With the 2024 Local Elections now in the rear-view mirror, the 19 successful candidates will be making all the headlines.
But a special space must be held for another demographic – those who were putting their names forward for election for the very first time.
One such name is Fintan Cuddy, a Fianna Fáil candidate in the Borris-in-Ossory-Mountmellick Municipal District.
Fianna Fáil are now the largest party in the county, holding six seats out of 19, with Fine Gael and Independents holding five each.
As one of the Fianna Fail soldiers who missed out on a seat, Mr Cuddy could be forgiven for being pessimistic after the results, but in fact the opposite is true.
“To get 566 votes first out; you don’t lose your first election – you start from zero. I’m absolutely thrilled,” Mr cuddy said.
“In the long run, as it happened, I was of some benefit to our area, because 209 of them went to James Kelly and he was elected. So, we didn’t lose a Councillor within the area.”
Rather than a defeat, Mr Cuddy is seeing his election campaign as a learning curve – and a starting point for the next one.
“It’s disappointing, of course it is, for any Castletown man to lose anything to a point – but look, I’ll be back,” he said.
“I’ll be looking to be the representative for Fianna Fail in our area. I came through a convention, I’ve put in a good campaign, I, personally, enjoyed the campaign.
“I’ll be quite honest, I met incredible people, I have incredible people around me, and I met people that are sitting Councillors, and the advice they gave.
“There’s not a big enemy out there, it’s everyone pulling together for the betterment of their area.”
Mr Cuddy admitted he was disappointed in the results, but again found a silver lining.
“I was (disappointed), but look at it: Conor Bergin; he’s a very credible candidate, he has done his work,” Mr Cuddy said.
“To be quite honest about it, I was hearing the good things around Conor and his campaign.
“And also James Kelly; he grasped 1500 first preference votes the last time on the back of a lot of work – you don’t get votes for anything else but work.”
Looking forward, Mr Cuddy says he is already looking forward to the 2029 elections.
“Everyone says ‘what are you going to do?’ My campaign for the next five years starts tomorrow. I’ll be there, I’ll be visible,” he said.
“We (in Borris-in-Ossory-Mountmellick) have six (Cllrs) and we’ll be on their toes, making sure that they deliver on what they have promised. That’s what it’s about.
“It’s about keeping the foot to the pedal and making sure that our area is represented as it should be, and some of the things I campaigned for; be it for people with disabilities; safter communities; making sure that elderly people in the rural end of Ireland aren’t left vulnerable; and community policing that recognises that.
“Also, as I’ve campaigned for, to make sure families that have not been diagnosed, or are finding it very hard to get diagnosed for autism. And work on that behalf – maybe looking for a Government grant and getting some sort of support for them.
“Of course, at Government level it has to come down to Council level, and that’s to do with grants. And I keep saying about it, there’s so much stuff you could do for families out there that could help the situation. That’s what you’re doing and that’s the job of a Cllr.
“Take it from the GAA circles: we won our first County Final in 95; we lost 96, won 97, lost 98; and then we done five in a row – the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and I can guarantee you, I won’t be personally going away anywhere, I’ll be still here.”
You can listen to the episode in full below:
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