If you’d told Maria McCormack last June that she’d be Sinn Féin’s candidate in the next General Election, would poll just under 5,000 first preference votes and be still in the running as the count went into its second day, she’d be forgiven for thinking you were mad.
But the political world is a mad one, to say the least, and Brian Stanley’s controversial resignation from the party saw her catapulted in to being Sinn Fein’s candidate on this occasion.
Twice across the past month Mary Lou McDonald was in Portlaoise to lend her support and just six months after getting 276 votes in the Local Elections, she pulled in 4,914 here to finish fourth.
It’s a three-seat constituency and she still sits about 1,800 votes behind Brian Stanley, albeit with the elimination of Independent candidates Elaine Mullally and Aisling Moran still to come who currently have about 7,500 between them still to be eliminated.
“I suppose it is not over yet,” she said on Saturday evening in the count centre she said as she spoke of the immense pride she was feeling following her strong showing.
“I’m absolutely thrilled. I’m actually blown away. I didn’t expect to do this well at all. It’s amazing.
“And if you look down there at the team of people that’s around, that’s just phenomenal.
“The support I’ve had, the way that Sinn Féin and Laois pulled together, and my mammy and everyone else.
“We can’t forget mammy beside me. It’s been amazing.
“I’d love to see the chance for a woman to go to the Dáil, never having a female represent us here in 2024.
“It would be fantastic. I’m not out of the race yet, but no matter what way it ends, I feel really proud.
“I feel really proud as a first-timer to stand up and to end up coming out with this vote.”
The Laois General Election count is set to resume at 9am in Portlaoise this morning.
SEE ALSO – Check out all our 2024 General Election coverage here
