The 2024 Local Elections for Laois have finally concluded after three mammoth days of counting, checking and sorting.
It was a day filled with drama as 14 seats were filled to complete the 19 for the next five years.
On Monday, five Councillors across the three Municipal areas were confirmed.
The first count came in the Graiguecullen-Portarlington Municipal District where Paschal McEvoy topped the poll after first preference votes.
Independent Ben Brennan was the first to be elected there with Fianna Fail’s McEvoy and Sinn Fein’s Aidan Mullins in next.
While in Portlaoise, Fine Gael’s Willie Aird topped the poll and was elected on the first count.
Jason Phelan (Sinn Fein) and John Cowhig (Independent) were both eliminated and their votes redistributed.
That resulted in Caroline Dwane-Stanley (Sinn Fein) being elected and thus brought the conclusion of counting Day 2.
Day 3 was a marathon and sometimes it was a sprint with candidates elected left, right and centre.
Conor Bergin (Fine Gael) was first over the line in Borris-In-Ossory-Mountmellick with the final seat between Paddy Buggy (Fine Gael) and Seamus McDonald (Fianna Fail)
McDonald eventually prevailed and was returned along with James Kelly (Independent), Paddy Bracken (Fianna Fail), John King (Fine Gael) and Ollie Clooney (Independent).
In Portlaoise, things were a little bit more straight-forward with the transfer friendly Marie Tuohy (Labour) doing extremely well to retain her seat.
John Joe Fennelly (Fianna Fail), Catherine Fitzgerald (Fianna Fail) and Barry Walsh (Fine Gael) joined her while Tommy Mulligan (Independent) gained a seat with Thomasina Connell (Fine Gael) losing out.
The drama on the day came in the Graiguecullen-Portarlington Municipal District where we ended in a recount.
Ben Brennan (Independent), Paschal McEvoy (Fianna Fail), Padraig Fleming (Fianna Fail) and Aisling Moran (Independent) all got re-elected.
And the final seat came down to PJ Kelly and Vivienne Phelan of Fine Gael. Just 17 votes separated them in the end and the gap remained after the recount.
Our photographer Cormac Deegan captured some great images over the course of the day.
Check them out below:
SEE ALSO – In Pictures: Day 2 as results start to come as Laois Local Election 2024 count continues
