Louth Local Elections: All Ardee councillors retain their seats

It was a case of ‘as you were’ in Ardee as all six councillors retained their seats.

Jim Tenanty thanked family and friends for his win in after being the first to be elected in Ardee.

The Independent candidate took the seat with 1,468 votes and said “walking the roads and knocking on every door,” was the secret to his success.

Speaking afterwards, he said he would like to “thank the people of Ardee for their courtesy while on the canvas”.

He also thanked fellow councillor Kevin Callan for “convincing him to put up a few posters” and for his help after the two ran as a united group alongside Councillor Declan Power.

Next to be elected in Ardee was Sinn Fein’s Pearse McGeough who said he was “feeling great but tired at the moment,” adding,

“it’s been a long two days and it’s been a long three or four months with constant work.

“It’s my fifth term as a councillor and I’m delighted. I have to pay tribute to the candidates and my running mates, Kitty Colbert who has been fantastic and Phyllis Murphy who did her bit as well.

“I also want to thank the team who were around me, a small core team, who worked anytime I asked them to work and it’s just been a great experience.”

Asked why he felt he had been elected to an impressive fifth term he said: “I suppose in my twenty years of being a councillor I’ve consistently covered my area so I’ve a fair good knowledge of all the issues that are about in the mid-Louth area.”

On Sinn Fein’s performance in Louth, he said: “Well obviously it could have been better, but [as regards] outside of the county I’ve been cocooned in this building for the last two days, so I have nothing really else to say, I’ve no knowledge of what’s going on outside.”

Fianna Fail’s John Sheridan also retained his seat in Ardee and said he felt that over the last term he had “done my best for people” and “I’m glad from looking at the tallies that was rewarded in individual villages.”

He continued: “I ran a very positive campaign, a very engaging campaign. I knocked on nearly 6,000 doors personally. I’m glad that the hard work has paid off and looking forward to another five years continuing to be on Louth County Council for Ardee.”

On the doors he said there was “appreciation of work done” and on a local level there were concerns around traffic calming, speeding ramps, footpaths and public lighting.

On Fianna Fail’s performance in Louth he said that it was sad that Dundalk Carlingford councillor Conor Keelan had lost his seat, saying: “Conor has given a great service. When you’re in government, it’s very hard to maintain your full complement of seats.

“I know some colleagues across the country and county who have lost today which is unfortunate but we were coming from a high base and when you’re in government you do feel a slight backlash in local elections and that appears to be what happened here.”

A relieved Dolores Minogue also spoke to the Democrat on her election, saying:

“It was a long day here in the County Hall, nearly 40 hours to get the seats. I can only say thank you to the people of Ardee- mid-Louth for supporting me and trusting me again.”

Asked why she felt people had re-elected her, Councillor Minogue said:

“I think they trust me, I deliver, I’m always contactable, I’m always answering people. I’ll report back to them, be it with a good answer or a bad answer… and I’ll do whatever I can to support somebody.”

Fine Gael’s Paula Butterly and Independent Bernie Conlon also retained their seats in Ardee.