll and took the first seat while Fine Gael’s Martin Heydon took the second seat and Berry the third. Outgoing Ceann Comhairle Sean O Fearghail (Fianna Fail) was automatically re-elected.

Berry’s campaign was endorsed by former PD Minister for Justice Michael McDowell and he gathered considerable support in Portarlington from some of the business and sporting communities in the town.

Former Laois County Councillor Paul Mitchell was among those to canvass for Berry while Bernie Bracken of Eamon Bracken’s Menswear was one of the official speakers at Berry’s launch in Newbridge.

The official count has yet to be announced but O’Loughlin has conceded

How the count unfolded in Kildare South

1st Count

1. Patricia Ryan (Sinn Fein) – 10,155
2. Martin Heydon (Fine Gael) – 8,069
3. Fiona O’Loughlin (Fianna Fail) – 5,927
4. Mark Wall (Labour) – 5,899
5. Cathal Berry (Independent) – 5,742
6. Fiona McLoughlin-Healy (Independent) – 3,616
7. Suzanne Doyle (Fianna Fail) – 3,580
8. Ronan Maher (Green Party) – 1,639
9. Linda Hayden (Social Democrats) – 1,338
10. Anita Mhic Gib (Aontu) – 697 – eliminated after 1st count
11. Roisin Ui Bhroin (People Before Profit) – 598 – eliminated after 1st count

2nd Count

Distribution of Roisin Ui Bhroin and Anita Mhic Ghib votes

1. Patricia Ryan (Sinn Fein) – 10,461 (+306)
2. Martin Heydon (Fine Gael) – 8,120 (+51)
3. Fiona O’Loughlin (Fianna Fail) – 5,985 (+58)
4. Mark Wall (Labour) – 5,974 (+75)
5. Cathal Berry (Independent) – 5,961 (219)
6. Fiona McLoughlin-Healy (Independent) – 3,730 (+114)
7. Suzanne Doyle (Fianna Fail) – 3,665 (+85)
8. Ronan Maher (Green Party) – 1,754 (+115)
9. Linda Hayden (Social Democrats) – 1,474 (+136) – eliminated after 2nd count
10. Anita Mhic Gib (Aontu) – 697 – eliminated after 1st count
11. Roisin Ui Bhroin (People Before Profit) – 598 – eliminated after 1st count

3rd Count

Distribution of Linda Hayden votes

1. Patricia Ryan (Sinn Fein) – 10,719 (+258)
2. Martin Heydon (Fine Gael) – 8,218 (+98)
3. Fiona O’Loughlin (Fianna Fail) – 6,043 (+58)
4. Mark Wall (Labour) – 6,142 (+168)
5. Cathal Berry (Independent) – 6,176 (+215)
6. Fiona McLoughlin-Healy (Independent) – 3,938 (+208)
7. Suzanne Doyle (Fianna Fail) – 3,665 (+85)
8. Ronan Maher (Green Party) – 2,144 (+390) – eliminated after 3rd count
9. Linda Hayden (Social Democrats) – 1,474 (+136) – eliminated after 2nd count
10. Anita Mhic Gib (Aontu) – 697 – eliminated after 1st count
11. Roisin Ui Bhroin (People Before Profit) – 598 – eliminated after 1st count

4th Count

Distribution of Ronan Maher (Green Party) votes

1. Patricia Ryan (Sinn Fein) – 11,072
2. Martin Heydon (Fine Gael) – 8,567
3. Mark Wall (Labour) – 6,648
4. Cathal Berry (Independent) – 6,501
5. Fiona O’Loughlin (Fianna Fail) – 6,176
6. Fiona McLoughlin-Healy (Independent) – 4,221
7. Suzanne Doyle (Fianna Fail) – 3,782 – Eliminated after the 4th count
8. Ronan Maher (Green Party) – 2,144 – Eliminated after the 3rd count
9. Linda Hayden (Social Democrats) – 1,474 – Eliminated after the 2nd count
10. Anita Mhic Ghib (Aontu) – 697 – Eliminated after the 1st count
11. Roisin ui Bhroin (Solidarity-People Before Profit) – 598 – Eliminated after the 1st count

5th Count

Distribution of Suzanne Doyle (Fianna Fail) votes

1. Patricia Ryan (Sinn Fein) – 11,295 (+223)
2. Martin Heydon (Fine Gael) – 9,010 (+443)
3. Fiona O’Loughlin (Fianna Fail) – 8,177 (+2,001)
4. Mark Wall (Labour) – 6,984 (+336)
5. Cathal Berry (Independent) – 6,876 (+375)
6. Fiona McLoughlin-Healy (Independent) – 4,471 (+250) – Eliminated after the 5th count
7. Suzanne Doyle (Fianna Fail) – 3,782 – Eliminated after the 4th count
8. Ronan Maher (Green Party) – 2,144 – Eliminated after the 3rd count
9. Linda Hayden (Social Democrats) – 1,474 – Eliminated after the 2nd count
10. Anita Mhic Ghib (Aontu) – 697 – Eliminated after the 1st count
11. Roisin ui Bhroin (Solidarity-People Before Profit) – 598 – Eliminated after the 1st count

6th Count

Distribution of Fiona McLoughlin-Healy (Independent) votes

1. Patricia Ryan (Sinn Fein) – 12,152 (+ 857) – Elected on the 6th count
2. Martin Heydon (Fine Gael) – 9,651 (+ 641)
3. Fiona O’Loughlin (Fianna Fail) – 8,963 (+759)
4. Cathal Berry (Independent) – 8,270 (+1,394)
5. Mark Wall (Labour) – 7,484 (+500) – Eliminated after the 6th count
6. Fiona McLoughlin-Healy (Independent) – 4,471 (+250) – Eliminated after the 5th count
7. Suzanne Doyle (Fianna Fail) – 3,782 – Eliminated after the 4th count
8. Ronan Maher (Green Party) – 2,144 – Eliminated after the 3rd count
9. Linda Hayden (Social Democrats) – 1,474 – Eliminated after the 2nd count
10. Anita Mhic Ghib (Aontu) – 697 – Eliminated after the 1st count
11. Roisin ui Bhroin (Solidarity-People Before Profit) – 598 – Eliminated after the 1st count

7th count

Distribution of Mark Wall (Labour) votes

1. Patricia Ryan (Sinn Fein) – 12,152 ELECTED on 6th Count
2. Martin Heydon (Fine Gael) – 11,676 (+2,025)
3. Cathal Berry (Independent) – 10,693 (+2,423)
4. Fiona O’Loughlin (Fianna Fail) – 10,370 (+1,434)
5. Mark Wall (Labour) – 7,484 – Eliminated after 6th count
6. Fiona McLoughlin-Healy (Independent) – 4,471 (+250) – Eliminated after the 5th count
7. Suzanne Doyle (Fianna Fail) – 3,782 – Eliminated after the 4th count
8. Ronan Maher (Green Party) – 2,144 – Eliminated after the 3rd count
9. Linda Hayden (Social Democrats) – 1,474 – Eliminated after the 2nd count
10. Anita Mhic Ghib (Aontu) – 697 – Eliminated after the 1st count
11. Roisin ui Bhroin (Solidarity-People Before Profit) – 598 – Eliminated after the 1st count

8th count

Distribution of Patricia Ryan (Sinn Fein) surplus

1. Patricia Ryan (Sinn Fein) – 12,152 ELECTED on 6th Count
2. Martin Heydon (Fine Gael) – 11,710 (+34) ELECTED on 8th Count without reaching quota
3. Cathal Berry (Independent) – 10,940 (+24) ELECTED on 8th count without reaching quota
4. Fiona O’Loughlin (Fianna Fail) – 10,425 (+55)
5. Mark Wall (Labour) – 7,484 – Eliminated after 6th count
6. Fiona McLoughlin-Healy (Independent) – 4,471 (+250) – Eliminated after the 5th count
7. Suzanne Doyle (Fianna Fail) – 3,782 – Eliminated after the 4th count
8. Ronan Maher (Green Party) – 2,144 – Eliminated after the 3rd count
9. Linda Hayden (Social Democrats) – 1,474 – Eliminated after the 2nd count
10. Anita Mhic Ghib (Aontu) – 697 – Eliminated after the 1st count
11. Roisin ui Bhroin (Solidarity-People Before Profit) – 598 – Eliminated after the 1st count

SEE ALSO – How Transfers work as Day 2 of General Election count gets underway