2014 Wicklow County Council election
23 May 2014
All 32 seats on Wicklow County Council
17 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Party Fine Gael Fianna Fáil Sinn Féin
Seats won 8 7 6
Seat change -1 +3 +4
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Party Green Independent Labour
Seats won 1 10 0
Seat change +1 +7 -6
Area of Wicklow County Council
Council control before election

Fine Gael
Labour Party
Fianna Fáil

 Council control after election

Fine Gael
Fianna Fáil
Independent

An election to all 32 seats on Wicklow County Council took place on 23 May 2014 as part of the 2014 Irish local elections, an increase from 24 seats at the 2009 election. In addition, the town councils of Arklow, Bray, Greystones and Wicklow were all abolished. County Wicklow was divided into five local electoral areas (LEAs) to elect councillors for a five-year term of office on the electoral system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV).

Independents proved to be the biggest winners in the elections, gaining 7 seats to return to the council with 10 members. Sinn Féin gained 4 additional seats on the council, leaving them with 6 councillors in total. The additional seats helped to insulate Fine Gael from significant seat losses and they remained the largest party despite losing a seat overall. Fianna Fáil gained 3 seats overall to return with 7 members and though they had more first preference votes than Fine Gael, they won 1 less seat overall. Several of the successful Independents such as Joe Behan, Christopher Fox and Jim Ruttle had former Fianna Fáil connections. The Labour Party polled disastrously in the election and were wiped out in what had been one of their former strongholds, losing all 6 seats. Outgoing councillor and outgoing chairman, Jimmy O'Shaughnessy also lost his seat in the election. O'Shaughnessy was a former Labour member. However, 2 former Labour councillors, Tom Fortune and Tommy Cullen, were returned as Independents.

It was also notable that none of the mayors of the town councils were elected. Mick Glynn (FG; Bray), Malcolm Earls (FG; Wicklow) and Peter Dempsey (Ind; Arklow) all failed to be elected, while George Jones (FG; Greystones) retired after serving over 40 years as a Town Councillor and County Councillor.

Results by party

Party Seats ± 1st pref FPv% ±%
Fine Gael 8 -1 10,179 19.9
Fianna Fáil 7 +3 10,196 19.9
Sinn Féin 6 +4 8,493 16.7
Green 1 +1 1,217 2.4
Labour 0 -6 1,595 3.1
People Before Profit 0 - 1,054 2.05
Independent 10 +7 18,228 35.7
Total 32 +8 51,389 100.0 —

Results by local electoral area

^ *: Outgoing councillor.
^ †: Outgoing councillor elected in 2009 in the Wicklow LEA for Labour; contesting both Arklow and Wicklow LEAs.

Arklow

Arklow: 6 seats
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
12345678910
Fianna Fáil Pat Fitzgerald[*] 20.55 1,937                  
Fianna Fáil Pat Kennedy 16.46 1,552                  
Fine Gael Sylvester Bourke[*] 11.53 1,087 1,132 1,156 1,158 1,179 1,243 1,370      
Fianna Fáil Tommy Annesley 9.16 864 1,130 1,181 1,186 1,232 1,298 1,380      
Sinn Féin Mary McDonald†††††† 7.91 746 776 787 811 853 872 972 976 1,088 1,092
Independent Tom Curran 7.0 660 690 703 731 766 807 892 902 1,075 1,082
Independent Jimmy O'Shaughnessy[†] 6.55 618 629 699 714 743 768        
Independent Peter Dempsey 6.54 617 692 695 703 767 813 850 853    
Independent Miriam Murphy 6.31 595 651 669 691 747 815 933 949 1,233 1,245
Labour Mary Mooty 3.42 322 350 355 359 376          
Independent Nicky Kelly[*] 3.0 283 322 329 349            
Direct Democracy Brian Whelan 1.03 97 102 104              
Independent Charlie Keddy 0.53 50 55 56              
Electorate: 16,752   Valid: 9,428 (56.28%)   Spoilt: 104   Quota: 1,347   Turnout: 9,532 (56.90%)  

    Baltinglass

    Baltinglass: 6 seats
    PartyCandidateFPv%Count
    123456789
    Independent Tommy Cullen[*] 16.90 1,802                
    Sinn Féin Gerry O'Neill††††† 14.45 1,541                
    Independent Jim Ruttle[*] 14.42 1,538                
    Fine Gael Edward Timmins[*] 11.95 1,274 1,374 1,381 1,402 1,405 1,411 1,434 1,513 1,850
    Fine Gael Vincent Blake[*] 11.66 1,244 1,255 1,258 1,285 1,285 1,285 1,389 1,402 1,468
    Fianna Fáil Pat Doran[*] 9.98 1,064 1,086 1,086 1,115 1,115 1,116 1,162 1,305 1,324
    Sinn Féin Aidan Kinsella 6.09 650 685 689 716 723 724 792 823 840
    Fine Gael Lorcan McMahon 5.45 581 596 603 611 615 618 627 723  
    Fianna Fáil Joe McCormac 3.81 406 439 446 456 458 460 473    
    Independent Kevin Byrne 2.51 268 287 312 380 381 382      
    Independent Jillian Godsil 1.81 193 214 250            
    Independent Dominic Plant 0.68 73 90              
    Independent Charlie Keddy 0.29 31 36              
    Electorate: 18,501   Valid: 10,665 (57.65%)   Spoilt: 123   Quota: 1,524   Turnout: 10,788 (58.31%)  

      Bray

      Bray: 8 seats
      PartyCandidateFPv%Count
      12345678910111213141516
      Sinn Féin John Brady[*]††† 16.95 2,142                              
      Independent Joe Behan 12.11 1,516                              
      Independent Christopher Fox[*] 11.85 1,484                              
      Independent Brendan Thornhill 6.55 820 843 896 903 912 947 964 1,004 1,013 1,102 1,138 1,217 1,298 1,498    
      Green Steven Matthews 6.01 752 768 791 797 799 813 826 847 865 888 953 1,073 1,163 1,302 1,346 1,381
      Fianna Fáil Pat Vance[*] 5.41 677 691 720 729 731 737 743 755 767 786 816 860 942 974 986 998
      Sinn Féin Oliver O'Brien††††† 5.39 675 1,163 1,205 1,210 1,214 1,222 1,254 1,271 1,283 1,309 1,314 1,336 1,341 1,541    
      Fianna Fáil David Grant 5.12 641 665 722 728 729 732 744 760 771 799 814 853 921 970 976 989
      Fine Gael John Ryan[*] 4.71 590 594 607 617 617 620 624 634 647 656 851 942 1,312 1,339 1,347 1,358
      People Before Profit Sharon Briggs 4.47 560 638 667 673 676 703 750 770 783 817 834 881 907      
      Fine Gael Mick Glynn[*] 4.39 550 560 580 588 589 592 595 607 615 630 746 842        
      Fine Gael Sarah Wray 3.93 492 498 505 515 517 519 521 529 554 565            
      Labour Ronan McManus 3.58 448 461 481 487 490 497 500 513 623 639 677          
      Labour Tracy O'Brien 1.76 220 231 240 243 244 244 247 251                
      Independent Barry Nevin[*] 1.65 207 224 225 250 254 271 288 318 322              
      Independent Eugene Finnegan 1.34 168 185 211 217 221 232 246                  
      Independent Catherine Hannon-Kennedy 1.16 145 162 179 182 189 198                    
      Independent Seay Ledwidge 1.0 126 133 142 146 154                      
      Independent Charlie Keddy 0.39 49 54 59 61                        
      Electorate: 23,347   Valid: 12,522 (53.63%)   Spoilt: 148   Quota: 1,392   Turnout: 12,670 (54.27%)  

        Greystones

        Greystones: 6 seats
        PartyCandidateFPv%Count
        1234567891011
        Independent Jennifer Whitmore† 27.44 2,328                    
        Independent Tom Fortune[*] 14.64 1,242                    
        Fine Gael Derek Mitchell[*] 9.56 811 931 941 944 975 1,006 1,111 1,145 1,278    
        Sinn Féin Nicola Lawless 8.08 686 757 796 800 823 840 847 882 896 897 1,090
        Fianna Fáil Gerry Walsh 7.45 632 732 747 749 755 806 827 1,043 1,068 1,074 1,110
        Fine Gael Gráinne McLoughlin[*] 7.46 633 755 771 774 808 851 922 960 1,167 1,215  
        People Before Profit Jacqui Johnston 3.88 329 452 490 495 516 532 547 577 591 593  
        Fianna Fáil James Doyle 3.83 325 380 393 395 410 478 505        
        Fine Gael Liz Dillon 3.65 310 405 411 412 442 454 511 532      
        Green Niall Byrne 3.58 304 462 480 483 542 555 578 611 668 676 800
        Fine Gael David O'Reilly 3.36 283 345 349 350 369 383          
        Fianna Fáil Taragh Hanley 2.82 239 295 302 304 306            
        Labour Ian McGahon 2.22 188 273 283 286              
        Independent Charlie Keddy 2.10 178 243                  
        Electorate: 16,531   Valid: 8,485 (51.33%)   Spoilt: 81   Quota: 1,213   Turnout: 8,566 (51.82%)  

          Wicklow

          Wicklow: 6 seats
          PartyCandidateFPv%Count
          123456789101112131415
          Sinn Féin John Snell[*]††††† 15.33 1,577                            
          Independent Dáire Nolan 11.26 1,159 1,162 1,169 1,170 1,176 1,180 1,191 1,196 1,266 1,281 1,317 1,370 1,394 1,468 1,475
          Fianna Fáil Pat Casey[*]†††† 11.20 1,152 1,157 1,161 1,162 1,166 1,173 1,176 1,190 1,197 1,218 1,238 1,301 1,320 1,342 1,404
          Fine Gael Shay Cullen 9.85 1,013 1,016 1,022 1,024 1,025 1,035 1,039 1,048 1,061 1,076 1,095 1,156 1,212 1,224 1,330
          Fine Gael Irene Winters[*] 7.47 769 772 772 776 777 794 799 830 834 864 888 930 1,024 1,072 1,328
          Independent Pat Kavanagh†† 5.19 534 538 543 556 573 587 625 637 655 702 825 880 930 1,109 1,200
          Fianna Fáil Gail Dunne 6.87 707 711 712 715 722 724 729 752 757 775 799 824 885 947 1,082
          Fine Gael Malcolm Earls 5.27 542 547 550 555 560 569 572 595 598 623 647 685 789 827  
          Sinn Féin Garrett O'Reilly 4.63 476 519 522 531 542 549 573 580 615 635 666 708 761    
          Labour Paul O'Brien 4.05 417 424 426 428 432 453 460 471 479 498 543 580      
          Independent Jimmy O'Shaughnessy[†] 3.98 409 422 425 431 437 447 456 471 477 508 539        
          Independent John Goodman 3.72 383 386 387 390 397 404 417 426 435 457          
          Independent Gerry Kinsella 2.40 247 252 258 265 269 281 294 302 307            
          Éirígí Seán Doyle 1.79 184 186 189 191 195 196 217 219              
          Independent Mervyn Morrison 1.69 174 175 175 176 180 190 193                
          People Before Profit Anna Doyle 1.60 165 167 168 172 174 187                  
          Green Paul Leahy 1.56 161 161 161 166 170                    
          Independent Michael Mulvihill 0.86 88 91 93 94 94                    
          Direct Democracy Norman Phillips 0.71 73 74 76                        
          Independent Charlie Keddy 0.57 59 59                          
          Electorate: 18,303   Valid: 10,289 (56.21%)   Spoilt: 91   Quota: 1,470   Turnout: 10,380 (56.71%)  

            Aftermath

            Following the elections, the Fine Gael group with 8 councillors, the Fianna Fáil group with 7 councillors and an independent technical group of 4 councillors came together to become the "official/government" side of the council, while the Sinn Féin group with 6 councillors, the Green Party councillor and an independent technical group of 5 councillors formed the "opposition" side of the council. One independent councillor refused to join either side and remained on his own.

            Following the election, at the first Annual General Meeting of the council, Christopher Fox (Independent) was elected Cathaoirleach (chairman) of the council. John Ryan (Fine Gael) was elected as Leas-Cathaoirleach (Vice-chairman) of the council.

            The "control" of the council was a rainbow coalition of Fine Gael/Fianna Fáil/Independent. The opposition side consisted of Sinn Féin/Green Party/Independent.

            Changes

            • †Greystones Independent Cllr Jennifer Whitmore joined the Social Democrats on 14 November 2015.
            • ††Wicklow Independent Cllr Pat Kavanagh died on 17 December 2015. Her sister, Mary, was co-opted to fill the vacancy on 7 March 2016.
            • †††Bray Sinn Féin Cllr John Brady was elected to the 32nd Dáil for Wicklow at the 2016 general election. Michael O'Connor was co-opted to fill the vacancy in March 2016.
            • ††††Wicklow Fianna Fáil Cllr Pat Casey was elected to the 32nd Dáil for Wicklow at the 2016 general election. Gail Dunne was co-opted to fill the vacancy in March 2016.
            • †††††Following an internal row with Sinn Féin TD, John Brady, three Wicklow Cllrs Oliver O'Brien (Bray), Gerry O'Neill (Greystones) and John Snell (Wicklow) were stripped of the party whip and became Independents. On 8 12 Oliver O'Brien joined Peadar Tóibín's new movement.
            • †††††† Arklow Sinn Féin Cllr Mary McDonald resigned from the party and became an Independent on 10 March 2019 saying she was restricted in what she could do at Council level.

            Sources

            • "Wicklow County Council". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 2 June 2014.

            References

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