For the third election in a row the Labour party have won a seat in Portlaoise in the Local Elections.
It was a different name on the ballot paper on this occasion but it was another major triumph for the Tuohy family. In 2014, Noel Tuohy won a seat on the council when Labour were losing seats all over the country.
He massively grew his vote in 2019 to hold onto that seat but health issues meant that he resigned his seat midway through the last council term. Into that breach stepped his wife Marie, who has performed admirably in her understated gentle way.
And this time it was her face on the poster, her name on the ballot paper as she attempted to gain a seat in a crowded field.
At one stage during the tallies – albeit with a very incomplete picture – she looked in bother but when the first count was announced she was in seventh place, eight vote ahead of Naeem Iqbal of Fianna Fail and the leading candidate for the seventh and final seat.
Over the course of the subsequent counts, she hoovered up votes from everywhere to be dubbed the Transfer Queen.
“I was very happy with the second and third preferences. I’ve been told I’m very transfer friendly,” she said in her interview on the LaoisToday Local Election podcast, recorded at the Count Centre.
“I have to say I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the campaign once you get into the swing of it. It just takes time but I was very lucky to have people around me. It motivates you when you have the right heart.
“It’s really satisfying. I’m really proud and I’m proud for Noel because a lot of it has been down to him. He laid the groundwork for me.
“Being in the council myself was a new experience. I think it’s an extension of being involved in your community, both of us would have been involved in different groups over the years.
“It’s not an effort, it is an interest to be honest. Of course there is another element of learning as you go along but I honestly don’t view it as work.
“I’m really looking forward to being back as I feel more prepared this time. I can’t wait to get started.”
You can listen to the LaoisToday Local Election podcast that focuses on the Portlaoise area below.
SEE ALSO – Check out all our 2024 Local Election coverage here
