BALLYMOTE-TUBBERCURRY

THE Ballymote-Tubbercurry electoral area returns the largest numbers of councillors in all three Sligo electoral areas, one more than the Borough District of Sligo, which has six seats, and two more than the Sligo Drumcliffe EA.

In Ballymote-Tubbercurry, at the time of writing, February 14, it's anticipated more candidates will declare as the election comes closer, but as of now there are 14 declared candidates, just one of them female, one more than in 2019, where there were 13 candidates.

There will certainly be one change in the make-up of this EA with Cllr Martin Baker (FF) indicating, more than a year ago, that he would not be seeking re-election. He's the second longest serving councillor in this area, first elected in 2004.

Explaining his reasons for stepping away, he said he was doing so reluctantly but had to make the decision as he found running a business and his council work was becoming an impossible balancing act.

The six other councillors are all running, they are: Cllr Joe Queenan (Independent) from Enniscrone, first returned in 1996; Cllr Michael Clarke (Independent), Dromore West, first elected in 2009; Cllr Dara Mulvey (Fine Gael), Coolaney, first elected in 2009; Cllr Martin Connolly (Fine Gael), Tubbercurry, elected in 2019; Cllr Gerard Mullaney (Fine Gael), Kilmactranny, elected in 2019; Cllr Paul Taylor (Fianna Fáil), Gurteen, first elected in 2014.

The 2019 election results saw the end of a remarkable link with political representation in the area. Independent Councillor Willie Gormley failed to take the seat on Sligo County Council held by his late aunt, Margaret Gormley who passed away in April 2019, having held a seat there for more than 40 years. Before that the seat was held by her late father from 1942 to 1980.

In 2019 the electorate for Tubbercurry/Ballymote was 16,187. The valid poll was 15,989 with 198 spoilt votes. The quota to gain election was 2,080 votes, it will be even higher this time out.

Paul Taylor (FF) was the first candidate to be elected, on the third count, with 2,076..Taylor garnered 1,886 first preference votes, and was just over 110 votes shy of the quota on that first count.

The Fianna Fáil councillor benefitted massively from his party colleague Romauld Mullarkey's transfers, which quickly pushed him past the quota, becoming the first to be elected in the Ballymote/ Tubbercurry area. The then Sligo GAA senior team manager increased his vote by 800 from his first election contest in 2014.

Joe Queenan (IND), the ‘father' of the EA, is its longest serving councillor since 1999. He was elected on the third count, his first preference votes also impressive, at 1,737.

Michael Clarke and Dara Mulvey were elected on the seventh count, Martin Connolly, Martin Baker and Gerard Mullaney taking seats on the tenth count.

Barry Gallagher, running as an independent, called a recount after the fourth count following the distribution of Taylor's votes. He was eliminated on that count as he was tied with Keith Henry and Gallagher had the lowest number of first preferences.

Interestingly, both are running again this time.

Gallagher, from Curry, was confirmed as one of four Fianna Fáil candidates who will seek election this time out.

At the selection convention in the Coach House Hotel in December, outgoing councillor Paul Taylor, Keith Henry, the Barry Gallagher and Liam Brennan were selected.

In 2019 Gallagher as an Independent and Henry as a Fianna Fail candidate picked up a whopping 12.3% of the first preference vote, Henry with 1,022 first preference votes, Gallagher with 948.

Liam Brennan from the Castlebaldwin/Riverstown area, is a native of the nearby Gleann/ Geevagh area. He has been a Fianna Fáil party activist for many years, marked by involvement in various local, general and European elections.

Three outgoing Fine Gael councillors Martin Connolly, Dara Mulvey and Gerard Mullaney along with one new name, Patrick Cleary from the Enniscrone will contest the election in June. They were ratified at a party convention held in the Sligo Park Hotel last November.

Patrick Cleary is very much the new man, but far from unknown, such is his involvement in many aspects of his own community and beyond in west Sligo.

Cleary, a native of Tullylinn, Culleens, is now living nearby in Kilglass with his wife Helena and four daughters. He works for Top Oil as a multi-site depot manager in Sligo and Mayo where he manages 30 staff. He is actively involved in his local community through a variety of sporting and community roles.

Following a Sinn Féin selection convention held in December in Tubbercurry, three first-time candidates will run in the BallymoteTubbercurry EA - Donal O'Connor from Sooey; Jason Gorman from Tubbercurry; and Jennifer Van Aswegen from Dromore West.

Donal O'Connor is originally from Ballyfarnon but has been living in Geevagh for the past 18 years. He is self-employed in the construction sector.

Jason Gorman is the 4th generation of his family to live in the Tubbercurry area. He is a sub-station officer in Tubbercurry fire station and has been in the fire service for over 15 years, serving the people of South Sligo.

Jennifer Van Aswegen, who lives in Dromore West, was raised in Templeboy. She has worked in the public service all her life, including the Department of Social Welfare, UL, IT Sligo, and Sligo County Council.

James Conway, Ballinacarrow, who ran as an independent in the last general election, securing 1,354 first preference votes, will contest this local election in the Tubbercurry-Ballymote EA. An ardent critic of Government policy on rural Ireland he has consistently advocated that “Ireland should be for the Irish first of all”.

He insists neither he nor the party are racist, despite their immigration policy, and he shares the Party's concern about Ireland's future direction.

The absence of a Sinn Féin councillor, in the current climate where that party is enjoying strong support elsewhere, is a surprise. Fianna Fáil's chance of winning a second seat, based on their % share last time out and the return of Barry Gallagher to the FF fold, is significant.

Political strategists will also point to the opportunity which Martin Baker's retirement poses, others will wonder what impact the absence, to now, of a female councillor in this electoral area may or may not have. The six sitting councillors all have an advantage in that they all appear to have a strong base support – but that can shift.

The first question will be who will fill the seventh seat, after that who, if any, of those sitting six, are vulnerable.

Time will tell, whatever else one might suggest, it certainly won't be dull!