No increase in the number of female county councillors

While some of the faces may have changed, there was no change to the number of female councillors on Meath County Council which remained at 15 following last weekend's local elections.

However, looking back to the last outing in 2019, on that occasion 13 female councillors were elected and it was down to two co-options in the meantime that this number was brought up to 15.

The Sinn Féin seat that was originally won by Darren O'Rourke in 2019 is now held by Helen Meyer, while Caroline O'Reilly was co-opted fill the seat of her late cousin Damien O'Reilly who died suddenly last year.

Female candidates topped the poll in three areas with Gillian Toole achieving more than 3,000 votes, the second highest of any of the 40 councillors elected, while Sarah Reilly reached the quota on the first count in Kells, as did party colleague Sharon Tolan in Laytown/Bettystown.

Female representation now stands at 37.5 per cent, up five per cent on 2019 and well above the national average of 26 per cent, though still below the 50 per cent target.

Sitting councillors Yemi Adenuga (FG), Aisling Dempsey(FF), Suzanne Jamal(FG), Geraldine Keogan(IND), Helen Meyer (SF), Maria Murphy (FG), Caroline O'Reilly (FF), Sarah Reilly (FG), Amanda Smith (IND), Emer Tóibín(Aontú), Sharon Tolan (FG), and Gillian Toole (IND) were all re-elected while outgoing Fianna Fáil councillor Deirdre Geraghty Smith opted against seeking a second term and was the only councillor of the 40 not to run.

There are three new faces- Carol Lennon (IND) and Maria White (SF) in Laytown/Bettystown and Linda Nelson Murray (FG) in Navan- while two sitting councillors lost their seats. Elaine McGinty who as co-opted to replace Annie Hoey after she became a senator, lost Labour's only seat on the council and Niamh Souhan lost out in Trim.

Overall, the number of women seeking election rose in this election from 27 in 2019 to 33.

However, Fine Gael's Sarah Reilly was the only female candidate to go forward for election in Kells and is the only female councillor of the seven seats.

In Trim, the female representation is down to just one councillor with Aisling Dempsey keeping her seat but Fine Gael's Niamh Souhan failing to get re-elected.

Laytown/Bettystown is the only area where female councillors have the majority where four of the seven seats are held women. Sharon Tolan, Geraldine Keogan, Carol Lennon and Maria White were all elected tipping the balance in the women's favour by one compared to last time out.

In Ashbourne, is a 50:50 split where three of the six seats are still held by women- Helen Meyer, Amanda Smith and Suzanne Jamal.

In Ratoath, women hold three of the seven seats- Gillian Toole, Maria Murphy and Caroline O'Reilly- with Toole the clear winner gaining more than double the quota.