Reilly hits out at Fianna Fail management after losing council seat

Veteran Fianna Fail councillor and outgoing cathaoirleach of Meath County Council, Tommy Reilly, who lost his seat on the county council after 27 years says 'bad management' by Fianna Fail was to blame.

On the 13th count in the Navan Electoral Area yesterday (Tuesday 11th June), Independent, Alan Lawes, Linda Nelson Murray (Fine Gael), Yemi Adenuga (Fine Gael) and Padraig Fitzsimons (Fianna Fail) were elected without reaching the quota.

Cllr Reilly, a former mayor of Navan who has been a public representative since 1997, said he was very disappointed, and hit out at Fianna Fail vote management.

"500 of my first preferences would have transferred to other Fianna Fail candidates. There were 1,000 votes to be transferred from two other Fianna Fail candidates and I got 22 from one and 64 from the other. That tells a story of very bad management," he said.

On Monday, outgoing mayor, Sinn Fein's Cllr Eddie Fennessy topped the poll and was elected on the first count, along with Aontu's Cllr Emer Tóibín.

Outgoing Independent councillor, Francis Deane was elected on the 12th count.

On Tuesday afternoon, Returning Officer Dara McGowan had announced the original result of the Navan Count still stood, following a full recount of the votes in the Navan Electoral Area which began at 10am this morning (Tuesday).

As a result, Fianna Fail's Kashif Ali was eliminated and his transfers were distributed.

The recount had been granted at Ali's request when he was eliminated on the 11th count, as Sinn Fein's Caoimhe Ni Shluain finished ahead of him by a margin of just seven votes.